I decided to look into acupuncture because I had felt a little lethargic and my mind was a bit hazy. Megan gave me a consultation and an acupuncture treatment to go with it. I cannot thank her enough! As a life insurance agent, I have to work and be focused for 60+ hours a week and after this treatment I can say my mind feels so much clearer than it had ever been before. I wish I had gotten treated years before. I feel as if I am a new person and it has greatly improved my motivation, my business and most importantly my mental thought processes. I highly recommend Megan, as she is extremely friendly, knowledgeable and caring. I'll see you soon! THANK YOU!!!! read more

I've put off reviewing Tao to Wellness for ages and ages, because I'm not even sure how to say how great they are. Let's go with: TEN MILLION STARS!! GREATEST EVER!!! I can't explain how great Megan and Christina are. Over the years, they've helped me and my husband manage a variety of chronic conditions, from an autoimmune disorder to arthritis, and they work crazy miracles while also being delightful, friendly people that put you at ease and make you feel at home while they fix you right up. I was skeptical about acupuncture before working with them, having had a few bad experiences in the past, but they are wonderfully effective and knowledgable. Their styles are slightly different, but they consult with each other regularly, so you can work with one or both of them--whatever you want! Megan and Christina are so good that acupuncture's in danger of becoming that thing I recommend to everybody for everything. You know how your friend's grandma swore by Vap-O-Rub? Or how the dad in that movie was all about Windex? It's like that. "Oh, sweetie, you feel like you're coming down with a cold? Should I sign you up for acupuncture?" "You've been trying to get pregnant for a while, and are getting frustrated? Maybe you should give my acupuncturist a try; they were great for me!" "Ugh, I'm feeling run down and tired; let me go in for acupuncture." The thing is, it always helps, for real. I mostly see Megan nowadays, and she's such a warm, kind, funny, welcoming person that going to see her makes getting poked with needles a total pleasure. (That is a *skill* there, friends.) Go see these ladies. TEN MILLION STARS! read more

Megan Nielsen is fantastic- the perfect combination of intelligent and pragmatic. I was referred through a friend and was a bit unsure about what to expect. Megan was clear, concise and knowledgeable. I finished our session with very tangible tips and examples of what to incorporate and change in my life. It has been only a couple weeks, but I already have noticed substantial change with my overall energy and health. I feel so much better and was/am completely amazed by how profound the results were. Seriously, I was starting to feel as if I had tried it all. Wish I had been in contact with Megan first! Could sing her praise all day- simply, she is fantastic!!!! read more

Christina is wonderful. She treated me while I was trying to conceive and helped me create the balance and alignment needed to create life! I am now a proud and ecstatic mama of a sweet sweet baby girl. I really appreciated the whole experience she nurtured in our sessions. With the eye pillow, heating blanket and sound of rain and gongs playing, I was able to fully relax into the healing. read more

My husband and I tried for a baby for nearly two years. After three miscarriages, I decided to try acupuncture. I found Megan on Yelp and made an appointment. Out of all the fertility treatments we had received, it turns out signing up for weekly acupuncture was the most effective. I got pregnant the very first month! I committed to seeing Megan weekly for the first 20 weeks then the appointments were more sporadic. I am now at 38 weeks and awaiting our little boy. Megan was really invested in our success. She answered all kinds of questions and provided insight and input. I found I was getting more info from her than from my OB and fertility doctors combined. If you're afraid of needles, they aren't that bad. You can only feel them a tiny bit when they go in then nothing. Tao to Wellness has a comfortable and cute atmosphere and Megan really knows what she's doing! read more

I went for my first session with Nikole today. I had never tried acupuncture and was a little nervous. But Nikole was fantastic. She took the time to get to know me, why I wanted to do acupuncture and what specifically we would do to address my issues. It was a relaxing experience and I look forward to my next appointment. read more

