Berkeley Community Acupuncture

I’ve been meaning to write a review for years! BCA is the best. I first started getting acupuncture from BCA 8 years ago, and I know it helped me conceive my daughter and have a healthy pregnancy. Now it’s helping me feel stronger and have more energy after a few rough years as a new mom. Thuy is absolutely fantastic, and so is Elena. I adore them both. Also, I now treat myself to massage with Min, and it is literally the best massage I’ve ever had in my life. She uses just the right pressure and therapeutic touch, and I always leave there feeling completely relaxed and cared for. Most other massages I’ve had elsewhere usually feel too repetitive, or they actually hurt because too much pressure is used. Min is just right — she’s really attentive and checks in often. I highly recommend BCA and think they’re doing something wonderful for the community.

I cannot say enough good things about this oasis of a place!
Talented, caring acupuncturists, friendly staff, and beautiful community.
I am so grateful this space is in my neighborhood and, as someone who has never enjoyed acupuncture in the past, I have complete trust in the knowledgeable [and mostly female] practitioners.

My weekly self care routine includes coffee, the beach and stopping by here on Mondays. I came here for the first time in 2011 and automatically felt taken care of.
The acupuncturist was really attentive and in tune with the information I was giving her. She also explained things in depth since I was a first timer.
Now 4 years later although different staff the attention still remains the same and the quality of care also. It’s a comfortable setting and they offer herbs to help with your treatment.
I love that it’s a sliding scale which makes accessible to folks of different incomes. The location is convenient since its not far from BART and a couple of bus lines run past it. There’s also always street parking around.
If your looking for affordable acupuncture and Tui Na massages I definitely recommend BCA!

I’ve had a great experience at BCA over the past several months, dealing with my severe headaches (among other issues). I initially came because they have sliding scale and donation-​based hours (currently on Saturdays, though this changes sometimes), but I’ve never felt that I was getting «bargain» treatment. The practitioners are all licensed acupuncturists, and I particularly like Elena, who has treated me weekly for the past several months and has helped me tremendously! She has even practiced some gua sha on my back, which I’d never experienced before, and it has been great.
The environment at BCA is different from other places I’ve had acupuncture, as I’ve always gone to the Community Acupuncture, in which you’re treated (fully clothed) in a room full of recliners with other people also full of needles. I like the homey feel to it, hanging out in a quiet, peaceful room with like-​minded folks instead of isolated in a little room all by myself. And though I’m very sensitive to temperature and ventilation & initially worried about the small size of the community treatment room, I’ve always felt very comfortable there.
My only issue with BCA (or, at least, with the Community Acupuncture, since I haven’t done any private sessions) is that the recliners only allow you to lie on your back, and so treatments are all on your extremities (legs, feet, hands, arms) and the front/​top of the head. I think I could have used some work on the back of my head and/​or neck, for example, but my position on the recliner would not have allowed this.
Still, it’s a great place, and I love it, not just for the acupuncture itself but also for the real sense of community I feel there. They really care about making healing available to everyone.

I hadn’t had acupuncture done in about 15 years when my friend gave me a gift certificate to BCA for a one hour session. My friend highly recommended Elisa Kim (I do, too!) so I scheduled an appointment for a Thursday night during Community Acupuncture. They offer sliding scale prices that are affordable and make acupuncture accessible to folks who may not have such access otherwise. Elisa took the time to listen to me and my body, and never looked uncomfortable even when we discussed things I have trouble saying aloud even just to myself. She was honest and approachable and her warmth made me feel listened to and considered. When she actually needled me, I felt so incredibly at peace. I’m sure I hadn’t experienced that kind of experience in so long that it was especially powerful but I think it’d be pretty healing for anybody.
Okay, one last thing… So last night I go again and I’ve been having this ridiculous pain in my neck because I slept on it wrong at some point this past weekend. We’re in the consultation room and Elisa says, «Well, before you lay down, I’m gonna do something to fix your neck so you can actually be comfortable.» She tells me to make a loose fist and puts a needle in the left side of my left hand and almost instantly about 75% of the pain is gone. It was still painful in certain directions but the difference was so pronounced that I just sat there going, «No way… No way… That’s insane…» for a good five minutes while Elisa patiently waited for me to stop marveling and go lay down. Today, the pain is practically nonexistent and I’m still really, really impressed. I would definitely recommend BCA to anyone interested in acupuncture.

