I purchased Shen Clinic's tele‑appointment + two‑week email follow‑up option for $129. There were several things I genuinely appreciated, along with a few areas where clearer expectations would have helped. My recommendation: * If you're already familiar with Chinese herbs and just need guidance or fine‑tuning, the tele‑appointment + email format can be very helpful. * If you're brand‑new to herbs or dealing with more complex symptoms or situations, I'd recommend starting with an in‑person visit so the practitioner can take your pulse and get a fuller picture. On the positive side, I appreciated being started on herbs in tablet/caplet form. Though more potent, I can't stand the powders. I thought the email communication was very helpful. I'm on HRT/menopause medications and several supplements, and my Shen doctor took the time to explain how to time the herbs around everything I'm taking. That level of attention isn't something I would have gotten at my usual community acupuncture clinic ($30/session). That said, my symptoms (mainly post‑nasal drip and difficulty sleeping) didn't improve within the two‑week period, even after trying two different herbs: Allergy pills (for external issues like pollen) and then ECHSZYQP (for internal). I didn't realize that an in‑person pulse reading might have been important for a first visit. I also interpreted my doctor's encouragement to email back right away as a sign that the herbs might act quickly, so I felt some disappointment when that didn't happen. I've since been advised at my community acupuncture clinic to finish the bottle of ECHSZYQP (to treat dampness and spleen deficiency) that I got from Shen. I will continue herb support with my community clinic instead of Shen. For my financial situation, Shen Clinic's $129 for a consultation or $89 for the email option each time is a lot. Overall, Shen Clinic offers thoughtful, personalized care, especially for people who want detailed herbal guidance. With clearer expectations, the experience would be even stronger. I still appreciate the time and attention I received. read more

Shen Clinic - Acupuncture Near Me - Albany, California

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Easy to order and pick up herbs. Website provides accurate information. Very nice soothing atmosphere. Love the aroma of Chinese medicinal herbs. read more

I have been getting herbs here for years and the delivery is always prompt and the service is great. Recently I signed up for a remote consultation with one of their doctors. He spent 45 minutes with me and gave me detailed recommendations and diagnosis. 45 minutes of a doctor's time is unheard of these days! It is more time than anyone has spent with me in this kind of consultation, ever. I felt heard in a way I never had before. After the consult I was prescribed some herbs which were custom made for my condition and inexpensive as well. Highly recommend. read more

They sent me a jar of powdered herb which I paid $60 for. Unfortunately when I researched the formula thoroughly on the internet, I found that the main ingredient was poisonous toxin not safe at all to ingest. No wonder that right on front says "CALL 911 in Emergencies." So I have wasted $60 for something I must throw in the TRASH so that I don't die, because they don't do refunds. If you do want to die, by all means order these herbs because is is written in chinese and you have no idea what you are getting. read more

I was surprised that I had such a hard time finding a Chinese herbalist in the east bay (north of Oakland). Thankfully, Albany isn't too far away from me in Richmond, and I was able to come in and buy some moxa sticks (was trying moxibustion at home to flip my breech baby). I spent $4/stick for high-quality moxa. The moxa that my acupuncturist had sent me home with (Tao to Wellness) was smokeless moxa, but the stuff I bought from the Shen Clinic was definitely NOT smokeless. Whew, that stuff stinks up the house! And burns WAYYYYY faster. I didn't know there was a difference in the type of moxa available. I don't think I'll be back any time soon, but if I were to come back for moxa, I would ask if they have any smokeless. read more

Dr. Joel Shrek and Rodney Artiles are both skilled in Accupuncture and Chinese Herbs. My wife and I have been receiving treatment here for many years and have always experienced great benefit from their treatments. Mr. Artiles cured my BPH after I was SO dissatisfied with the side effects of the prescribed Western Medical medications. The herbs provided to my wife for her asthma and COPD help her with the symptoms that Western Medical medications don't help with. We heartily recommend Shen Clinic for all your Chinese Medicine needs. read more

It's time for an update of my previous review. I wrapped up treatment 6 months ago and remain almost pain free. My knee, hurting since 1970, is good 95% of the time. When the weather changes I just have to apply heat and it improves. I haven't taken any ibuprofen for a year! In addition, the changes I made in my diet at Rodney's recommendation, keep the inflammation down and keep me ticking. Overall, I feel far, far better than I felt a year ago. I highly recommend Rodney at the Shen Clinic! read more

Very wise, healing energy there. I get acupuncture and Chinese herbs there every few weeks and I always feel better when I do. Highly recommended for all sorts of healing. Thank you! read more

Ordering from the Shen Clinic has been hassle-free and their site is very convenient to navigate! The prices are reasonable, but always comparison-shop if it's something that is sold from multiple places. If you're not familiar with Chinese medicine, it may be a good option to explore when Western medicine fails to heal. It's also a nice complement to Western sometimes. It's a really different way of looking at health, and also helps species other than human. I'd go there in person, but it's out of my way. Great site though! read more