This is a time when Yelp really needs to make available a 6th star shooting away from the end. Tao To Wellness deserves it. In a nutshell, Christina's amazing work played the primary role in giving my mother back a more active life. My mother had 3 separate back surgeries several years ago. Before that and since then, she's been in constant intense pain that had caused her to essentially be bedridden. She was taking at least 5 Norco daily (10mg hydrocodone/325mg acetaminophen) She went from a very active life to someone who had difficulty walking, sitting, standing. She could only walk for a few minutes at a time and was hunched over unable to stand up straight. She would get frequent muscle spasms in her legs that would cripple her with pain. She had sleeping difficulties and took Ambien every night. All of this caused her severe depression and she became a shell of the woman she once was. She lives in Texas and had no access to acupuncture. Her doctors had basically given up helping her and diagnosed her with fibromyalgia. Keep stuffing pain pills down your throat and wait to die. That's where they left her. I got her out here to live with me so that she could try acupuncture and see new doctors. I booked her an appointment at TTW for 2 days after her arrival. She began to notice measurable relief in a short time. A few weeks later, she was going out with me to run errands and do some Christmas shopping. She hadn't been able to go out like this in years. Her mood picked up and she began feeling happier about life again. A few months later, we went to the Alameda Antique Fair and spent over 5 (FIVE!!!) hours walking around. This is a MASSIVE improvement! She couldn't walk for 5 minutes just 4 months earlier and here she was walking for 5 hours! Amazing. Life changing. Mind blowing. Christina's work literally gave my mother back her life. She has moved back to Texas to be with family but will be coming back to CA (hopefully) next Spring or early Summer and will continue her treatments. read more

I have been seeing Christina - referred to me by one of my friends who spoke very highly of her - for about 2 years now -over these past two years, she's helped me with multiple issues i had, ranging from injury recovery caused by an accident I was in, to helping me with my headache to simply helping my body chi balance right. I've seen many acupuncturists, and I find Christina to be the most intuitive amongst them all. I can't recommend her enough! read more

I've been going to Tao to Wellness for the past year for a variety of reasons. I've seen both Treasure De La Cruz and Deanna Tasi for helping with carpal tunnel and increasing circulation. I continued to see Treasure before and during my pregnancy and its been a wonderful experience. Not only is Treasure a talented acupuncturist but she also has been a great support system and resource of information during my pregnancy. She often goes above and beyond by following up our sessions with helpful resources and recommendations. This is a great place for anyone looking for quality acupuncture, friendly and knowledgeable practitioners, and a relaxing private environment! Highly recommend! read more

This place is amazing! Christina is everything all the other reviews have said and more! The atmosphere is one of healing from the minute you walk in the door. Christina is warm, patient, compassionate and calming to a nervous person who is getting acupuncture for the very first time (like myself). I finally feel like I have a partner in my healthcare, not just a doctor that I barely see because they are so busy with other patients who can't spend the time to really help me find out what is going on with my body. Instead of unexplained diagnosis or 'if the pain pills work then keep taking them' attitude, I finally feel like I am putting my body and mind first and it feels wonderful! If you have ever thought that you would like to get better sleep, or have been dealing with pain that doctors said there was nothing that could be done about, or just sick of taking pills for anything and everything and dealing with the side-effects because you felt there were no other options, then you HAVE to give Tao to Wellness a try! I have never felt better or more in-tune with my own body. Working with my body to get it in balance so it can do what it is supposed to be doing is great. My husband is even going to go now after seeing the great effects I have been having! So here is another great review for Tao to Wellness! Yay! read more

My go to place when I need some accupunture. I use to go here before I moved to Southern California and now since I am back, I have been here twice. Megan is awesome and easy to talk to. Very knowledgable and give great advise. I love falling asleep and have an outter body expereince here and just let my body do its work to heal. It is small place, but it is very comfortable and clean. I hope everyone can enjoy accupunture as much as I do. read more

Truly gifted acupuncturists. Love this place. I drive up from the south bay to come here. Thank you :)

Megan Nielsen is one in a million. I have never seen or known a practitioner of any kind that has so much wisdom, care and love for her patients. She has helped me in countless ways during the roller coaster ride of trying to get pregnant. Megan is not only exceptionally skilled, she has a heart of gold and deeply cares about each of her patients. Going to see her is one of my favorite things and has been a weekly activity of mine (sometimes twice a week) for over 3 years. Megan has so much compassion for women going through the struggles of fertility. She takes the time to listen and thoughtfully support her patients. For example, when we were trying to make the decision to start IVF, Megan sat down with me and my partner and educated us on every step. The world of fertility can be overwhelming; with Megan I always feel like I have a guardian angel at my side. I can ask her anything and I never feel judged by her. There are times when it's hard to talk to friends about fertility, and Megan is always there with unwavering support and understanding. I highly recommend Megan to anyone that is looking for support on their fertility journey. Simply put, there is nobody better. read more

