Brookline Community Acupuncture

Richard is very kind, intelligent, and gentle. I have been to a LOT of acupuncturists – different styles, white, asian, black, you name it. I’ve even been to instructors at acupuncture schools. And Richard is the best. I took a break because i developed a skin disease and being poked with needles is not very appealing, but i could hardly feel the needles. the seating was comfortable and unlike many practitioners, Richard really heard me and I could tell by the very thoughtful follow-​up questions. My visits are very powerful as well. Releasing blockages present in a very physical way for me, and I have been amazed by how much my body changes after these visits – for the better. I have recommended him to everyone I know.

I am happy to give Richard 5 stars… his warm demeanor and caring personality have made me a believer in the world of acupuncture. I am just beginning my treatment but I have started to see results (chronic tennis elbow). He is intelligent, and thoughtful and the Community aspect makes the treatments affordable and it’s not odd at all to sit in a room with others; since we are all there relaxing.

I get treatment from Richard on a regular basis for the past year or so. Community acupuncture provides an affordable way for me to experience the benefits of acupuncture. He is extremely friendly and makes you feel at ease, while also explaining what he is doing. Thank you!

Richard is a wonderfully calm presence; I agree with other reviewers who commented on his empathy and ability to really listen. Richard is friendly, professional and down to earth and makes you feel comfortable and at ease. It is very easy to book appointments through the website. I used to feel very stressed and had trouble sleeping and the acupuncture helped me relax and sleep through the night. I am much better now but continue to go to Brookline Community Acupuncture to keep my anxiety at bay and for help with my early pregnancy. Can’t recommend this place highly enough!

Richard Mandell is the most gentle compassionate human being and I feel very lucky to have found him to treat my stress at this time in my life. His calm manner and excellent skills are incredibly helpful as I have not had such a positive response to acupuncture without any pain, in fact amazed how I do not feel the needles being placed at various acupuncture points. I will continue with treatments as my level of stress has reduced drastically and I am a true believer in alternative medicine due to my positive experience, thank you Richard!!!

This is the second time I visited Brookline community acupuncture. Had I not moved an hour away, I would have been seeing him over the past few years. I called this morning in tears from back spasms. Richard called me before hours and told me to come right in.
Richard is incredibly gifted. He is a wonderful listener so he can quickly assess what may be going on. He is very gentle and flexible to your needs. Normally this acupuncture is done in a zero gravity chair, but I couldn’t get into one. He has one massage table and helped me get on it. I was in tears when I was being driven to the appointment, I’d say now, 2 hours later, I’m at 6 on the pain scale
Don’t forget, after acupuncture, it’s good to drink lots of water, avoid alcohol and sugar and to be quiet (not zooming around like most of us do).
Thank you Richard!

I’ve only done acupuncture twice before, so I came into my first session with a bit of trepidation. Richard immediately quelled my fears with his calm demeanor and clear explanations (I especially appreciated how he answered all of my questions from both a Western and an Eastern perspective).
The session itself was amazing — I had horrible seasonal allergies, and they’re almost completely cleared up now! I’ve already scheduled another appointment. Richard is amazing!

Richard is a tremendously helpful and thorough acupuncturist. I have been to other community acupuncture providers and none have taken the time to explain their process like Richard has. He is also a very caring and warm person, that makes the experience even better. I felt immediate results and relief due to back pain and stress, I am already signed up for my next appointment!

The acupuncture left me feeling very relaxed! I will definitely be coming back. It is communal accupuncture so you’re in the same room with several others. But I actually really liked the feel of the room!