Joel Harvey has been my acupuncturist for many years. After spending over a year off work & being told that I'd never be able to return to my job due to a back injury, I tried acupuncture... with Joel... this was about 9 years ago, when his office was right off Solano. He treated me twice (or was it 3 times?) & I was back to work. He is excellent at what he does. His staff is very calm, very professional. I honestly think that in addition to being a great doctor, he also has magical powers. I mean THE GUY FIXED MY BODY! Great place for herbs for cold, flu, whatever... Wonderful to see the business grow over the years. read more

Shen's clinic is a great place to get herbs and get acupuncture treatment. Their herbs are sold all over the country, and The doctor there is a leading expert on herbs and acupuncture. It's an institution in Berkeley. read more

I've been going to Shen Clinic for over ten years now. Whenever I have pain or an illness, Joel takes the time to go over my case thoroughly. He is a knowledgeable and gentle acupuncturist with a good sense of humor, which also helps when one is in pain. I highly recommend Joel as a practitioner. Acupuncture has helped relieve my stomach pain, discomfort and stiffness from back and leg injuries, and fibromyalgia. Shen Clinic also offers Chinese herbal medicine from their large apothecary. read more

My herniated disc acted up again so I came here as fast as I could and within 3 treatments my lower back pain was gone! They do a great deal where if you get weekly treatments then it costs about $45 instead of $80 (which is a steal in this neighborhood) I highly recommend shen clinic to anyone with back pain! read more

Great Clinic. They helped me with anxiety and stress meds. I want to specifically, thank Dr. Rodney . He was kind and patient with me, while carefully observing my body, tongue, eyes and ears. Shen Clinic is lucky to have such a great man. Now, am healed and feeling great. read more

Really unfortunate to see the business Joel built up over the years basically put itself out of business, reducing itself to an online service. Excellent service to the community for decades, made me a regular for the past 20 or so years. So to show up today with 3 bottles of herbs needing replacement and told to go home and order on line ("we're not herbalists" the elder woman repeated at least 5 times) was sad as well as frustrating. That an enterprise such as this couldn't find a way forward during these non-shutdown times is a real loss for the community and a sad punctuation on the service Joel provided over all those years. RIP. read more

I ordered three bottles of health concerns, eight treasures, which is out of stock everywhere but I was able to get 3 bottles! They shipped it super fast and I was able to get my product a couple days later! Amazing business! Super happy customer! highly recommend! read more

JG I want to shout that Shen Clinic is the best. I have had a prostate problem for 3 years now. Joel Harvey, the owner, said try these pills, I did, they worked, I can now sleep a whole with out getting up every 2 hours. The best attribute about Joel, is that if he doesn't know something, he says so, Joel did not bull shit me- he is very honest-how many Drs, would honestly tell the truth if it meant losing money. I would recommend that you read his book, with red print on the cover, the book gives a general overview about the pills and what the pills can and can't do. Joel truly seems to care that I/we get better. It's a pain to park around there, the meter maids do patrol the area, make sure you feed the meter. I got a ticket once, make sure you feed the meter. read more

I have a ruptured disc. Didn't know it then all I knew was I couldn't walk without spasms of pain arching down my nerve pathways like a lightening bolt. I was told to try Shen Clinic. I called they said come. I went in and they treated me so well. When you are in pain that passes the 11 mark when someone is nice it takes it down a notch. I was placed in a room, with a heat lamp, massage, etc. I slept like a baby while they did acupuncture on my back. I was able to walk better when I left. I also bought some extremely good skin preparation that helps topically to relieve pain. I highly recommend this clinic. read more

Very nice, personal service. They had the herbs my acupuncturist recommended, and I saw improvement very quickly.

I needed to get some more potent herbs to relieve my nasal allergies. I called ahead to ask if someone could point me in the right direction when I got there, and the receptionist said she could help me. When I got there, the practitioner was at lunch, so the receptionist called him to see if he could help me and he said that I needed to schedule a consult. I wish I would have known this before driving down there. So I ended up just getting the same herbs I had tried before which didn't work that well, and the receptionist told me to just make more of them! After I bought it, I realized I could have gotten them cheaper at the Berkeley Bowl :( read more

I love ordering herbs from the Shen Clinic. Super fast delivery, great products and never a hassle. if I am ever in the area I will stop by. read more

Great staff and selection of herbs. The family that own/runs the company is very knowledgable. This clinic has eased my suffering more than once! read more

I have been seeing Joel Harvey for 5 years and have seen him for various things. Colds, sinsus, sadness, immune system to name a few. I have never been disappointed. I have always felt better within 24 to 48 hours. I have moved to Burlingame, but will continue to make the trip to the Shen Clinic because the treatments work and the people are great. The herbs work too. If you haven't gotten results elsewhere, I recommend you try Joel and the Shen Clinic. read more

I have been seeing Sarah for the last year and she is amazing! She works on me and my boyfriend and has helped us with myriad issues. We both have gotten a lot of relief. I highly recommend the clinic and Sarah! read more

