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Berkeley Community Acupuncture
Category: Health and Medical Acupuncture Acupuncture [Edit]
2880 Sacramento St(between Oregon St & Russell St)
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 704-0593
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Fri 9 am - 1 pm
Mon, Thu 4 pm - 8 pm
Thu 10 am - 2 pm
Sat 8 am - 12 pm
- By Appointment Only:
- No
Jeanine T. said: "My husband and I found Sean on Yelp. Coming to Sean was one of the best decisions we made. After hitting many speed bumps trying to conceive on and off for the last two years, we decided to come to Sean to help us. We came in weekly…" read more »
21 reviews for Berkeley Community Acupuncture
21 reviews in English
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Review from Geoff W.
Berkeley, CA
2/6/2012
This is truly a House of Healing. I've known about them for over 5 years and went to them several year ago. I don't know what got into me but I stopped going, only to return a few months ago when I was a mess, an overweight bag of stress from daily commutes to Palo Alto from Berkeley. Well I changed all of that and got a job 2 miles from home (close enough to walk to work) and since BCA is right around the corner from where I live, I returned. It is even better then when I left. Thuy has assembled a band of Angels. All of the Acupunturist are top knotch. And BCA has expanded to include Qi Gong on Wednesday Mornings in the near-by park and a Weight loss program that combines east and west methodology to achieve success. After going regularly for about two months, I'm finally starting to feel my health and vitality returning. One of the great things about this place is that the treatments are affordable enough that you can go on a regular basis, which in my opinion is the way that you can really get the fruits of Chinese Medicine.
I hope Thuy and company have all the success and prosperity that this Water Dragon can bring them. If I could give them 6 starrs I would. Funny a part of me doen't want there to be a flood of people going as it's already getting hard to get appointments, but that would be shelfish, and I hope that all of the people who come really appreciate the gift that is this place! -
Review from Ida G.
Emeryville, CA
1/24/2012
Last year I had a strange skin ailment which involved itchy raised bumps over portions of my hands as well as sharp pains from (what looked like) tiny blood blisters on the tips of my fingers. I saw a dermatologist at Kaiser who was unable to diagnose the problem but gave me an anti-itch ointment and encouraged me to wear cotton gloves when the problem intensified. Unfortunately, the problem lingered for months and the ointment did close to nothing. (Plus typing with cotton gloves is miserable and looks a little weird.)
The problem finally went away over the summer, so I felt panicked when I saw it re-emerging in December of this past year. I decided to forego traditional western medicine this time around and went to Berkeley Community Acupuncture instead. I saw Tracy (Richardson) who took the time to listen attentively to my problem and history of treatment, took my pulses and then took me in for treatment. After seeing Tracy for one session and taking the herbs she recommended, my skin problem went away. I thought she was terrific and am so glad that I am no longer plagued with skin issues.
I've also worked with Thuy and Elissa and have found them to be attentive, skillful practicioners who have helped me with back problems and other stress-related issues. I am such a lucky gal to live minutes away from BCA! -
Review from Diana V.
12/13/2011
Thuy is a miracle worker! She is Mother Theresa -- healing the sick with a calm and kind demeanor, counseling those who need it, and sensing exactly what you need with just a look and feel of your pulse.
I really enjoy the comfortable zen vibe when you first enter the waiting area. It's only something you'll experience in Berkeley : )
The receptionists are staffed volunteers, and they are warm, friendly, and professional. As you sit in the waiting area, they chat with the regulars, who seem genuinely happy to be there! Relax with a cup of tea or a glass of cool water and await your turn in the community acupuncture room.
Once you have your consultation with Thuy to "check-in" on your current state (prior to each session), she frees up one of the five recliners for you in the community room. She patiently "needles" you, and if anything feels uncomfortable, she adjusts it.
After going to sessions for several months, I have learned to speak up (my initial sessions were uncomfortable, and it turned out that all I needed were the thinner needles, as the thicker needles were too robust for my countenance : )
I initially went there on the recommendation of a friend, for stress relief, which was a gradual process, but produced results! So I thought about also treating several recurring aches and pains that I also had.
The severe migraines that I had been experiencing 3-4 times a day for the past year (can you imagine!!!) and was medicating with Excedrin Migraine, immediately disappeared!
If that's not enough of an endorsement, I don't know what is!?
Try BCA. Give it a few sessions. You won't be sorry. -
Review from Katamari D.
Berkeley, CA
12/19/2011
I really love Thuy. Her calming energy and patient support got me through a very irritable pregnancy. I also was a patient of Eliza's and found her to be incredibly knowledgable and a great practitioner. I like the community space and the comfy chairs. My only complaint would be that it is difficult to get in touch with anyone directly since the practitioners work only a few days a week. A real minor complaint though, since both of the women I've seen there have been lovely people and gifted healers.
