Integrative Care for Mind, Body, & Spirit

About The Practice

Focus on Wellness was created with one vision in mind: to offer a space where healing can unfold through many pathways. We believe wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is care. Our clinic brings together multiple branches of holistic medicine under one roof, allowing patients to receive personalized treatments that address both the root and the branch of imbalance.

Whether you’re seeking pain relief, hormonal balance, digestive support, stress regulation, or enhanced performance and recovery, our goal is to help you find the right combination of therapies to restore balance and resilience.

At Focus on Wellness, healing is collaborative. Every practitioner brings a unique perspective and skill set, working together to help you move, feel, and live better — in body, mind, and spirit.

Meet the Team

  • Carmen Santiago

    LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST & HERBALIST

    Carmen embarked on her spiritual journey over 30 years ago, beginning as a meditator. Her spiritual path has taken many twists and turns, but she has always been driven by a desire to make a difference, show kindness and share her dreams with her friends/family. Deeply influenced by her mother’s unwavering support, Carmen learned that she could achieve anything she set her heart on. Embracing her uniqueness as her super power, she followed her mother’s example and blessing.

    Carmen redirected her focus toward western medicine, completing her EMT certification, after volunteering as a firefighter while gaining valuable experience in the emergency room. And along the way meeting some very special people that will continue to support and become her closest friends. Despite these accomplishments, she felt destined for a different path.

    As the co-founder of Cryo Core Rejuvenation, she merges natural therapies with cryotherapy, effectively managing the day to day operations alongside a fulltime job.

    Determined to deepen her knowledge, Carmen returned to school and earned her bachelor's degree in alternative medicine. Her journey continued as she discovered a passion for acupuncture, which profoundly helped her during challenging times, both physically and mentally. Graduating from Won Institute with her Masters in Acupuncture was no easy feat, but Carmen perseverance led her to also complete her certificate in Chinese Herbal medicine.

    Carmen’s commitment to her clients goes beyond treatment; she seeks to understand their needs by listening and being present to help them move forward on their healing journeys. With firsthand experience of the struggles within the medical field, she is dedicated to being a vessel for others, assisting them in becoming the best versions of themselves.

    In her free time Carmen enjoys gardening and nurturing her “me time.” Meditation is essential to her balance, and she integrates yoga and workouts into her routine to maintain equilibrium in her life. She treasures outings with her friends/family. Carmen enjoys creating and looks forward to sharing her creations and her brand with all of you!

  • Gabriella DiGirolamo

    LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST & NUTRITIONIST

    Gabriella is a licensed acupuncturist in New Jersey and a Diplomate of Acupuncture through NCCAOM. She holds a Master’s degree in Acupuncture from the Won Institute of Graduate Studies in Warminster, PA. Her clinical focus includes orthopedics, pain management, psycho-emotional health, digestive disorders, and women’s health.

    Her approach to care is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, using acupuncture, tuina, cupping, and bodywork to relieve pain, regulate the nervous system, and restore balance. She integrates modern perspectives on nutrition, movement, and lifestyle habits, offering a truly comprehensive path to long-term wellness that honors the connection between body, mind, and spirit.

    Gabriella’s journey into healing began with a deep curiosity about how food shapes our well-being. Through her own experiences with nutrition and transformation, she discovered Chinese Medicine, qigong, and Daoist philosophy — traditions that reshaped how she understood health, resilience, and the body’s innate ability to heal itself.

    As both a nutritionist and competitive powerlifter, Gabriella brings a unique perspective to her clinical work, supporting athletes and active individuals in staying pain-free, recovering fully, and cultivating both physical and mental strength for the activities they love.

    She strives to provide a space where patients can return to themselves — a quiet, restorative state where pain eases, the breath deepens, and balance returns.

Services We Offer

Acupuncture

What it is
Acupuncture is a time-honored medicine that gently stimulates specific points on the body with sterile, single-use needles to regulate the nervous system, circulation, and the flow of qi (vital energy). At Focus on Wellness, treatments are customized to address both the root (underlying patterns) and the branch (current symptoms), blending Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern insights from pain science, breathwork, and movement.

