I started seeing Mei because I was looking for somatic therapy, and found her through my insurance list. It ended up being such a great decision. I didn't expect such a noticeable shift, but I feel way more grounded and less reactive overall. People around me have pointed out that something feels different. Mei is super thoughtful and attentive. You can tell she actually cares, not just about the session, but about how you're doing in general. I never feel rushed, and I always leave feeling better than when I walked in. I've been going to her regularly, and she really pays attention to your progress and adjusts each session based on what you need that day. It doesn't feel one-size-fits-all at all. Also a plus that they're open on weekends and accept HSA, which makes it a lot easier to stay consistent. Steven took care of my onboarding, everything was setup after 1 phonecall. It was quick and helpful with questions prior my first session. Highly recommend if you want someone who's skilled, intentional, and genuinely cares about patients. read more

I found this clinic through my insurance and I've only had 3 treatments so far but I leave feeling better than when I arrived, every single time. This is my first time ever trying acupuncture and so far I'm very impressed! It seems to be helping various issues I have going on. I look forward to coming to every single one of my appointments, can't recommend it enough! read more

I started seeing Mei a few months ago for sleep and energy issues, as well as for general lifestyle, nutrition, and mindfulness consultation. I've had experience with acupuncture throughout life, since I was young, and I can confidently say that Mei is the most attentive and knowledgeable practitioner I've had the good fortune to work with. What sets her apart is her truly holistic approach - she took the time to understand my complete health picture, drawing from her extensive knowledge of medicine, health, mindfulness, and beyond. Unlike with practitioners who might rush through appointments, I always felt very cared for, invested in, and seen. I wish all my interactions with medical professionals could feel this way. I would highly recommend Mei and Steve to anyone. read more

I can't speak for the acupuncture itself - I am not sure if it helped me or not. I went for acupuncture this past weekend. Several days beforehand, I texted with the office to confirm that they took my insurance. They confirmed they were in network, so I booked the appointment expecting to pay a certain amount based on my insurance policy. AFTER my treatment was completed, Mei cornered myself and my husband in the treatment room. She explained that our insurance had reached out to her the day before to let her know they were changing their policies and were only going to cover a small amount of the treatment, so she needed us to cover the remaining amount out of pocket. This was an unexpected expense, and I tried to explain to her that I would have appreciated it if she disclosed this information before we had done the treatment so I could make an informed decision about whether to go through with it. She replied "We don't want to tell people beforehand because then they might not go through with the treatment." At that point I realized she was unethical because she was willing to lie to a customer by omission for her own bottom line. It made me question the entire experience. I won't be back. read more

I'm 37 years old,18 weeks pregnant and have been seeing Steve and Mei since week 12th of my pregnancy. When I started seeing them, I had evening nausea and vomiting. I also wasn't sleeping well and constipated due to hormonal changes. After 1 acupuncture treatment and 2 days of diet changes according to their recommendation, I felt great and slept well. Nausea and vomiting were gone. Steve and Mei are very professional, respectful and explain their treatment well, which I appreciate since I'm a very cautious and skeptical person. I've visited Inner Circle Wellness 4-5 times since then and plan to continue through my pregnancy and after.  Pros: - Very clean and spotless clinic space and treatment rooms - Great communication regarding my diagnosis and treatments - Online and over the phone scheduling options - Consultation was thorough, more than 2 hours. They asked about everything from my lifestyle, diet, to lab tests and history of present illness and family medical history - Both Steve and Mei are very knowledgeable - Herbs and granules formulas are from reliable sources  Cons - Consultation's cost is slightly higher than some clinics I've been to. But it's worth the time and effort to make sure my baby is in good hands. Follow-up visit cost is much more reasonable and affordable. read more

Inner Circle Wellness Clinic - Feeling great thanks to Inner Circle Wellness. - Traditional Chinese Medicine Near Me - San Jose, California

I just realized the correct name for the specialist acupuncture treatment is "scalp acupuncture". Just wanted to make the correction. Still a solid 5 star - Mei is the best acupuncturist I ever met in the area. read more