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Review from adlih z.
Oakland, CA
10/2/2011
What can I say about Thuy that wasn't already written? Her demeanor is part of the reason I recently chose to return to BCA after a 7 month break.
This clinic is amazing at providing such wonderful services to the community. And at a sliding scale (so if money is tight, you can still take care of yourself)!
Walking in you are usually greeted by a warm face at the receptionist's desk. Feel free to have a warm cup of tea as you wait. Once you've met for a consultation with Thuy, you are taken into the community room where there are several comfy chairs for you to lounge in. Sit back, relax and listen to the calming music playing in the room. I find most people are repectful and enjoy the calmness of the space as well.
Never had an awkward moment sitting next to strangers here.
I was prescribed some herbs in conjunction with my therapy and cannot wait to return for my next session. Thank you staff at BCA for your hard work and for making this service available in Berkeley! -
Review from Lisa T.
8/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this place, especially the great prices on herbs; and the community room is very peaceful at a great price.
My only problem is that my skin condition did not improve after 6 weeks of treatment.
Give Thuy a try though, it might work for you. -
Review from kelsey r.
Berkeley, CA
11/18/2011
I look forward to going to acupuncture every week. It is so great to take that time for myself to relax and repair. I have been to several different acupuncturist in my day and I have to say Elisa is one of the best. Every time I go in I feel like I am her favorite! I am sure I am not; however it is just the way she treats her clients I am sure all of them feel that they are her favorite. She is very personal and easy to speak to about health problems. I highly suggest Berkeley community acupuncture to everyone.
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Review from artemis k.
Oakland, CA
11/13/2007
If you want or need acupuncture on a regular basis and can't afford it (like me, an acupuncture student), Berkeley Community Acupuncture is one of the only places around that gives treatments on a sliding scale, from $20 to $40 per treatment. They don't ask questions about your income, you decide what you can pay. It's all very non-judgmental. If you receive more than one treatment per week, you can pay as low as $15 for each treatment.
You sit in a room with others, so if you're expecting a private experience, this may not be for you. But it's a silent room, no talking, and most people are reclined in their chairs with their eyes closed, so it doesn't feel intrusive at all -- and this is from a person who loves her privacy. The areas of the body that are treated are limited to the lower arms, lower legs, head, face, and ears, all easily reachable with your clothing still on, so there's no need to worry about being exposed in a room with others present.
Thuy, the acupuncturist who treats me, is warm, friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to talk to about your health concerns. She's really committed to the idea of community acupuncture and making this form of medicine available to everyone, not just those who can afford $75 or more a session. As a stressed-out acupuncture student who really needs the support of this medicine right now, frequent, affordable treatments are a godsend. -
Review from Paul C.
Berkeley, CA
9/16/2011
I've gotten several acupuncture treatments from Thuy and they have all been fantastic. I had gotten some treatments from other places before, but Thuy's have been the most effective. Not only is she super nice and friendly, but she's super fast and, because it's community-oriented, the pay is sliding scale. And the Tui Na massage is great too, though I've mostly gone in for acupuncture. Parking isn't a problem either. If you've never gone in for acupuncture before, why not try it here? Their prices are low, so it's not much of an investment. Highly recommended!
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Review from Eli C.
Emeryville, CA
7/1/2011
I originally came to BCA on recommendation from a friend, bolstered by the superb yelp reviews. I was definitely nervous, as this was to be my first time receiving acupuncture. But I was having horrible hayfever and had tried everything in the book with little relief from my severe congestion, cough and fatigue. As a singer/songwriter and a voice teacher, this was severely limiting my ability to do what I do!
It's now a year and a half since I first came to BCA, and I'm hooked. I've been seeing the clinic's founder, Thuy, every few weeks (and weekly during spring allergy season). I can't recommend BCA highly enough. With support from acupuncture and the herbs Thuy sometimes gives me (admittedly alongside my over-the-counter allopathic allergy meds), I've seen great results. The clinic is also very affordable for a self-employed musician like myself.
One thing I also really appreciate about Chinese medicine in general and BCA's approach in particular is the holistic approach -- the practitioner asks not just about physical ailments, but about your emotional state, how you're sleeping, stress level etc to get a picture of your overall health and the kind of support your body needs.
A final thing I appreciate about BCA is that they're located in a low-income, mostly African American neighborhood, right up the street from the Spiral Gardens Community Food Security Project. By locating themselves here, they're increasing access to healthcare in a community that often has decreased access to affordable, preventive care. -
Review from J p.