What it helps

  • Orthopedic pain and recovery: neck, low back, shoulders, hips, knees, TMJ

  • Performance & training support: faster recovery, range of motion, muscle activation

  • Stress, anxiety, and sleep regulation

  • Digestive function and gut-brain balance (bloating, irregularity, reflux)

  • Women’s health & hormones (cycles, perimenopause/menopause, PMS, headaches)

  • Autoimmune conditions, immune support, and vitality

  • & more!

Techniques we may use

  • Body & channel acupuncture to calm the autonomic nervous system

  • Trigger-point/orthopedic needling for stubborn muscle knots and movement restriction

  • Electroacupuncture (gentle microcurrent) to enhance circulation and tissue healing when appropriate

  • Adjacent/ distal strategies to relieve pain without needling directly into a tender area

What to expect
After a thorough intake, you’ll relax on a treatment table. Most patients feel a sense of grounded calm within minutes; many nap. A session may also include cupping, gua sha, tuina, or moxibustion to reinforce results. You’ll leave with simple, doable guidance for nutrition, movement, and self-care between visits.

Tuina Medical Massage

Tuina (twee-nah) is a form of Chinese medical massage that combines soft-tissue techniques, joint mobilization, and acupressure to promote the smooth flow of qi and blood. Unlike a spa massage, tuina is rooted in medical theory and focuses on restoring alignment, movement, and balance throughout the body.

What it helps

  • Musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion

  • Postural strain and repetitive-use tension

  • Athletic recovery and mobility restoration

  • Stress reduction and nervous system regulation

How it feels
Depending on your needs, tuina may feel like deep tissue, myofascial release, or gentle traction work. It can be performed over clothing or with draping and pairs beautifully with acupuncture for orthopedic and stress-related conditions.

Gua Sha

What it is
Gua sha is a therapeutic scraping technique using a smooth-edged tool to stimulate microcirculation, release fascia, and reduce inflammation. It moves stagnant qi and blood, promotes lymphatic drainage, and encourages the body’s natural healing response.

What it helps

  • Muscle tension, stiffness, and chronic pain

  • Headaches, TMJ, and sinus congestion

  • Immune and lymphatic support during colds

  • Skin health and facial rejuvenation (when performed gently on the face)

What to expect
Gua sha produces light sha (redness or petechiae) that fades quickly and indicates increased blood flow. The treatment is both therapeutic and relaxing — perfect for tight necks, tension headaches, or overall rejuvenation.

Cupping Therapy

What it is
Cupping uses gentle suction to lift the skin and fascia, improving blood flow and drawing stagnation out of the muscles. It helps to open tight areas, clear inflammation, and promote healing through improved oxygenation and lymphatic drainage.

What it helps

  • Muscle tension, knots, and pain

  • Post-workout soreness and recovery

  • Headaches, neck stiffness, and back pain

  • Respiratory congestion or sluggish immunity

What to expect
Glass or silicone cups are placed along the back, shoulders, or legs. You may notice temporary circular marks that fade within a few days — a natural sign of increased circulation and detoxification. Many patients describe cupping as deeply relieving and grounding.

Moxibustion

What it is
Moxibustion is a warming therapy that involves the gentle burning of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) near specific acupuncture points. The soothing heat penetrates deeply into the tissues, stimulating circulation, dispelling cold, and nourishing the body’s yang energy.

What it helps

  • Cold-type pain, stiffness, and menstrual cramps

  • Fatigue and deficiency conditions

  • Digestive sluggishness and low metabolism

  • Immune and fertility support

  • Preventative care during seasonal transitions

Why it’s powerful
In Chinese Medicine, warmth restores movement — and movement restores health. Moxa helps awaken and strengthen the body’s internal fire, making it ideal for patients who run cold, experience low energy, or feel “stuck.” The therapy is deeply comforting and often leaves you feeling relaxed, revitalized, and warm from the inside out.

Contact Us

Interested in trying Acupuncture? Have some more questions? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!