I got a great deal off of MindBodyPartnership website for this center: choose 3 of 4 offered services (yoga session, massage, acupuncture and/or nutritional counseling). Since I have never experienced acupuncture, I decided to give it its much awaited debut on my overly stiff neck/shoulder muscles. As for the other two, I chose massage and nutritional counseling.
Upon calling for my appointment, I discovered that the Center works with off site appointments as well as online, even gave me each therapist's cell numbers! Really flexible scheduling, allowing me to schedule each service separately or together. My one warning: the therapists all operate independently, so they only arrive per appointment. Consequently, the door may be locked when you arrive and you will have to wait outside by atrium until someone arrives. But you will have their cell number, so not to worry. Since there is no 'front desk' or resident receptionist, I never gave my certificate to anyone, so I'm not sure how services are normally validated or paid for, which added to the casual atmosphere. Now for the services themselves:
(1)Acupuncture: the therapist's name is Justin and helped explain the entire needle poking process until my nerves settled. He explained that it may cause some soreness later on, but it has been a week now and to be honest, I have not had significant relief in my muscles. This may be due to the fact that acupuncture is not a cure all in one session, it may take return trips. Overall, though, he is personable and professional, and I got a great nap in while I lay on the tables.
(2)Massage: my next hour was spent getting a wonderful massage. The therapist is really friendly, talked with her through the majority of my session. My only complaint would be the lack of music until the end, but each to his/her own, perhaps silence ushers in relaxation for you (otherwise just request the tunes).
(3)Nutritional Counseling: the last trip to the Center was with Sandi. She emailed me a week prior with a great 4 page questionnaire about my health history and concerns, as well as a short section on family health history. This is what she used to base our time on, and we launched into a long discussion that has left me dairy-free for the next weeks, potentially forever. I felt as though I was chatting with an old friend about our health issues, and left feeling really confirmed in my intuitions and informed further about a lot of solid advice. Sandi even emailed me some delicious recipes afterward...I can't wait to try them out.
Overall, the Center and its therapists were relaxed and informative, though I cannot say that the results of the massage and acupuncture lived quite up to my expectations. As for the counseling, we will see in two weeks, and after I make that non-cheese cheesecake...
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