Oakland, CA
7/21/2009
The Berkeley Community Acupuncture clinic is a sanctuary for healing. Acupuncture addresses so many health issues beyond the capability of western medicine. This place is truly amazing. I have gone to many acupuncturists over the years, and the expense has always been a problematic consideration for my returning. I have tried other sliding scale acupuncturists, and was treated by persons that seemed less experienced, sometimes with negligible effect.
At Berkeley Community Acupuncture, Thuy is wonderful. Her treatments are completely holistic and always make a vast improvement in my health and well being. She addresses problems in such a warm, kind, caring, dedicated, professional, yet light-hearted way. I love going here, and have referred many friends and family. My husband, sister, and I have each gone there feeling a total wreck- and each time left there, feeling amazing.
They also have other practitioners, an acupuncturist, a massage therapist, and offer cupping, and other traditional modalities of Chinese healing. The sliding scale is still $20-$40 with an additional $10 just for the first consultation. Sometimes, Chinese patent remedy herbal formula pills are recommended. I've found the clinic sells them at no extra cost I would find them at the local herbalist. Truly I have found Thuy and the Berkeley Acupuncture Clinic an incredible community service.
I was first turned on to the idea of sliding scale acupuncture by a friend attending acupuncture school. The practitioner consults with the client first, one-on-one, then treats the client in a soothing room. There are 6 easy chairs, where clients relax or nap for about 40 minutes while the needles are doing their healing work. Community clinics are a practical way to heal more people in an affordably. This place is a community jewel. -
Review from Mary F.
San Pablo, CA
12/12/2010 28 Check-ins Here
I have found BCA to be an essential part of improving my health and general quality of life. The practitioners are kind, attentive and skilled. The atmosphere can be remarkably peaceful and nurturing. I would have given 5 stars, (and they deserve it) but the serenity of a treatment occasionally can be shattered by car horns or stereos blaring on busy Sacramento street. Wearing ear plugs mitigates this disturbance but deprives one of the soothing music played in the treatment room.
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Review from Julia S.
El Cerrito, CA
8/22/2008
*AN AMAZING FIND*
What can I say but Thuy is the BEST!
Yes, I've been to other acupuncturists!
Yes, I was once a "needle-phobe" (still can't watch them go in) but the results are so well worth it!
At BCA Thuy offers a perfect balance of quality, personalized healing with affordability. Her warmth, compassion, humor and gift for healing are unmatched by many who charge exponentially more. She is truly dedicated to bringing healing to the community.
In the early part of 2007, during the dreary rainy season, I found BCA on Yelp and began going for acute fatigue and a few other issues that had me "draggin' my wagon". Through a combination of acupuncture and herbs (nice small pills, not those nasty-tasting tinctures, thank you!) remarkable progress has been made. The difference is like night and day.
ACUPUNCTURE and/or BCA NEWBIE TIPS:
~If you're new to Eastern Medicine, remember, this is not a "quick fix", though you may feel very good, or even immediate relief for certain issues, after a session or two. It is a process of bringing the body back into balance and addressing the root cause of an issue. (I say it beats loading your body with synthetic pharmaceuticals that simply "mask symptoms" any day.) Acupuncture and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) can be very effective for treating a wide range of problems - from headaches to "brain fog" to PMS / Menopause / hormonal imbalances, fatigue, anxiety, depression, digestion and much more than there is space to list here.
PRIVATE SESSIONS/ TREATMENT OPTION AVAILABLE for those who really want their own space and more in-depth one-on-one time with Thuy. The fee is a bit higher, but still quite reasonable. For those who don't require this, or are on a tight budget, the Community Treatment option offers amazingly affordable care.
COMMUNITY TREATMENT ROOM
~This is a unique experience for acupuncture. Fees are kept low by treating several people at once in a community healing room with half a dozen cozy recliners rather than individual rooms. It is a peaceful zone of soft music, diffused light, nice artwork and no talking. Wear loose-fitting clothing because access will be needed to fore-arms, legs from the knees down and the feet and possibly head, ear and face areas. (Ladies, no worries if your gams are a little fuzzy, this is Berkeley afterall- no one will be surprised - and you won't be alone.)
Consultation time is one-to-one before entering the acupuncture room. (If techniques requiring more body exposure are needed there is a private treatment room.) Though a very private person in certain ways, I am quite comfortable with the whole arrangement. There actually seems to be a synergistic effect that occurs when you have 2 or more people in treatment in the same room. Healing amplified!
~APPOINTMENTS are highly recommended.
Established patient walk-ins for the community room are accepted as the schedule will allow, but there is no guarantee of being seen that day. It is best to call first.
OFFICE HOURS - CHECK THE WEBSITE OR CALL
(Listed under "Rates" tab.) They do vary seasonally and the Yelp listing may not reflect the current hours, or other occasional schedule variations. Also a good reason to make an appointment.
