"Your pain has a story. And more importantly, your pain has a solution. Not a temporary fix or a way to manage symptoms, but a real transformation that changes how you live in your body."


Anne-Marie Duchêne, CHP, CMT-P

Founder, Alchemēna

I'm Anne-Marie Duchêne, and in my work I don't just treat pain—I transform the body's relationship with it.


I have decades of experience studying how the body holds trauma, stress, and injury in its deepest layers, and I’ve developed an approach that honors both the physical structure and the emotional wisdom stored within your fascia.

My work has helped thousands of clients move beyond the cycle of temporary relief into lasting freedom, not through force or manipulation, but by creating the conditions where the body remembers how to heal itself.

My Unique Combination of Training & Experience


  • Certifications in multiple healing modalities

  • Faculty-level expertise in Hellerwork Structural Integration

  • Scientific background in Holistic Dissection

  • Extended studies in cultural and medical anthropology

  • Elite performance training from dance and athletics

  • Spiritual integration from childhood immersion in holistic practices

  • Mindfulness Meditation Teacher professional accreditation

  • Three decades of hands-on mastery with thousands of clients


While my credentials show my training, certifications, and what I've studied, it's my decades of hands-on practice that reveal what I truly know.


My extensive hands-on experience has given me something beyond technique — I've developed pattern recognition mastery — the ability to identify exactly what's creating your chronic pain and how to transform it. Through years of practice, I've learned to:

  • Identify pain patterns and address them by releasing fascial restrictions and restoring proper alignment

  • Recognize subtle movement misalignments while helping you develop deeper body awareness

  • Show you how pain in one place affects everywhere else and help you develop patience with your healing

  • Know intuitively which approach will unlock your specific pattern and restore your natural flow

  • Understand how different bodies respond to various techniques and what creates the conditions for genuine healing 

  • Distinguish between acute symptoms and the chronic root causes, while nurturing a more compassionate relationship with your whole self

When you work with me and experience my courses, you're getting more than techniques. You're getting the benefit of my pattern recognition mastery, which I learned through years of dedicated practice and thousands of successful transformations.


There's a difference between knowing anatomy from a textbook and understanding how pain actually manifests in the human body. After decades of practice, I can recognize the patterns your body is expressing — the old injuries still creating tension, the emotional patterns stored in your structure, the way your hip restriction is creating your neck pain.


My approach is intentionally gentle and supportive, creating a safe space where your body can remember its innate wisdom. Through my work and programs, you'll learn to listen to your body's signals and become your own healing advocate.

Decode Your Pain Pattern

Take this free quiz to better understand your primary pain pattern. Get a start on lasting relief with complimentary recommendations.

Professional Credentials & Training

Certified Hellerwork Structural Integration Practitioner

With over two decades of hands-on experience as a certified Hellerwork Structural Integration practitioner, I have dedicated my career to understanding how the body holds and releases pain. 


My work has taken me from treating individual clients to shaping the field itself—serving on the Hellerwork International Education and Training Board, where I developed curriculum and taught my unique approach to embodiment through heart coherence, mindful communication, and consciousness development.


What this means: Hellerwork Structural Integration is one of the most rigorous and comprehensive forms of bodywork training available. As both a practitioner and former faculty member, I bring deep experience in this comprehensive approach to healing.

Additional Advanced Manual Therapy & Coaching Certifications

  • Certified Manual Osteopath

  • Certified Visceral Manipulation Therapist

  • Certified Craniosacral Therapist

  • Extensive post-graduate education, Barral Institute 

  • Tom Myers Advanced Assessment Coursework

  • 10 years of Integral Anatomy Dissection 

  • Mindfulness Meditation Teacher - Professional Level

  • Strategic Intervention Coach

  • Peak Performance Mindset Coach

These specialized certifications demonstrate mastery of integrated therapeutic modalities that address not only the physical root causes of chronic pain, but also the mental and emotional patterns that perpetuate suffering. This unique combination allows me to guide you through both structural healing and transformative mindset shifts for lasting change.

Barral Institute

Extensive post-graduate education in advanced manual therapy techniques, including neural manipulation, sophisticated palpatory listening and assessment skills, and psychoemotive approaches.

Specialized Anatomical Training

Dr. Gil Hedley, with whom I've had the privilege of studying and collaborating, trained me in the art and science of holistic human dissection. This exceptional anatomical training, deepened through our continued work together, provides me with insights into fascial relationships and structural patterns that transform how I approach my work.

Exclusive Mindfulness Training

In 2017, I was certified and selected by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield to participate in the first exclusive two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program. Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield are internationally renowned meditation teachers whose programs are globally known and respected.

Academic Foundation

  • Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology - University of California, Berkeley

  • Medical Anthropology Research - University of California, Berkeley: Participated in exclusive research projects on human organ trafficking, and female genital mutilation

  • Certificate in Ethnomusicology - City University of New York, New York

  • Associates Degree in Communication - Concordia University, Montreal


My academic background in cultural and medical anthropology provides a unique cross-cultural scientific perspective on how cultural, social, and psychological factors influence physical pain patterns associated with belief systems.

Elite Performance Background

  • Professional Dancer - Launched career at 18 performing in New York City's competitive dance scene

  • Peak Performance Mindset & Meditation Coach - Guided elite artists and athletes through mental barriers to achieve breakthrough performance

  • Martial Arts Practitioner - Trained extensively in Hap-Ki-Do, mastering mind-body integration and energy flow

  • Cirque du Soleil Talent Scout - Pioneered the role of Dance Specialist Artistic Talent Scout, traveling worldwide to discover and hire extraordinary performers


Having lived in the world of elite performance from multiple angles—as performer, coach, and talent discoverer—I understand both the demands placed on bodies and the precise interventions needed to optimize human potential.

Leadership & Business Expertise

  • Serial Entrepreneur - I founded a thriving holistic wellness practice in Manhattan in 2007 and have successfully grown it for 20 + years through economic shifts and industry changes. I am now scaling my impact globally through innovative online educational programs and courses designed to help millions overcome chronic pain and achieve optimal wellness

  • Oracle University Executive Coach - I was hand-selected by Oracle Corporation to develop and deliver leadership development programs and advanced presentation skills training for executives and emerging leaders throughout Silicon Valley's tech ecosystem


  • Broadway Dance Center International Director - I led the International Scholarship Program and served as Studio Director for one of New York's premier performing arts institutions, overseeing daily operations, managing renowned faculty and staff, and developing cross-cultural educational initiatives

  • Artistic Talent Agent & Manager - I built and managed a diverse roster of professional performing artists, negotiating contracts, developing career strategies, and cultivating industry relationships while maximizing client opportunities in highly competitive entertainment markets

I've lived on both sides of this equation. I know what it's like to live in a body that hurts, to have tried everything and still be suffering. I also know what it's like to discover that your pain was actually the doorway to a completely different way of living.

Anne-Marie Duchêne

Founder, Alchemēna CHP, CMT-P

Your Healing Starts Here

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