Dr. Dale Dugas AP DOM MAOM Dipl. OM , is a board-certified Florida state licensed Acupuncture Physician/Doctor of Oriental Medicine(AP/DOM) as well as a board- certified Chinese Herbalist. He is licensed from the Florida Department of Health.
Dr. Dugas attended the New England School of Acupuncture, the oldest school of Chinese Medicine in the USA.
He earned a Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental medicine(MAOM). Following graduation, he passed his national board exams for Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. He was subsequently granted Diplomat of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. OM) status from The National Certification Commission of Acupuncture Medicine (NCCAOM), and recently was granted licensure in Florida as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine/Acupuncture Physician.
Dr. Dugas’ interest in Asian medicinal practices arose in the late 1980s, while he was living in Northern Japan. He lived in Northern Japan through the 1990s. During this time, he earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Earlham College, his focus on Japanese Studies.
Dr. Dugas has over 36 years of continuous training in Chinese, Chinese/Okinawan, and Japanese martial arts systems.
He achieved a Shodan(1st degree Black Belt) in Okinawan Uechi-Ryu Karate-do at the age 16. He is well versed in Southern Short Hand systems such as South Mantis, and Bak Mei Pai Kung Fu as well as being a licensed instructor of Baguazhang. He was first introduced to the complexities of the Chinese internal arts( Hsing-Yi Chuan, Baguazhang, Taijiquan), and various Qi Gong methods under Shifu Kwan Sai Hung, best known as the protagonist in the book, The Wandering Taoist.
He is currently working in Florida as a licensed Acupuncture Physician/Chinese Herbalist at Jade Tree Wellness Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.
He looks forward to furthering research on Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chinese Martial Arts(Jook Lun Gee Tong Long Pai, Baguazhang, Taijiquan), Tieh Sha Zhang Gong (Iron Palm) and Tieh Bu Shan Gong (Iron Vest) training, Shuai Jiao(Chinese Wrestling) and Kam Na/Chin-Na (Throwing and Grappling) and Dit Da Ke (Chinese trauma medicine).

As dedicated health practitioners, we wholeheartedly believe that your health is your most precious resource and most valuable asset. Without good health, your quality of life is diminished and it’s hard to feel content. Approaching wellness from an integrative, holistic manner, we strive to eliminate the causes of disease and illness while promoting wellness education.

Combining the efforts of general practitioners with nutritional experts, functional medicine associates, and others, our staff works to improve the body/mind/spirit connection to help elevate wellness levels throughout the entire body.

From chiropractic treatments and acupuncture to IPT cancer therapy, we work in partnership with the patients themselves, allowing them to take ownership in their own treatment plan while learning more about the integrative nature of the human body. Our focus is to treat the underlying cause of disease and illness, alleviating symptoms and pain through holistic healing.

Here at the Gentle Wellness Center, we are driven by a mission to empower consumers and practitioners both through education, training, and research. We are here to assist each patient on their journey to optimal wellness.

Having evolved over thousands of years, acupuncture is one of the oldest continually practiced medical modalities in the world. A treatment involves the insertion and manipulation of flexible, hair-thin needles at specific points along the body's meridian pathways, which are channels through which the body’s energy is thought to flow. Acupuncture is a safe, effective, chemical-free way to promote the body's remarkable self-healing abilities. It is used to prevent and treat disease, relieve pain, balance mood, enhance athletic performance, increase fertility, and improve overall health and wellness

Wise Turtle Acupuncture is a hybrid clinic of Community Acupuncture, with private treatments of acupuncture, Acutonics and aromatherapy available to those wanting them. I also provide bedside therapeutic harp music.