This place is a one stop shop for women who are trying to conceive, pregnant or postpartum. Want a holistic approach to increasing fertility or inducing labor? Then look no further! I first began seeing Megan last year when I was trying to get pregnant and looking for natural options to boost my fertility. She was great about explaining things in a way that my husband and I could understand and knew so much about what tests I needed to get at Kaiser and exactly what the results meant. She was able to recommend tweaks in my diet to help increase my yin energy which was being depleted from my work as a Bikram yoga instructor. After two months of weekly treatments, I was able to naturally conceive at the age of 37! Since the fertility treatments went so well, I again sought out Megan for help when I was a week past my due date and my OB was pushing to induce labor. I had heard from other mamas who had successfully induced labor using acupuncture so wanted to give this option a try first. Megan was able to accommodate my situation by squeezing me onto the schedule last minute and I began to have contractions after our second treatment. This place is awesome because it is a business that is owned by women to support other women. I always felt like Megan truly understood what I was going through and I felt wholly supported by her throughout the process. I have no doubt that the other acupuncturists are similar in their approach but I highly recommend Megan if you are able to become her client. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!!! read more

I was very impressed with Christina Martin when I went to see her for two ankles that had particularly bad torn ligaments. She worked her magic with her needles and aided and sped up the healing process. Her kindness, caring and beautiful office space all add to the experience. If I know of someone who is ailing or just needs a tune-up I would not hesitate to direct them to Christina. read more

My husband and I have been seeing Christina Martin at Tao to Wellness for at least seven years now, perhaps longer. It seems like forever, since Christina feels like part of our family. She has also advised us on treatments for our kids. We feel lucky and grateful to have her as part of our lives, helping to take care of our health and well-being. The office at Tao to Wellness is just what I want and expect from a health-care provider: warm, comfortable, cozy and clean. Not to mention beautiful. Health-care practitioners should take a lesson from Christina and provide such a nurturing environment. The staff is engaged, informed, organized, helpful, friendly, flexible and available. What's more is that they all genuinely care about their patients. Christina really knows us and helps us make decisions and recommends treatments based on a holistic view. I have experienced especially helpful results from her post-partum treatments as well as treatments for stress, sleeplessness and skin irritations. I am very excited about the addition of the Community Acupuncture Clinic -- to make treatments at Tao to Wellness more accessible to a broader range of people. We have recommended Tao to Wellness wholeheartedly to friends, family and neighbors and hope you check it out. read more

I've been seeing Nikole at Tao to Wellness for about 2 months and my experience with her has been wonderful. I have nothing but positive things to say about her. She's very knowledgeable, kind, super sweet, and takes her time with you. She is a excellent acupuncturist. I wish that I had found her and Tao to Wellness sooner. I look forward to seeing her every week. I decided to try fertility acupuncture after trying for a baby for 2 years. We are still working on it but I have very positive feeling about this. I see Nikole once a week. After my first month my cycle began to be more normal, I feel less stressed, have more focus and my energy level has gone up so much. I thank Nikole for all of this! read more

I started going to Tao to Wellness after seeing how much information they had about how acupuncture could support with fertility. I decided to start acupuncture after a pregnancy loss and feeling like my body was not back to normal after a few months. I worked exclusively with Treasure and she was so warm and supportive with lots of great advice. I did weekly acupuncture sessions with Treasure for about 6 months. With Treasure's help and her herbal recommendations, I felt like my body was able to return back to normal. With Treasure's help, I was able to conceive again and have had a smooth and healthy pregnancy. Thank you Treasure! read more

