Danielle Dyer sailed into Deer Harbor on a mission: to bring her healing talents to Orcas Island and acupuncture into island homes.

“I love acupuncture,” said Dyer, a graduate of the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine. “Touch is vital for healing.”

A Portland, Oregon native, Dyer has a background in social justice and social work but said there was a sense of disconnect she just couldn’t shake. She moved to the island in November 2016 and has been working part-time at Salmonberry.

“There was something missing there,” she said. “This is me; this is what I want to see in the world.”

The missing piece in Dyer’s work was that she wasn’t able to hug someone when they needed it. She said that she wants to change the status quo of modern medicine and that is why she holds her appointments in her client’s homes instead of an office.

“You get to know your patient as a person,” said Dyer. “And they get to know you as a person.”

Her expertise extends beyond acupuncture as well. She is in the process of becoming a herbalist, she is a Reiki master and a teacher of Qigong. Her way of healing includes a lot of physicality, she said. Dyer utilizes acupuncture, herbs and body movements as a treatment for treating pain, neurological issues and emotions.

Dyer uses a sliding scale fee for her services, which are available at a community clinic at Orcas Mandala Yoga and Bodyworks Studio on Sundays (time TBD), during the Saturday Farmer’s Market and by appointment. Dyer is available for an appointment Monday through Friday from 4–9 p.m. and Tuesday and Friday mornings from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. For scheduling, visit healflowacupuncture.com.