As a current student studying to be an Acupuncturist and a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor, I've had a chance to take classes from many different instructors. Steve Woodley is the best of the best, and most definitely a Master of the whole "Pulse diagnosis" craft! Woodley has been one of the most sought-after and favorite professors at Five Branches University and we petitioned for him to teach a special pulse diagnosis class that is how I got to see him work and why I decided to book an appointment with him. It is amazing how he can tell me so many things about my internal organs with just 3 fingers on my pulse and looking at my tongue. After seeing Steve for pulse diagnosis, it's hard to go to some of the former acupuncturists that I used to go to because their level of knowledge and interaction with my pulse is elementary in comparison. Some acupuncturists don't bother looking at pulse or tongue which is a big red flag for me now that I know how important these steps are to properly diagnose and treat a patient. I used to see an acupuncturist who was also an MD, thinking somehow I was in better hands, but he couldn't tell me much about my pulse, and when I pressed him and asked questions, he finally admitted that he wasn't good at pulse taking. Steve and Mei (his partner) are like a dream team. They both recently helped me get through the dreaded Covid-19. I had many symptoms: body aches, fever and chills, anxiety, shortness of breath, pain in the chest/heart/lung area, phlegm, coughing, sneezing, and sore throat. They are both very good at what they do, and they have great bedside manners. They are friendly, caring, professionals that go out of their way to make sure you are well. They check up on you to make sure you are ok and encourage you to communicate with them should you have any problems (say with the herbs they recommend). They are very responsive, positive, and encouraging. They are not even afraid of Covid, so they will have extra precautions (NC95 masks, disinfecting room, etc) when I come in for herbs and quick diagnosis. They took care of me, big time. I am so appreciative of them for their great care during this difficult time. Steve does the pulse, and tongue diagnosis and will often recommend and make a custom herbal formula for you. If acupuncture is recommended or needed, Mei will do that for you. Mei does some extensive muscle testing and great scalp acupuncture. Her needles can be quite deep if they are needed but if you communicate with her, she will listen. Their office is nice, spacious, and clean. Lastly, I also love that they are one of a very tiny percentage of caregivers that walk the talk. They eat very clean (mostly plant-based), exercise, go to bed early, etc. It is discouraging to see some of my other caregivers telling me not to eat sugar or gluten for example, but then see them warming up Cup o' Noodles and eating donuts or junk food during my visit. If you are looking for a great acupuncture team, I HIGHLY recommend Steve and Mei! Please do yourself a favor and stop by Inner Circle Wellness Acupuncture & Herbs, you won't be disappointed! read more

I had been going to a different TCM doctor for the past few years with my insomnia due to some inherited blood disorder that is causing my ferritin level to keep declining despite of taking iron supplement. My sleep had been totally based on luck, and at some point, I had accepted that I have to live with this for the rest of my life. One day I had an acute problem, and I had a feeling that I was misdiagnosed and took too long of a prescribed herbal formula. Not only my problem got worse, my body was out of whack. I knew I needed to find someone else. For the life of me, I should have sought Professor Woodley's help sooner. He is one of our best teachers in a TCM University I attended. So I reached out to him, left a voice mail and email. Within half an hour, his partner, Mei reached out to me and schedule an immediate appointment on the same day. As other reviewers have pointed out, their interview sessions are thorough and meticulous. Treatment plans are always catered to individual needs. My acute symptom got better after one treatment and herbal formula. I was able to sleep better. I had been diligently going for my treatments and have my formulas adjusted in accordance to my progress. With Mei's acupuncture treatment & Professor Woodley's formulas, I have had the best sleep after so long. We also talked about making some tweak in my diet and lifestyle. I could not believe such small tweak can make a big difference in my sleep. The diet and lifestyle change has been sustainable, and I can enjoy my life regardless. One thing that I admire in both Professor Woodley and Mei is their compassionate approach to their patients. I had brought my daughters in for treatment as well. My daughters are ten years old, and they have been very respectful and patient with them. I have been to many different doctors and practitioners, where they easily forgot what we had told them in our past visits. This has not been the case with Professor Woodley and Mei. Their passion in Chinese Medicine have shown me this is how all practitioners should treat their patients. I wish I could give them more than five stars! read more

Inner Circle Wellness is amazing. I've been to several different acupuncturists and this is the only place that has successfully been able to help my chronic pain, which has been plaguing me for over half my life. Both Mei and Steve are amazingly kind and helpful. They are able to fit me into their busy schedule, even though my own schedule is crazy busy. Plus, they're open on Saturdays! And they take my Kaiser/ASH insurance! Honestly this is such a great place. I feel heard and respected here. I feel like like the accupuncture appointments have helped me as a whole, not just my pain. Mei doesn't just ask about my pain, but also wants to help me as a whole. Who would think that I'd have looked forward to getting stabbed with needles! read more

I highly recommend Steve and Mei at Inner Circle Wellness. I have had quite a bit of experience with Traditional Chinese Medicine over the years, and Steve and Mei are by far the best practitioners I have ever uncounted. Steve's and Mei's approach is holistic, and they consider life style and dietary improvements as part of their treatment. I have a thyroid disorder and over the past year I consulted a number of practitioners, a naturopath, an ayurvedic doctor and an integrative physician. All of them gave me dietary suggestions as well, but they were too extreme. Steve and Mei gave me instructions I could actually follow. I started to feel better within a few days. Steve's and Mei's vast base of knowledge is very impressive. Because they know so much, they are able to draw on so many resources and tailor the treatment plan to individual needs. Both of them studied more medical traditions and they know much more than Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is not surprising that they are so open-minded. Other than their skills, Steve and Mei are very devoted to what they do and it shows. They genuinely care about their patients and you are guaranteed to be in good hands. The clinic is beautifully designed and it has a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. I have nothing but praise for Steve and Mei. read more

