The Flow Collective:
Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine
Meet The Practitioner
Dr. Yvonne Kettels (she/her/hers)
Welcome to our practice! We are looking forward to serving you. Yvonne, also known as “YK,” is a recent transplant from California. She parted from a successful career as a general contractor in the SF Bay area. The pandemic rattled the world and triggered her move to Rhode Island for love and to fulfill a longtime desire to continue the study of traditional Chinese medicine, which she began part-time in Oakland at Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences. She enrolled at the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) and graduated in 2024 with a Masters in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, concentrating on both Chinese and Japanese Styles. YK is a National Board Certified diplomate of acupuncture.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture offers a natural, holistic approach to easing both acute and chronic conditions by addressing its root cause. Thin, sterile needles are gently placed at strategic points along your body’s meridians to release blocked energy (qi) and improve circulation. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, pain is often linked to stagnation—when qi or blood flow is disrupted, tension, inflammation, or discomfort can arise. Acupuncture helps dissolve these blockages, promoting your body’s healing response.
Moxa
Moxibustion is a warming therapy that complements acupuncture. Moxa, mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) promotes energy, dispels stagnation, and nourishes your body’s vitality. Dried mugwort, is gently burned near acupuncture points or meridians, radiating a soothing, penetrating heat that stimulates. Moxa’s warmth acts like sunlight for your system. Its gentle nature restores flow to tissues, organs, and energy pathways. We love Moxa.
Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbs play an important part in supporting your healing process, working in harmony with acupuncture to help restore your inner balance and ease your symptoms. Whether through a standardized or custom-tailored formula, herbal medicine offers a powerful and natural way to address your unique health needs.
5-point Ear Acupuncture
This protocol is a specialized ear acupuncture system designed to calm the nervous system, reduce cravings, and support emotional resilience. By targeting five key points in the ear—linked to organs and functions that govern stress, addiction, and mental clarity—The Flowcollective will have designated Saturday mornings with ear acupuncture only.
What Should I Expect during the Acupuncture Treatment?
Our approach is individualized and based on Chinese and Japanese Medicine principles. In our diagnosis, we will incorporate information from your Western medicine doctor. In our care we are working with you to set goals for your treatment plan based on your preferences and personal needs.
Initial visits: 90 minutes
We will hold a longer intake conversation that helps us to create the foundation of care for your treatment plan. We will check your pulses, and inspect your tongue. Abdominal palpation which is a diagnostic tool in Japanese Style acupuncture, may also be applied during the assessment. Acupuncture treatment with or without adjuncts will follow.
Continuing visits: 50 minutes
After a brief intake, acupuncture treatment with or without adjuncts will follow.
