About Us
We are a group of individually licensed healing arts practitioners who share a common vision of bringing the best complementary care to the residents of the Howard County and Anne Arundel County areas. We have a specialized expertise in meeting the complementary care needs of oncology patients and have worked in partnership with the Central Maryland Oncology Center since 2001 and on-site since 2004. Our practices span a wide expanse of needs, including the needs of cancer patients and survivors, their families, and their caretakers. Our practices are not limited to the treatment of oncology related issues, and we take delight in addressing a diversity of people and a wide range of health challenges.
Brandon Hughes M.Ac., L.Ac.
Brandon is the director and co-founder of Healing Point Acupuncture and Healing Arts and Healing Point LLC. He is a licensed acupuncturist with a Master's degree from the Tai Sophia Institute. He works closely with the medical staff at the Howard County General Hospital and the Central Maryland Oncology Center and is an active member of the Howard County General Hospital Cancer Conferences.
His educational background includes a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Medicine and Philosophy, and advanced training in the use of acupuncture in both cancer care and addictions. He is a past Tai Sophia Institute faculty member of both the Master of Acupuncture and Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change programs and a past Maryland Community Health Initiative supervisor.
Brandon serves as the Director of Acupuncture Services for the Howard County Health Department Bureau of Addictions. He is certified by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association. He is a past supervisor of the Penn North Neighborhood Addictions Program.
Brandon is a past participant of the Howard County General Hospital Integrative Care Advisory Committee, and a past participant of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Advisory Committee of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been a guest lecturer for Kennedy Krieger Institute, Goucher College, Howard County General Hospital, Anne Arundel Medical Center, A Community of Transformation (ACT), and Survivors Offering Support (SOS).
Brandon enjoys spending time with his family. He is an avid outdoorsman and is equally happy in the deep woods, high on a mountain, or in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay.
Bridget Hughes M.Ac., L.Ac.
Bridget is a licensed acupuncturist with a Master's degree from the Tai Sophia Institute. She is co-founder of Healing Point LLC in Severna Park, Maryland, and of Healing Point Acupuncture and Healing Arts in the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center at the Medical Pavilion at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia. She was named a 2010 and 2011 Favorite Doc in Chesapeake Family Magazine representing Anne Arundel County and the Chesapeake Bay Region.
In addition to her general acupuncture practice, Bridget has provided acupuncture care for a number of patients undergoing cancer treatment at the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center and the Howard County General Hospital since 2001. She is a past participant of the Howard County General Hospital Integrative Care Advisory Committee.
Bridget presented Grand Rounds at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland in 2002 and is a past participant of the Kennedy Krieger Institute Complementary and Alternative Medicine Advisory Committee. She is a past member of the Kennedy Krieger Institute Ethics Committee.
Bridget is a past provider of acupuncture in the outpatient treatment program of the Howard County Health Department Bureau of Addictions. She is certified by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association. She is a past Maryland Community Health Initiative supervisor, and a past Tai Sophia faculty member of both the Master of Acupuncture and Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change programs.
Bridget holds National Board Certification as a Certified Clinical Hypnotist and is a certified Qi Gong instructor. She has been interested for over 20 years in the intersection of health, wellness, brain science, energy arts, quantum physics, psychology, and peak performance and has post-graduate training in neuroscience, brain imaging, and neuroplasticity.
Bridget is available for speaking on a wide range of wellness topics. 2011 talk topics include: Using Imagery, Visualization, Meditation, and Feeling States to Groove New Neural Pathways, Transitioning to Wellness of Body, Mind, and Spirit for Survivors, A Mind-Body Approach to Pain, and Rewiring Your Neural Pathways of Emotion. She has been a guest lecturer for Kennedy Krieger Institute, Goucher College, Howard County General Hospital, A Community of Transformation (ACT), Survivors Offering Support (SOS), and Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Organization for Women Educators.
Bridget loves spending time with family, organic gardening, photography, cooking, anything outdoors, and is an avid reader. She considers time spent with patients to be a great blessing and takes a keen interest in each person and their unique situation and experience.
Mary M. Dowling LCSW-C
Mary is a Licensed Certified Social Worker and received her Master’s degree from The Catholic University of America in 1989. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. She works with individuals, families and couples and is skilled in both short and long term counseling/psychotherapy. She works with a variety of issues, including but not limited to: Anxiety/depression, grief, communication skills, stress management, parenting, ADD/ADHD and acute/chronic illness.
Mary practices from a Spirit, Mind, Body perspective, treating the whole person. She assists her clients using a variety of counseling perspectives and techniques, including awareness of thoughts and behavior patterns/habits, awareness of intention and conscious choice/creation, education and practice of guided imagery/meditation, and communication skills.
Mary enjoys reading, walking outside, the ocean and spending time with friends, family and her dog, Mattie. She is honored to accompany clients on their journey, and serves each person according to their individual needs.
Valerie Lapcinski L.M.T.
Valerie Lapcinski is a licensed massage therapist in the State of Maryland and nationally certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). Since completing massage school in 2002 which included coursework in Swedish, Myofascial, Deep Tissue and Medical Massage, Valerie has received additional training in Oncology Massage, Sports Massage, the AIS Method [
http://www.stretchingusa.com/], Neuromuscular Therapy, energy work and a variety of other techniques. She is currently a student in the Trager Approach [
http://www.trager.com/index.html].
Valerie is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association [http://www.amtamassage.org/] and the Maryland Sports Massage Team. Her practice includes working with a diverse population of individuals including oncology patients and athletes. Her approach is therapeutic: working with the client to address specific issues to help them return to a state of homeostasis and general well-being. When not with her massage clients, she works for an area mental health treatment program. She lives with her husband (a physician assistant) and three loveable cats.