I highly recommend the Shen Clinic. I've had acupuncture from Joel and it has been very helpful. In one case, it helped me heal from a painful foot injury. I've also received herbal medicines from Joel. In the last year, I had difficulty sleeping and nothing western seemed to help. But the Chinese herbs that Joel gave me really worked! It's almost miraculous. It's well worth a trip to the Shen Clinic. Joel and his staff are all very nice. read more

Joel Harvey of the Shen Clinic has been by acupuncturist and herbalist for over 20 years. He has gotten me thru Peri-Menopause,(which was horrible!), without any drugs, and with even a boost to my energy level! He's also treated me off and on for years for IBS. My episodes are so bad I end up in emergency on Morphine. His treatments have broken this cycle that my body has gone into several times over the years. I'm currently in another cycle (resulting in 4 trips in 1 wk. to the ER). Two days of an herbal formula and I feel better than I have in weeks, my pain is already going away. After his treatments I've gone for as long as a year with no IBS problems! My son has had great results with eliminating his allergies. Joel also cleared up a rash he had gotten in Japan. He had it for 3 years. Kaiser gave him lotion to help but not cure. Joel prescribed herbs and it was gone in 3 months. That was 2 years ago. read more

I've been seeing Joel at the Shen Clinic for over five years. Initially I went for my severe seasonal allergies since my prescription medicine (Claritin, Flonase, etc) stopped working after taking it for so many years. I've gone for regular acupuncture and have taken herbs and have found that the combination has worked better than anything else in my 25 years of having allergies. I have also gone for various other maladies: back pain from an old injury, low energy, swelling, colds--and have referred dozens of friends as well. In particular, Joel has treated my husband for lower back pain and a girlfriend for infertility (she got pregnant and has a beautiful baby girl). Joel is wise, gentle, funny, and warm to boot. And I love his staff as well. read more

I highly recommend this clinic for both acupuncture and herbal consultation. I was very much a skeptic but the herbal medicine given to me by Joel Harvey has been unbelievable to me in terms of its efficacy. Thank you! read more

I have been a Shen Clinic patient for many years, working primarily with Joel in whom I have the utmost confidence. Recently I have had the opportunity to work with Rodney Artiles for heart palpitations and other complex issues. Rodney's treatment has been focused on successfully balancing the internal systems with acupuncture, herbal prescriptions, Chi-Gung exercises and dietary advice. While I regularly consult with expert MDs, I prefer eastern medicine for general health care. My MDs have noted the improvement and encourage me to continue with treatments. read more

I never had much luck with western medicine: they treat the symptoms not the root cause of anything that is wrong with you, whereas Joel can figure out if you have a systemic problem that needs addressing. If you dont want to trust your body to lesser skilled people, Joel is the one to see. read more

I came in for my first treatment today and feel so much better already. My father was a patient of Joel's 25+ years ago so when I was searching the web I was so happy to stumble on a familiar clinic. This is my first time trying acupuncture and so happy I did. Joel asked me a series of questions and listened to all my concerns. He took his time and took notes. Then he walked me through exactly what the process would be and had me doing some breathing techniques which helped so much for the first session. It was completely painless there was some relaxing music and I rested in a room with a beautiful star light that reflected on the room while the needles were doing there magic. I feel that helped me relax. He gave me a copy of his book to help me understand acupuncture and Chinese medicine and a bottle of pills to help me with what I needed. I appreciate that he did not try and oversell me anything and the pricing for everything was so reasonable. I'm aware from friends that one treatment is not most beneficial you need to come for a few treatments in order to see and feel the best results. He has deals when you come regularly which is amazing. I'm so happy I stumbled across this gem after so many years and feel blessed that I was able to be treated by Joel "healing master". read more

Yesterday I had a consultation with Joel and wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation for the great care I received. Both Joel and his assistant were sincere , helpful and very nice. Joel was very attentive and asked probing questions about my condition and history. He spent a long time with me and also allowed me to delay payment until I had the funds. I felt very taken care of and am confident in both his wise advice and the efficacy of the medication I received. Amongst many so-called healers, I believe that Joel is the real thing. read more

I have been going to Joel at Shen Clinic for over 15 years for acupuncture and herbs whenever I feel rundown and exhausted. It always picks me right up. Recently I've been to other practitioners there and they have all been excellent. read more

Although the herbs have helped with the itching, my hand have still not recovered and are still very dry... Well at least it helped with the itching... read more

I came into shen clinic looking for some herbs to help with my pms. They are friendly enough but boy are they disorganized and way pricey. The old guy who i think runs the place is a little pompous and sour. What a turn off. Reluctantly i agreed to do an acupuncture session. I have to say it was strange. He scribbled down some notes on a single piece of paper as we talked (is this guy a real doctor?). He felt my pulses and looked at my tongue and then had me lay down on a massage table with crunchy medical office paper on it. The room was too hot and tiny. I could see trash on the floor and the decor, well, there wasn't any. I felt a little nervous and unsure as to his competence. Eventually, he put in some needles which didn't hurt really, and came back after 20 or 30 min. He took them out. Said I should come back next week. Then i left. I would say it probably helped, but considering the whole experience, i will continue looking for a more professional acupuncture clinic that makes me feel confident about the technician and more relaxed. Massage here would be scary. read more