Our Practitioners
Blake Stoveken, L.Ac, D.OM
Blake Stoveken, a Pike County native, was inspired to bring affordable, yet effective, Chinese Medicine to Milford. He was troubled by his own challenges with affordable access to Chinese Medicine for himself and his family. Blake believed a model of service existed where a practitioner could offer effective care while being affordable enough for patients to continue treatment as often as they felt necessary. Within months after attending a community clinic workshop in Philadelphia he opened Worker Bee. It has been buzzing since its opening in 2011.
Blake is a Nationally Licensed Oriental Medicine practitioner (OM), which includes licenses to practice acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. He graduated from the Eastern School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in Montclair, New Jersey. Also a graduate of the Won Institute of Graduate Studies, he holds a degree in Chinese Herbal Medicine.
Blake travels yearly to Asia where he is developing a connection to the classical aspects of the medicine, pre Chinese cultural revolution era, following a 2000 year old lineage called Genmenpai. This is one of many traditions not included in modern Chinese medicine education today.
In addition to his studies in Chinese Medicine, Blake also mentored under Tom Chi for a year and a half where he developed a specialized style of body work. Used in conjunction with acupuncture, Blake is able to address certain forms of chronic pain in ways, he feels, that Chinese medicine alone cannot.
The community clinic has given Blake an opportunity to refine diagnostic skills that are considered essential in Chinese medicine such as pulse and tongue inspection and palpation. Working with a large population has also given him the experience to address a large spectrum of health concerns.
Contact Blake: innerelement@verizon.net
Nathaniel Whitmore, Shiatsu-shi, Herbalist
Nathaniel Whitmore, originally from Damascus, PA, maintains an herbal education center in Glen Spey, NY and practices shiatsu (acupressure) and herbalism at Worker Bee Community Acupuncture and in New York City. He was introduced to far eastern medicine through macrobiotics and herbs through his first mentor, Taterbug Tyler. He studied shiatsu at the Kushi Institute, at Endless Mountains School of Shiatsu, and with Kazumasa Kitazawa. He has studied herbology through several schools, intensives, apprenticeships, the American Herbalists Guild, and private studies.
Nathaniel is known as one of the regions experts on the identification, harvest, and used of wild plants and mushrooms. He regularly teaches about wild edible plants, medicinal herbs, edible and medicinal mushrooms, herbal medicine-making, and the theory of herbalism. He teaches for ArborVitae School of Traditional Herbalism in Manhattan, for Brooklyn Botanic Garden, at many herb shops and nature centers, and at Worker Bee Community Acupuncture.
Nathaniel's practice is based on shiatsu treatment and herbal consultation, all rooted in the traditional assessment techniques of traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine. Typical shiatsu treatments are one hour and detailed herbal consultations are at least one hour, with full intake and complete herbal recommendations.
Contact Nathaniel: wathakes@gmail.com