I love this place. I went a few years ago for treatment of the 2 herniated discs I had in my lower back & found much relief here. After I started to feel better, I stopped going but made my way back again this year. I was lucky to get Elisa Kim as my practitioner when I first came here & I’ve stuck with her every since because she’s so good at what she does! (not to say any of the others aren’t– I wouldn’t know). She’s very gentle & especially good at taking your pulse & figuring out what’s going on with you. I’ve bought gift certificates & referred all of my friends & family to this clinic so I had to leave a good review. Be well!

Oh wow you have to come by for the «Awakin Circle,» a free meditation event on the third Friday of every month.
A powerful, hour-​long silent unguided meditation is followed by some beautiful chanting and devotional singing — what a great experience, everyone lifting their voices together, sending great vibes out into the universe — and after that’s all done, they serve a vegetarian dinner.
WOW.

This place is very stuffy and cramped. Not the most relaxing atmosphere. On the plus side, it is sliding scale and easy to get to via bus or BART (Ashby).

Highly recommend. Great place for community acupuncture that is comfortable and affordable. I have seen two different acupuncturists there who were both attentive and knowledgeable. Great place!

BCA is amazing. My daughter is suffering from post-​concussion syndrome and is being treated twice weekly here. When she started treatment, she was suffering headaches, nausea, vomiting and memory loss. After 2 weeks, the nausea is gone and the head pain is much less severe. We will be coming here for many months to come but as BCA is affordable, I can get her the care she needs. Western medicine said there was nothing that could help her get over her symptoms. Acupuncture has helped her so much and the staff here is so lovely and caring. I am so glad we found BCA. They have helped get her life back on track.

I had a really good experience with them. Treatment was very relaxing. The staff were very pleasant and professional. And I felt great the next day. I would totally recommend them to friends, and would go back myself!

I have been attending Berkeley Community Acupuncture during my whole pregnancy. I’m 36 and have had the healthiest pregnancy thanks to Thuy’s care. I have been able to do this thanks to the affordable prices! and my baby will be eternally grateful! She has grown perfectly, and recently turn into her delivery position. The process has been natural and refreshing. The clinic is truly a community and Thuy especializes on women’s health and wellness. Thank you Thuy! It has been a blessing to meet you!

I suffer from MANY back, neck & hip pains due to an «on the job» injury and a slip & fall accident at my home. Acupuncture seems to be the only relief for my condition. I have truly exhausted my funds for this «pain relief effort». BCA has allowed me to continue my treatment without going hungry. This is a blessing and I applaud Thuy for her insight and providing this life altering experience.
Example: I went for treatment last Thursday. Today is Thursday. My lower back is still pain free.
Note: I had been sleeping on the floor for 3-​days because of the pain.. .. . Can you imagine my how my life has changed: I can walk, sit, stand, sleep WITHOUT excruciating pain!
Again! Thank You!

