I’m Rachel Welter Martinez.
As a doctor of acupuncture, I partner with my patients to achieve harmony and health of the mind, body, and spirit – using acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and other modalities to treat acute and chronic symptoms and achieve global health.
My patients often feel relief at their first appointment – enjoying a deepening of the breath, clear eyes, and a sense of settling into their bodies. I’m certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and over the course of treatment, my patients and I work together to make space, in the body and in life, for the lasting healing that comes with rest and recovery.
I was drawn to acupuncture as I trained to become a first-degree black belt in Aikido, a traditional Japanese martial art. Not surprisingly, there were aches and pains along the way in which I was treated successfully with acupuncture and chiropractic. Later, acupuncture kept me healthy during two pregnancies. As a result, I found myself continuously referring to my friends and family to similar courses of treatment. Feeling called, I left a successful real estate career to attend the New England School of Acupuncture, now part of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in Worcester, MA, where I trained in Chinese, Japanese, and Orthopedic acupuncture as well as many other adjunct therapies. As an intern, I treated patients at Boston Medical Center, UMass Memorial and Cambridge Health Alliance’s Malden Family Health Center. I see this career change as an aligning of my upbringing, being the daughter of a chiropractor, my passion for health, and my training in Aikido and Zen. Becoming a healer honors my family’s legacy and is a confluence of my own life’s journey.
Before becoming an acupuncturist, I graduated from RISD in 1994 with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts Degree in Painting and later became a leasing agent for Armory Revival in Providence. During my tenure at Armory, I helped many families and individuals find the perfect home on the west side of Providence. I’m also the property manager for Dove Street Enterprises and oversaw the rebirth of two apartment buildings in Providence.
Today, I still