Tao to Wellness has made me such a believer in the efficacy of acupuncture that I recommend it to all of my family and friends whether they're complaining of back pain or postpartum depression. Admittedly, I approached acupuncture with a little skepticism. However, now I'm not only a believer, but it's the thing I look forward to every week. I started weekly acupuncture treatments with Christina and then Nikole last December after it was recommended by a fertility specialist when I mentioned that my cycles were long and irregular. After just a few treatments coupled with herbs, my cycle shortened by a full week and I became pregnant in the next cycle(!) Sadly, I lost the pregnancy after 6 weeks, but I continued to see Nikole every week and it has been so helpful to talk to her. And I'm certain that the acupuncture has helped my body bounce back from the miscarriage even faster than it might have on its own. I'm moving to Houston this week and Tao to Wellness is the thing I'm most upset about leaving behind! read more

I would definitely recommend this place! Deanna is great and has really helped me with my joint pain and whatever else happens to be bothering me. I always leave feeling better and over time have seen real improvement. read more

The miracle shoulder! I really never knew what accupunture was for or what it could do. I still don't have doctors picked out from moving here over a year ago. I live close to Tao and decided to check out what accupuncture could do for me. I've gone in for back pain, colds and just last week a shoulder injury that was reaggravated from a workout. I was going up to Tahoe for some mountain biking last weekend and didn't want anything holding me back. Christina was able to take me in quickly, she did some work on me and the next day I realized that the pain I was feeling was completely gone. I am shocked and incredibly thankful. I tried out another accupuncturist locally. I can tell you that Christina has the touch of someone with experience. Her office environment is an oasis. I am happy I tried this out and will continue to use accupunture regularly. Sorry it took me so long to write a review, this is well overdue! read more

18 months ago, having lost a pregnancy followed by two anembryonic pregnancies, I felt pretty helpless. My husband and I decided to try one more time without the aid of in vitro and after doing a little research, I found out that acupuncture might be a great way to support fertility. So I went to see Deanna and we devised a plan to support ovulation, then conception, then early stage pregnancy. To make a long story short, conception was successful, there was a viable embryo visible at 8 weeks, and all of the subsequent testing turned up perfect! I continued to visit Deanna for general pregnancy support and when my due date came and my amniotic fluid was low, I told her to pull out all of the stops. I went into labor early the next morning and my healthy baby boy was born that night. Thank you Deanna and Tao to Wellness! I'll be back if we decide to have another ;) read more

Thanks, nice vibe, people and location. Cupping was awesome. Definitely give it a try.

I was referred to Christina by a friend of mine who knew I didn't have any medical insurance.I have arthritis in my knee and was a bit skeptical that I would get much out of my visit.Christine is a very knowledgable practitioner,with a calm and pleasant demeanor.She explained her approach and went to work.I am now a convert.Who knew a bunch of needles placed here and there could actually help to eliminate pain and discomfort? Give Tao to wellness a try.Christina will make a believer out of you as well.Very affordable,very good value.I'll be back.And I'll tell my friends. read more

I have been treated by Paz Vizcarra, L.Ac., for various conditions over the last 15 years including back pain and women's health issues. I found her diagnostic and healing skills to be effective where other doctors had failed. She always had sound advice. I got results from her treatments, but the comfort and freedom from pain has been a treasured gift. Sadly, she left the area last year. But she is back! She joined the well-respected Berkeley clinic, Tao To Wellness. I am extremely happy and just booked an appointment! Paz is the best! read more

Nikole has come through again! I recently injured my sciatic nerve while lifting weights. The pain was unreal, making it hard to walk or function at all. I immediately went to Nikole and she wasted no time alleviating the pain. After each treatment, I felt much better. After a few treatments over the course of 3 weeks, I could walk out w/ little to no pain. I'm so grateful for her knowledge and treasure her expertise in this field. Thank you Nikole! read more