I’ve only gone twice so far to help heal from mild asthma, which I was just diagnosed with, and I do feel better. Hard to say if it’s purely from acupuncture here, but I know it can’t hurt. Actually, to back up, I went once before, years ago, because he offers a really affordable initial visit just to give you a basic, quick understanding of what acupuncture is and what it feels like. I think it’s really important that he offers that for people who are curious but apprehensive.
Richard is wonderful. Warm, gentle, knowledgable. He explains things very well, always gets clients in on time. I feel that I am in very experienced and capable hands, which is really important when someone is sticking needles in your forehead! He never hesitates or seems annoyed to answer my questions.
Setting up appointments online is really easy and convenient and I’ve made appointments online with about a 15 hour notice and easily got in. There are some days where he doesn’t have a very long day, meaning the last possible appt. might be around 10: 45 am (ending around 11:45), but so far that hasn’t been a huge issue. He does offer early morning and evening appts. so he is trying to be as flexible as possible.
The atmosphere is simple, relaxing. Even when you’re in a room with upwards of 3 or more other people, it doesn’t feel that awkward or cramped. There’s always really relaxing music playing and honestly, if I can pay that fee to feel that relaxed when I leave, I’ll take it!
The community aspect/​sliding scale makes this really accessible for someone like me who doesn’t have a ton of money but really believes in a holistic approach to health and healing. I’m so grateful this place is here.
The building it’s in is a little retro, but the location is great. You can have your treatment then go grab lunch or tea or do a little shopping at Trader Joe’s around the corner (if you’re not too sleepy!). There is on-​street parking in front, though that can be hard to come by, but there’s a big lot out back/​around the corner and I’ve found parking there both times, so it’s pretty accessible.
All in all, I’m so happy here and I’ll definitely go back!

I just saw Richard today for my first treatment with him, and he is fantastic! He is extremely knowledgable, experienced, and caring. I even noticed immediate results and relief with my allergies, which is something I usually won’t feel right away.
I’ve been getting acupuncture for about 2 years. The woman I used to see moved to a different country, and since I have been looking for someone great. I’ve tried a few different acupuncturists in the area that weren’t very good. I’m so happy I went in today and found the best acupuncturist in Boston!

I have gone to get acupuncture here 4 times now. It’s an amazing price, the practitioner is a very honest, and skilled professional. I have left every visit with a positive feeling in my wallet and in my body. Truly an incredible place

Richard is a very special man — in Judaism we would call him a Tzadik. He brings a special healing to all who walk through his door. As a practitioner Richard has the expertise needed to provide support for a variety of complex health issues, as well as everyday aches or simply being run down. We are very fortunate to have him in the Boston area and it is easy to give him the highest recommendations.

This review is long overdue.
I used to see Richard for acupuncture before I moved to Chicago over a year ago. He truly is passionate about what he does, and it shows through his interactions with his patients. Cannot recommend Richard enough if you are thinking about acupuncture.

I have been seeing Richard for several months now as he has been treating me for multiple autoimmune diseases and hormonal problems. Richard is a true gem. Being sick a lot of the time is very stressful and emotional, and Richard is one of the kindest, most gentle and calmest people I know. I always know I will feel better after I go see him. He is so committed to his patients, and genuinely cares about my wellness and my health. I can’t say enough wonderful things about my experience. I am a person who has difficulty sitting still for an hour, but there is something special about his clinic that makes it possible for me. I can’t recommend him enough, and I can’t thank him enough for how much he is helping me.

I began treatment with Richard Mandell in April of 2012, following visits from at least 15 different physicians within Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. I had been sick for over three years. Although Harvard Vanguard acknowledged something was wrong, screening me for everything under the sun from parasites to lymphoma, they were unable to determine a diagnosis and were not able to alleviate any of my physical symptoms (enlarged lymph nodes, insomnia, painful heart palpitations, constant fatigue, frequent illness, intense itching all over, etc).
I knew little to nothing about acupuncture before entering into sessions. Frankly, I had given up hope in terms of ever feeling better. Acupuncture was just something else to try.
Since beginning my acupuncture treatments with Richard, I have not felt healthier, nor happier in years. Within a month of starting, some of my worst symptoms were lessened by at least 70%. Eight months into my acupuncture treatment, I would say my symptoms are 95% alleviated, & I’ve began to seek help for unrelated issues. Honestly, sometimes I go just because I find acupuncture truly relaxing, Richard is great company, and I feel completely replenished when I walk out of a session. I have no doubt that acupuncture is a strong, incredibly healing alternative medicine.
Brookline Community Acupuncture is not only affordable, but helps support Richard’s feed off non-​profit that provides AIDS symptom relief for people in Africa. The price charged for a session is truly symbolic; I would readily pay twice that amount for this treatment, as it is healing in the most profound sense of the word.
I give BCA my highest recommendation.

I’ve been to the Brookline Community Acupuncture clinic a few times now, and each visit has been an absolute pleasure! Richard is very accommodating and I’ve felt a definite improvement in my energy levels. The sliding scale is amazing, since I could never afford regular appointments otherwise. I wholeheartedly recommend BCA!

