Jennifer McGrath MSTOM, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist
NCCAOM Board Certified
When you are in your early twenties, feeling exhausted, emotionally drained and plagued with experiencing mysterious blackouts, you normally turn to traditional medicine in looking for answers. However when the doctors do all the typical tests and blood work, then announce they are all within normal limits, where do you turn for answers? That is just the position that Jennifer McGrath found herself facing, while looking in her bathroom mirror at her reflection, wondering what in the world is going on?
When the traditional fails, that is when most people turn to alternative holistic medicine for answers, as a last resort so to speak! That is just where a friend to Jennifer suggested she look, after successfully being treated herself. Whether it was just luck or Divine intervention, it was a suggestion that was to change Jennifer’s life, both personally and professionally forever.
Within a month of Jennifer seeing a holistic physician, who specialized in acupuncture and nutritional counseling, she couldn’t believe how much renewed vitality and wellness she was experiencing. It was as if a whole new person was gazing back at her when she looked in the bathroom mirror. It was as if a miracle transformation had occurred.
Jennifer’s interest in traditional oriental medicine quickly changed from mild curiosity, to a driving passion that 
a team of wild stallions couldn’t hold back. Currently Jennifer has well over 3,500 class hours and 1,000 hours of clinical experience and case evaluation in biomedicine, acupuncture, Chinese herbology, and other related holistic therapies that are used to treat physical and mental diseases. Jennifer’s drive and compassion places her far above others who have limited, “weekend” holistic training and certifications.
Jennifer graduated cum laude from De Paul University where she earned her B.S. degree. She obtained her Masters of Science Degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM), one of the most prominent and rigorous Oriental Medicine colleges in the United States, which gave her more than enough formal education. Her thirsty quest for answers from the fountain of life drove her to help others, by doing post-graduate work in functional blood chemistry, thyroid dysfunction and neuro-brain chemistry. Jennifer sought as well to find passionate mentors, and training from leaders in the fields of classical acupuncture, in both Tung’s and Japanese palpation-style acupuncture and functional diagnostic medicine.
While working at the PCOM clinic, Jennifer saw many patients with a common denominator of digestive disorders, hypertension, high cholesterol, anxiety, depression, and insomnia along with chronic pain, and obesity in many people. However Jennifer noticed the majority of the patients also had high stress levels. Sometimes it was acute stress such as the stress that comes with loss of a loved one. Sometimes it was perceived stress such as the daily stress found typically in the workplace. Jennifer’s own experience, working in the finance and insurance industries for fifteen years before she returned to school, gave her firsthand knowledge of stress in the work place. She is passionate about bringing preventative medicine to the workplace and believes it benefits both employer and employee.
It is important to Jennifer’s mission to be dedicated to her patients, and to listen to what they and their pulses have to say. “Our bodies talk to us, they tell us everything, and we often fail to listen. I meet people where they are in their own personal journey; we join hands and walk together to improved health and wellness. The result: an improved quality of life.” Jennifer said.
Obviously, Jennifer takes her walk through holistic medicine seriously, and that is why when her son was diagnosed with a serious chronic disease. “Nothing tests your commitment and inner faith then receiving devastating news about your own child.” Jennifer stated. Jennifer and her son both said no, to the doctor’s recommendation of a new FDA-approved drug. After researching the recommended drug, she concluded that the benefits did not outweigh the risks. She and her son decided to forego the drug therapy. Instead of subjecting her son to the adverse effects of the drug therapy, she took a four month leave of absence from her career, and successfully guided her son back to good health through nutrition, herbs, and Pranayama yoga.
Jennifer confirms her beliefs by saying, “God created the human body to be perfect and to heal itself when it is out of balance. Food must be looked at as medicine, which means that nutrition is important in the healing process.”
After twelve years her son continues to be in remission and is medication free. What is natural for Jennifer and her son is amazing to the traditional doctors that originally diagnosed her son and her own illnesses.
Jennifer McGrath continues to walk the higher path to wellness, helping others along the way, to clear the sometimes rock filled path to optimal holistic health.