Gentle Care, Grounded in Compassion
At Cape Fear Acupuncture, we believe that healing should feel safe, personal, and accessible.
That’s why we’ve created a space where you can relax, exhale, and receive care that truly meets you where you are—physically, emotionally, and financially. Whether you're seeking relief from pain, support for fertility, or a way to calm your nervous system, our treatments are designed to help you feel more like yourself again.
Care You Can Afford to Continue
Our sliding-scale pricing makes consistent care possible.
Healing is most effective when it’s regular and stress-free. You don’t need to justify your symptoms or worry about affording your next visit. Here, you’re supported. Cape Fear Acupuncture was the first clinic in Wilmington to offer sliding-scale community acupuncture, honoring the original roots of acupuncture as a community-based healing practice. We believe care should be accessible—not a luxury.
Expertise That Makes a Difference
Our practitioners are highly trained in Chinese Medicine and specialties like fertility acupuncture, pain management, and stress recovery.
Many of our patients come to us after other options haven't worked and being told "You're just going to have to live with it." But we work with our patients to treat the root cause of their pain and discomfort, leading to real change. If you’re ready for gentle, effective care that sees you as a whole person, we’re ready to help.
Specialized Support for Fertility & Pregnancy
Our founder, Alison Larmee Born, L.Ac., was the first board-certified reproductive acupuncturist in southeastern North Carolina.
If you’re navigating fertility challenges, pregnancy, or hormonal shifts, you deserve care that’s gentle, informed, and supportive at every step. At Cape Fear Acupuncture, we offer natural, non-invasive treatments to help nurture healthy pregnancies—from conception through postpartum recovery. Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally or alongside IVF, we meet you with compassion, expertise, and treatments tailored to your unique journey.
Alison Larmee Born
Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Community Clinic, Cosmetic Acupuncture/Microneedling, Fertility Acupuncture
Alison Larmee Born, L.Ac., MSOM has been practicing in Wilmington since 2006 and is the visionary founder of Cape Fear Community Acupuncture—bringing the area’s first sliding‑scale clinic to the community.
In 1996, I was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, more commonly known as ulcerative colitis and/or Crohn’s disease. Over the course of two years I saw three gastroenterologists who told me that diet was not a factor and put me on high doses of steroids and other risk-laden immuno-suppressive drugs. My symptoms would improve but then quickly relapse, and I also had the side effects of mood swings, moon face, and a constant cold or infection. A sympathetic co-worker told me his mother was an acupuncturist and asked if I’d be willing to try it. Though it sounded strange, I was at my wit’s end and willing to try anything.
Five months later, I had my life back. Not only were her treatments extremely calming and effective, but this was the first health care practitioner who took more than five minutes to talk to me, let alone two hours at the first visit. She advised me extensively on diet and lifestyle, which both needed serious shaping up and were contributing factors to my symptoms. After this initial course of treatment, I went into remission for the first time and even felt well enough to travel and live abroad for a few months. I continued going back to Oriental Medicine over the next few years for help with various issues, and ended my brief career writing and editing as a “dot comer.” Beginning my career shift, I dabbled in a variety of health care settings including a physical therapy practice, yoga studio, water rehab facility, and women’s health clinic. Then one day I decided to become part of the solution I had so heavily invested much of my time and curiosity in, and applied to acupuncture school.
From 2002-05 I studied at the AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine in Austin, Texas. During that time I worked at White Crane Herbal Medicine, the herbal pharmacy owned by the school and staffed by its students and graduates. This experience greatly enhanced my herbal competency and confidence. I also learned Zen Shiatsu bodywork, Qi Gong from Master Li Jun Feng, and completed over 1,000 clinical training hours.
I hold a Master’s of Science in Oriental Medicine, am accredited by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and licensed by the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board. I have been practicing in Wilmington, North Carolina since early 2006, and opened Cape Fear Community Acupuncture — housing the area’s first community clinic – in 2009.
My special areas of interest for private treatment are: male and female infertility, prenatal and antepartum care, hormone balancing, digestive disorders, and pain management. The community clinic is an excellent setting for dealing with chronic or acute pain, addiction recovery, weight loss, allergies, PTSD, TBI, anxiety and depression.
I am humbled by this ancient medicine, and feel passionately about its place in the modern world. This is why my continuing studies have not only focused on acupuncture techniques and Chinese herbs, but also on integrative medicine. I have witnessed the marriage of the two in healing the most difficult cases.
Highlights of my continuing education over the last 16 yrs include:
-Graduate Mentorship Program, White Pine Healing Arts (Sharon Weizenbaum), 2018-present
-FABORM, Fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine, 2016
-Integrative Fertility Symposium, 2016 & 2018 – Vancouver, BC
-Classes and mentoring with leading oriental medicine fertility experts Ray Rubio, Mike Berkley, Robin Markus, Jane Lyttleton, Lee Rubin-Hullender, Sharon Weizenbaum and Jani White
-100+ hour Medical Qi Gong (energy work complementary to acupuncture) certification with Paul Fraser, 2012 – Raleigh, NC
-10-day intensive “Sheng Zhen Wuji Yuan Gong” Qi Gong teacher trainings with Master Li Jun Feng, 2011- Baltimore, MY and 2006 – New Zealand
-60 hours with David Euler, head instructor for Kiiko Matsumoto’s Japanese style of acupuncture, 2006-7 – Baltimore, MY
-Sports acupuncture with Whitfield Reaves, 2013 – Wilmington, NC
-“Zheng Gu” Tuina (Chinese medical massage) with Tom Bisio and Frank Butler, 2011- NYC
-Richard Tan’s renowned “Balance Method,” which we frequently use in the community clinic, 2008 – Wilmington, NC
-Testing and treatment of leaky gut syndrome, and herbal patent medicines with Dr. Jake Fratkin, 2009 & 2014, Wilmington, NC
I am honored to have the opportunity to bring my skills and training to bear in both private treatments and in the community clinic, and work with you on improving your health!
Tia Seran
Acupuncture, Community Clinic, Cosmetic Acupuncture/Microneedling
Tia Seran, L.Ac. is a dedicated licensed acupuncturist passionate about helping individuals achieve optimal health through holistic, personalized care. She earned her Master’s degree in Acupuncture from the Oregon College of Community Acupuncture (ORCCA), where she trained in community-focused, accessible healing practices.
She has pursued studies in Western Herbalism and nutrition. She incorporates nutritional guidance into her practice, collaborating with clients to explore dietary improvements and lifestyle adjustments that support lasting health and well-being. She offers private in depth whole health consults. She is also a licensed aesthetician/cosmetologist, offering services in natural beauty and skin treatments.
Tia Seran welcomes you to her practice where healing happens with heart, skill, and genuine care.