I haven't written a review in years, but this one was a long time coming. My husband and I were fertility challenged for almost 5 years when we decided to pursue IVF. I had read that acupuncture would help. I tried acupuncture once before when we were going through IUI, and didn't have the best experience. I was hesitant to give it another go, but figured that it couldn't hurt to try one more time. After careful research, I found Tao to Wellness. I can't remember if I requested Deanna or if we were put together randomly but it's been the best decision I've ever made. From the first meeting, Deanna put me at ease. She's like a friend you've known all your life, who happens to be a kick ass acupuncturist. One of the things that turned me off to acupuncture the first time was the rigid list of nutritional guidelines that I was given (no meat, no dairy, no sugar, no carbs, no caffeine, etc) which left me feeling kinda hopeless and shamed. But with Deanna, she was super practical and gave advice in a way that wasn't judgmental or dooming. She provided her knowledge and let you decide how you can best implement it into your life. Not to mention, she always remembered details of my life and would chat with me each week about the things that were happening in my life. I started seeing her in May 2018 and I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant. I can't say that it was acupuncture that helped me get pregnant but seeing Deanna every week really helped me reduce my stress and get me to a place where I felt hopeful about starting a family. Long story long, I highly recommend Tao to Wellness but especially Deanna. read more

I am writing this review about Megan Nielsen specifically. She is a wonderful Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and acupuncturist. She has extensive training, including a Masters in TCM. She has also done a lot of fertility training, working in conjunction with a well known Western fertility clinic, prior to her current practice. She has a light touch, using more of a Japanese style of acupuncture, while recommending appropriate herbs and diet after doing a thorough Chinese diagnostic including pulses, tongue, and history. To top it all off, she is a genuinely lovely person, radiating kindness and gentleness. I always feel so much more hopeful and healthy in her presence. I thank my lucky stars the day she came into my life. read more

I met Treasure when I had my shoulder injury. She was professional, she asked all the questions she needed to know and made me feel comfortable. I was treated at her home office since I live close to her. The heated blanket made my body relaxed. I felt different when I went swimming in the next morning! I have to make an appointment with her again :) read more

I started my dental practice 50 years ago when ergonomics was not part of our vocabulary. I developed arthritic changes in my neck that have limited the range of motion of my head. Tao to Wellness had been recommended by a friend. I was ambivalent about going, not knowing much about acupuncture. Nikole was very thorough in reviewing my history. She has used several modalities that are actually helping! Her approach, her background and training made me feel very comfortable from the very beginning. I am no longer a skeptic and look forward to my appointments with Nikole! read more

I started going to Tao and seeing Treasure last year, for issues related to stress management and digestion. Every appointment was comprised of a consultation and an acupuncture needle treatment in a private, relaxing room. At each session, Treasure and I sat down to evaluate my symptoms, discuss how I was feeling, and understand if I had improved or gotten worse since my last session. She took thorough notes, asked questions, and always followed up with post-session notes that she emailed to me. Then, when I became pregnant, we focused the treatments to address blood-building, morning sickness, fatigue, round ligament pain, and the countless other symptoms that come with pregnancies. As a trained doula and new mama, Treasure has been a fountain of knowledge and has held my hand as I faced surprising pains or unexpected issues throughout my pregnancy. At one point in my late-second trimester, I could barely walk from SI joint pains, and at another point I had developed anemia. For the SI joint paint, she gave me exercises and stretches to do, and addressed the pain with her needle treatment. For the anemia, she recommended a non-constipating herbal supplement and told me where to buy it, in addition to focusing the treatments on blood-building. My SI joint pains were gone within the week (you have to listen and follow her recommendations for maximum results!), and the blood-building treatments she did for me restored my energy levels until well into my third trimester. I have never worked with a more mindful, meticulous, and thorough acupuncturist before I met Treasure. I trust her opinion, her intuition, and her holistic knowledge of Eastern treatments. I often get more useful and straightforward information from Treasure than I do from my Western practitioners. Bonus-the clinic location is convenient and the space is beautiful. read more

I have had had recurring hip issues for years, but since beginning treatment at Tao to Wellness with Treasure (as well as with Deanna), the problems have been kept under control and no longer bother me. Treasure listens carefully to understand the whole problem and how it relates to overall wellness, and the sessions are relaxing and productive. I have found them as valuable as psychotherapy and physical therapy, combined. I cannot recommend this practice more highly! read more

I went to Christina and Nikole for various issues and have always been extremely happy with the results. Going regularly definitely makes a difference in my energy level and well being. Would definitely recommend to others. read more