5-​stars for expertise, ambiance, affordability, and RESULTS.
I have been getting acupuncture for about 8 years. When I moved to Boston one of the things on my check list was to find a *great* acupuncturist because I knew I’d miss mine in VA. It took me a few mediocre experiences before I found Brookline Community Acupuncture in December 2011… and now the search is over.
Richard is bright and listens carefully (the first good sign). In four months (and as many visits) he has helped me with my health on a maintenance level (I get acupuncture monthly regardless of how I feel) and on an as-​needed level.
Twice now I’ve booked an appointment when I’m feeling lousy, and twice I walked out of B.C.A. feeling great. I was inspired to write this review today after my experience of walking in with a migraine and getting relief within 5 minutes of my treatment. Amazing! Usually it takes about 24 hours and medication to get rid of migraines.
I’ll admit that before my very 1^st visit, I was a little worried about the community setting since all of my acupuncture experiences to date were 1:1. Turns out I don’t mind the setting at all since consultations are done privately in a separate room. After speaking with Richard, you go into a great space, where people (3 others max) are always quiet and respectful of each other. The icing on the cake is that this community setting makes it possible to keep costs down. I have paid as much as $ 75 for acupuncture, but B.C.A. currently charges between $ 25-​$ 40 on a sliding scale.
I really appreciate the setting here as well, it is totally conducive to healing. There are many great artworks on the walls, good music playing in the group treatment room, nice comfy furniture in the office, it is always super clean, and the lighting is soft.

First off, I’m a skeptic in general, and in particular of acupuncture. What little I know about the philosophy behind it doesn’t jibe with my science-​geek brain: I’d prefer a trial-​tested drug over new-​agey, touchy-​feely stuff. But then the drug I had taken for four years for gastroparesis stopped working. Never mind constantly being somewhere between uncomfortable to miserable, here’s the quantifiable: within a year, I went from being a bit overweight to being underweight. And I was still slowly losing. The least invasive thing «Western Medicine» had to offer was injecting paralyzing botox into my stomach. And I was tempted, except trials hadn’t shown any measurable benefit, anyway.
About a year ago, I started seeing Richard once a week. I was 98 pounds, and I planned to give it six months to see if I gained weight. Nothing as subjective as «I think I feel better»; I wanted a hard number. I –did– feel better, but that could be placebo effect. Or the enforced meditation: it’s not like you can physically get up and do anything, or even sit and read a book, with needles in your arms and feet. That felt more unnatural than the needles. But I didn’t lose any more weight; sometimes the scale was up half a pound, then down, up a pound, down, normal fluctuations, but never below 98. About four months in, the scale read 100. Five months later, I was at 105.
Richard doesn’t seem to mind my skepticism, has never pushed me to embrace the underlying philosophy. I don’t tend to feel relaxed with a lot of people, but I feel at ease talking to him, about my health or about some current event that comes up in conversation. Of course, that’s entirely subjective.

I highly recommend Brookline Community Acupuncture for individuals who are new to acupuncture and people who have already experienced the benefits of on-​going treatments. The facility is very clean and well kept, and Richard provides personalized treatment plans to improve your quality of life.
Update: I’ve continued with weekly acupuncture sessions at Brookline Community Acupuncture. Richard Mandell continues to provide excellent treatments and unparallelled service. Prior to each session, we have a mini consultation to discuss a focus for the treatment. He then decides on the appropriate placement of the acupuncture needles.
I’ve seen improvements in several areas of my health and life. Most notable, is my stress/​anxiety management. I find that when I schedule acupuncture appointments on a weekly basis, the effects are on-​going – I do not have anxiety attacks and work-​related stress is manageable. Acupuncture has a trickle down effect for me; when I am not anxious or stressed, I sleep better. When I sleep better, I have better energy throughout the day, and I am more attentive at work. The improvements I experience are interconnected and cyclic.
I encourage anyone interested in acupuncture to book a session with Richard. Not only are the treatments reasonably priced, they are also the best in the area. I pay $ 30 per treatment (you decide what to pay based on your income – this is done to make it affordable to everyone). Mind you, this is $ 30 for a full hour of acupuncture. I used to see another practitioner who charged $ 30 for 30 minutes. At Brookline Community Acupuncture, I receive affordable care that is well worth the price.