How We Treat

We treat in a community setting

Most acupuncturists in the US treat patients on tables in isolated rooms. This is not traditional in Asia, where acupuncture usually occurs in a community setting. Treatments are simple and repeated frequently for best results. At Berkeley Acupuncture Project, patients remain fully clothed in comfortable recliners in a quiet, soothing community room. Treating patients this way has many benefits beyond being more affordable. Many people find it comforting to have others around them, rather than being isolated in a private room. The group treatment room creates a collective healing energy that enhances the power of each individual’s treatment, and it allows families and friends to visit our clinic together.

Our Sliding Scale

Berkeley Acupuncture Project is part of a growing movement of clinics in the U.S. based on a vision of making acupuncture part of the solution to our current healthcare crisis. Our fees are often less than an insurance co-pay, if you are lucky enough to have insurance that covers acupuncture, and if you are lucky enough to have insurance at all.

Acupuncture is most effective when received frequently and regularly. Due to the higher cost of private one-on-one treatments common in the U.S., people normally can only afford to be treated once a week, at best, and usually for only a month or so at a time. When treated with greater frequency, you will feel better faster and you'll be able to see longer-lasting results sooner. BAP wants you to come in often enough to get well and stay well. Acupuncture does not have to be expensive to be effective! We understand that everyone’s situation is different, so we will never ask you for any personal or bank records. You decide what you can afford.

Because we work on a sliding scale, we are not allowed to bill your insurance company (their rules). We are, however, happy to provide you with a receipt so you can bill them yourself.

A Sustainable Business Model

Oriental medicine is a fabulous tool for cultivating health, but it's a gradual process. By offering acupuncture at affordable rates, we support people in their commitment to building a strong foundation of health over time, lessening the need for more expensive and invasive procedures later. "Sustainability" is sometimes defined as taking action with the long term in mind; we believe that this model is the key to making health care more sustainable. By providing a treatment setting in which patients feel comfortable, it changes the role of acupuncture from a form of medical intervention to something you can integrate into your life: a means of relaxing, centering, and nourishing yourself.