Just thinking about coming to the BCA, makes my tensed shoulders relax. If it were not for my healers
/​acupuncturists, Thuy and Elena, I’m not sure I would be living the quality of life to its fullest, that I do now. 8 months ago I suffered a stroke. No warning signs except — -stress, no sleep, caring for children under 5 years of age, and getting out of a loveless marriage. I am only 46!
I was administered an array of drugs, of which 81 mg aspirin is the only one I’ll take, because the others only masked my occasional dizziness– meclizine, etc. and high blood pressure.
Now, along with a more vegetarian diet. moderate exercise, living with less stress, as well as acupuncture from the BCA, has tremendously helped me. Thuy also prescribed Chinese herbs which have also helped with blood flow.
I am so blessed to have found Thuy and Elena, and Frederic — who take the time to listen to what’s going on with me as a person as well as the physical aches I may have that day, before each community session. What matters to them is that you feel better after each session and better in the big picture of life. As Thuy kindly remarks, ‘I’m not just better, I’m thriving!‘
Lastly, must also give kudos to Min, my Tui Na Massage therapist who makes all the knots go away. Best massage ever and I’ve had many. She knows my body well and every time knows exactly how to work out all my kinks.
Parking is very easy and upon entrance you may have soothing, heart warming tea.
Thank you Bca – Berkeley Community Acupuncture. You all are wonderful!

The Donation Based Session at Berkeley Community Acupuncture on Friday afternoons is what my husband and I look forward to at the end of each week. Although we have seen a few different acupuncturists there, we are drawn to Elena.
She has a nurturing, calming and simply wonderful energy about her and she has gone above and beyond what we expected of her. Thank you BCA for all of the wonderful treatments we have received from you– we will continue to come here for as long as we are in the Bay area!

I started coming here when I was having some semi-​urgent health stuff and was staying in Oakland temporarily. Since then, I’ve moved to Oakland and I’ve continued coming here because it’s just really lovely.
One of my favorite things about community acupuncture is that there’s always enough availability that you can schedule your appointments according to your need — just see whoever is treating at the time you’re available — or you can schedule according to which practitioner you prefer. It’s a convenient set-​up.
I’ve been treated by several people here, and they’re all great, but I see Elena most regularly. She’s got super mellow, calming energy, which I appreciate. I can honestly say that acupuncture is the single greatest contributor to my overall sense of wellness and Elena is such a great, nurturing, competent acupuncturist.

I have been going to this place for the past 5 years and don’t regret it. It is far better than going to Kaiser and you can feel the results right away.
I can’t thank enough Thuy, Ellen and Frederic (I haven’t met the other doctors) for their healing skills. Also, I need to add that Min Thorne and Aline, Tui Na practitioners, work wonders every time I have back pain or stuck Chi. They are also very gentle and have this incredible ability to listen to your body.

About a year ago, at the urging of friends, I decided to give acupuncture a shot. I had just decided to make the leap into self employment, and then my boyfriend decided to end our relationship. I do many practices to take care of my mind, body, and spirit, but these two events increased my stress so greatly that I kept getting sick. I seemed to be contracting every virus I came in contact with for several months. After the third or fourth illness in a three month time period, I finally decided to give acupuncture a shot. I went to a clinic downtown that could see me immediately, and by the end of the day my sinuses were clearing and I felt a million times better. It was kind of a miracle.
After that I decided to start seeing an acupuncturist regularly until I felt more balanced in life. I have Kaiser, and they don’t cover acupuncture, rather they offer a list of providers in my area that will charge me a reduced fee. I wanted to see someone weekly, so it needed to be affordable, and low and behold I discovered BCA.
I’ve been seeing Thuy every week for a year now, and — knock on wood — I have not contracted any illnesses during that time. My stress is much more under control, and my immune system seems to be back on track. Thuy is a healer in every sense of the word. She is a great listener, and before treatment we often discuss not only my physical state, but also my mental, since they are so closely connected. Highly recommend BCA and Thuy if you are looking for an affordable way to start seeing an acupuncturist regularly.

I love Thuy and Elisa! I have been coming to BCA for more than a year now and am super satisfied with the care. I am vastly improved in the areas of health for which I am going: women’s stuff, intestines, getting off heavy meds…
You can schedule appointments online and buy herbs there making it super convenient. They even have a cheaper price if you go more than once per week.
My only complaints are sometimes the music is too loud, the room is too cold, the other patrons talk too loudly. I know, its communal right? But if they could only come up with a system that could alert your acupuncturist that you needed attention. Then it would get 5 stars…

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.