I am visiting Berkeley and made an appointment with Christina last week because of the positive reviews, but I have to say my experience was terrible and motivated me to write my first ever Yelp review. I had a bad migraine the day of the appointment that I hoped Christina could help treat. On the plus side, Christina seems very nice, and the space was clean, albeit noisy from the road traffic. On the down side, Christina's needling technique left much to be desired. She stuck around 15-20 needles all over me, and it hurt so badly I thought I might pass out. Christina seemed to think this was normal and told me to "breathe through it." I have seen a number of acupuncturists, and see an acupuncturist regularly on the east coast, and I've never experienced that much pain during acupuncture before (even during a migraine). With a good acupuncturist, you should hardly feel the entering of the needle; you might feel a gentle tap and that's it. With Christina, I could feel every needle entering my body. At one point, I could even feel her wriggling the end of the needle to get in deeper under my skin, as if it were a screw. It seriously felt like a medieval form of torture. At the end of the session, I noticed that I was bleeding quite a bit, enough to stain the sheet I was laying on at multiple spots, which was disturbing and again abnormal. All this pain may have been worth it if she had actually treated the migraine, but the migraine remained for a full day, after which it tapered off naturally. To top it off, she left a needle in my leg, and I didn't notice until later when I felt a constant pain in my leg where the needle was left in. So yeah, I'm not sure if Christina had an off day or what, but I will not be returning. read more

I moved and needed to find a new acupuncturist I had extremely high expectations and knew exactly what I was looking for. I was desperate and paid $150 for Accupuncture that did relieve pain but was not in my price range to maintain weekly. I continued searching until my friend told me about this gem of a place. I am not going to lie but I was hesitant at first to come to Tao To Wellness because the pricing was reasonably affordable. I was always told you pay for the quality of treatment because the price was reasonable I assumed I was going to get reasonable treatment... Well? Absolutely got that and more, in addition I got a whole week being pain free. I came in with a ton of inflammation could barely sit or stand for more than 10 minutes without feeling that burning pain in my L4 and L5 that radiated into my tail bone. After getting treatment from Deanna I notice a significant change once I went home iced and went into the hot tub. I was , dare I say?... PAIN FREE. I didn't take medication that night yet alone the whole week (muscle relaxer and inflammation prescription) it was the first night in almost one year. With Accupuncture people have to understand it's not a magic one-time fix all, you must stick with it like any successful diet and maintain it otherwise it can revert back to the old ways of feeling pain. The fact that it lasted almost more than a week, I am committed to going in weekly basis with this kind of results. I understand that if I continue to treat weekly and continue to get better I can then start going bi-weekly and then hopefully once a month. Anything beats taking pills. read more

This review is for Deanna. I started going to Tao to wellness because I had a lot of stress and it was causing me anxiety. I have been in treatment for almost 3 months and Deanna has worked wonders on me. Every session is very relaxing, she listens to my concerns and she's very friendly. Most importantly my stress levels have lowered a great deal since I started treatment. read more

This is the first acupuncture place I have been to and I don't find the need to look for another. I don't even feel like going to the doctor! All my needs are being met. Megan is really attentive to my body and im actually seeing some improvements in the areas I needed healing. I'm so grateful to find this place. I should've come across this place sooner. I recommend this place to anyone who has any kind of imbalance within their body. Try this place out at least and see for yourself:) read more

I started seeing Deanna about 18 months ago, specifically for allergy/sinus symptoms. I found the treatments so calming/relaxing that since then I've returned almost weekly, as a way of taking care of myself through a difficult job transition. Peaceful setting, a little oasis--conveniently located just a skip away from the 4th Street shopping district. read more

I am well versed in both Alternative Medicine and Chinese Medicine and I can confidently report that Christina Martin is one of the most talented practioners I have encountered. Intelligent, intuitive, compassionate, and unattached to her ego; she sets the stage for transformative healing. read more

There aren't enough stars for Christina. She is truly an amazing person. She has helped me through many things over the years with her intuitive healing, acupuncture, and herbs. She will make you feel like you've known each other for years, which makes you totally at ease during your treatments. I highly recommend Christina to anyone who is suffering from anything. I am blessed to have found her. read more