Though initially I went because of the great Yelp ratings and affordability, I continue to go because of the high quality care and excellent results. Thank you, Thuy & BCA, for providing this wonderful service and putting it within reach of so many people.
Check it out for yourself!
(...but don't think that I'm going to tell you which chair is the coziest. That's my little secret!)Listed in: Health & Wellness
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Review from k d.
Berkeley, CA
11/10/2007
Acupuncture is amazingly effective in treating so many health problems. Up until finding Berkeley Community Acupuncture I could only afford to go once a month, if that, because it's usually so expensive. At BCA they have a sliding scale from $20 to 40 so I can go more often. Thuy is such a great acupuncturist, her technique is practically painless and she is caring, warm and puts you at ease right away. I have such a deep respect for her dedication to providing a more affordable health care alternative. Go! Try it! Tell others!
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Review from MacKenzie M.
Oakland, CA
2/1/2008
Berkeley Community Acupuncture is amazing. i get more personalized attention there than with the more expensive acupuncturists I have been to in the bay area. Both the acupuncturists are really nice, caring, and skilled. I love being treated with others; the energy is really relaxing. Everyone should work acupuncture into their lives by going to this clinic - it's like, less than dinner and a movie.
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Review from R S.
Emeryville, CA
11/13/2007
WOW, Affordable Acupuncture in Berkeley. Love this place, they help me to feel great! Thuy is a master with the needles and herbs, she understands and impletements mind, body and spiritual healing as a whole. I get the personnal attention I desire in a community setting, which helps me feel connected and I like that too. Also Love People's Rosen, which is offered by Amy at the same location. Be Well!
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Review from Cybil B.
Richmond, CA
6/11/2009 5 Check-ins Here
BCA is great. From the outside, you might have your doubts, but once you swing that door open, just the atmosphere alone is so impressive. It's calm, cool, the lighting is gentle and the people are so nice. From the receptionist on hand that day to Thuy herself, these are some of the nicest people you can find around.
As for the Acupuncture, the treatments are 95% pain free. You might feel the slightest little twinge in sensitive areas, but for the most part, you don't even feel the needles. You know when doctors and nurses say "You're going to feel a little pressure" and stick a needle in you, and it feels like way more than pressure? This doesn't. If you don't look, you might not know where most of the needles even are. The community room has enough space to be comfortable whether or not other people are there. Natural light comes in, but is dimmed by soft window covers, really increasing the ambience. People generally just doze off, or unwind. You're encouraged to take your time, and the sliding payment scale is ridiculously nice. To be clear; except for seniors and group/recurring visits, the price is 20-40 dollars. The price isn't determined by the practitioner, though. You pay whatever you feel comfortable paying. It really can suit just about anyone with a job, which is nice in this economy.
Oh, FYI, it's not completely appointment only- you CAN walk in, and if they have a spot available, they're more than happy to squeeze you in. But, to be sure, calling ahead couldn't hurt. You can even schedule appointments on their website. -
Review from Kat T.
Oakland, CA
5/7/2008
I am a massage therapist and BCA was recommended to me for a problem I was having with my thumb. I had never had acupuncture before, but was immediately put at ease by Thuy's manner; she is professional and kind. My first visit was in January and I have returned every week since because I have found acupuncture (and Thuy) to be very helpful in helping me to gain (and maintain) a feeling of health and well being. I now recommend Thuy and BCA to my clients and friends.
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Review from v h.
Fair Oaks, CA
2/1/2008
The idea of having needles any where in my body terrifies me to no end. But my opinion of acupuncture dramatically changed when I met Thuy and had my first treatment. Every week, my friend and I would drive down from Davis just to get treatments. Thuy is one of the most caring, knowledgeable, gentle and kind hearted person I've ever met. Within a few months my health was completely transformed and I was no longer suffering from the pains that kept me from my daily life. I was a non-believer at first, because I didn't know anything about acupuncture and what it can do. I would highly recommend acupuncture to anyone with health issues and Thuy is a great person to get to know!
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Review from Persephone J.
Berkeley, CA
8/30/2009
I've been here only 3 times, but they have been very good experiences. I love the sliding scale- makes visits possible for an unemployed, un-insured schmuck like me.
Thuy is wonderful- very kind, attentive and knowledgeable. I only wish the sliding scale would be more flexible so I could afford weekly visits instead of bi-weekly. -
Review from Benjamin S.
Berkeley, CA
9/13/2010
BCA is a great business that people love. They offer an affordable model of acupuncture ($20- $40 - sliding scale). They offer seasonal advice, special treatments, and have great "bed side" manner. They have treated my whole family from my 2 1/2 year old to my 63 mother.
