Natalie Maddox Rougié, DACM, Dipl OM, NCPT

I grew up with a passion for the performing arts, studying dance from a young age.  It is without a doubt the defining force and common theme, which brought about a lot of my life experiences. As a teenager I danced professionally with a small performance company in South Jersey, throughout the greater Philadelphia area, and New York City. Dancing provided me an outlet for expression, built my character and strength, and taught me why optimal health is so important.  

Dancing also exposed me to both acupuncture and Pilates. Acupuncture helped address some dance related issues and while in college, Pilates accompanied my ballet training. Being able to personally experience the benefits of these two practices created the desire to explore the possibilities of combining these disciplines and follow a career path that would achieve that to ultimately help others. 

​In 1996, I attended Jacksonville University where I was pursuing a double major in biology and dance. I then transferred to the University of South Florida two years later, and decided to follow a pre-med path while simply taking classes at the dance department instead of completing a major. After graduating in December 2000 with degrees in Biology and Chemistry, I spent two years working as a cytogenetic technologist with Genzyme Genetics before starting a Master's degree program in Chinese Medicine at the East West College of Natural Medicine in Sarasota Florida.  While studying, I spent three seasons with the NFL as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader and completed a six-month Pilates certification with Polestar Pilates in the fall of 2005.  In February 2006, I became a licensed Diplomat of Oriental Medicine (Dipl OM) through the National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCBAHM), which encompasses Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology.  Early in practice, I was located inside a charmingly historic victorian home located on Palm Avenue, hence the name.  It was there that I began to integrate the modalities of acupuncture and Pilates.  Years later I moved my practice to its current location, an equally charming 100 year old historic bungalow in Hyde Park. In 2021, I completed my Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM) from Pacific College of Health and Sciences.  During this program, my focus revolved around studying the mechanisms of action of both acupuncture and Pilates as an integrative treatment strategy for musculoskeletal conditions, the pharmacology of Chinese herbal medicine to treat infectious diseases, current public health struggles that could improve greatly with the integration of acupuncture, and the functional approach to lab testing using nutraceuticals, herbs, and acupuncture in treatment.

As a nationally certified Pilates instructor, I continually seek to expand my knowledge and have completed additional hours of rehabilitative emphasis with Polestar Pilates and also am certified to teach the Fletcher Pilates matwork.

Most recently, in 2024, I became a student of Grand Master Nan Lu, OMD and in January 2026 completed my certification to teach his Dragon's Way Qigong and Breast Health Qigong Programs. Qigong is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and studying this ancient art has brought immense depth to not only my own health but also my patients' health. 

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