Disclaimer: This is a review for Stephen Woodley, as he was one of my teachers in Acupuncture school. I took many of Mr. Woodley's classes while I was in Acupuncture school back in 2007. He is very devoted to Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. I always enjoyed his teachings, as they were very detailed and he collected knowledge from his experience in his practice and also his tie mentoring w/ many famous Chinese doctors from his journey. There was a time, I had caught a cold and had a cough. Mr. Woodley diagnosed me with his pulse skills and wrote me an herbal formula prescription. After cooking the tea at home, my cough had gotten better and there was less phlegm. I'd recommend Mr. Woodley as a practitioner because he has devoted his life to Chinese Medicine and is an honest, straight forward guy. read more

Mei of the Inner Circle Wellness is undoubtedly the very best acupuncturist I have ever had the opportunity to work with. I chronically suffer from degenerative arthritis that causes lower back pain, and from diabetic neuropathy that causes tingling and loss of sensitivity in both feet. The conventional treatment so far, has been medication on top of more medication. In addition, both my endocrinologist and my podiatrist assured me that the loss of sensation in my feet is due to the death of the smaller nerves in the feet and confirmed that the death of the nerves was irreversible. Mei proved both doctors wrong. Not only did she restore partial sensation to both my feet (in part for the time being), but reduced my back pain to a tolerable level. I owe Mei my deepest gratitude and respect. read more

I decided to book an appointment with Steve and Mei after taking Steve's class at our Chinese medicine school, and being impressed with his knowledge and experience about herbs. I have had trouble sleeping for the last 6 years - I wake up around 3 or 4 am most days and find it hard to get back to sleep. Steve was very thorough in doing an intake, making sure he understood the nuances of each of the symptoms I was having, before prescribing an herbal formula. I felt that he took the time to understand what was experiencing to a level that I rarely see among other Chinese medicine practitioners. Mei was also helpful with her acupuncture treatments, as well as the different ways she taught me to treat myself at home such as massage and breathing exercises. I came in around every two weeks, with Steve adjusting the formulas as he saw fit. After about 10 weeks, not only was I consistently sleeping through the night, but I had also found relief for chest tightness that sometimes came on when I was feeling anxious or stressed. Steve and Mei also helped me realize that one of the main factors that were preventing me from sleeping properly was eating too much at night, or too late at night. They understood that it was sometimes hard to avoid doing so, so they provided me strategies for avoiding it when possible, and managing it when it was unavoidable. If you're looking for top-class herbal treatments and acupuncture, I would highly, highly recommend Steve and Mei. read more

Steve is very kind and knowledgeable and I would go to him for anything. I brought my dad in when he was having a severe skin problem. His skin was oozing and the wounds were so painful and itchy. We tried other Chinese medicine and didn't work well. It was getting to the point where he could not sleep well and feeling very depressed. We went to Steve and it took us only 2 visits to see a huge change. My dad's skin is now healing, not painful anymore, and there are no new rashes. He is very thankful because this has been bothering him for more than 6 months. Also, Steve and Mei's clinic is beautiful and clean so you feel better already when you go in! read more

Have sought out Mei a couple of times for shoulder injuries, and am so amazed at her techniques and skills!My second injury resulted in my inability to move my arm for a couple of days. Although I had regained quite a bit of range of motion by the time I made the appointment with Mei, I wanted her help because I noticed my shoulder recovery had plateaued, that I still couldn't have full movement. Mei not only worked her magic with the acupuncture needles (did I mention that I don't like needles at all?!), she massaged and helped me regain full movements within her office. And, she gave me some great tips for aftercare too. So appreciative of her expertise, professionalism, and kindness! read more

Before I went to see Steve and Mei, I was like a half-dead person. I have trigeminal neuralgia on both sides of my face, stubborn daily migraine and occipital neuralgia. I was severely depressed and had suicidal thoughts even i have undergone TMS treatment for my major depression and anxiety Several months ago. But after taking Steve's custom-made Chinese herbs and Mei's acupuncture and acupressure treatments for several times. I feel much less depressed, all the chronic pains subsided. I know that it takes time to have all my chronic pains go away but it's still worth going to their clinic twice a week. Mei even taught me Qi Qong for my overall health and well-being. Now I am "addictive" to it. It's the best addition in the world in my opinion. On top of their professional knowledge in Chinese medicine, I can tell they truly pour their hearts and souls into treating their patients. They are my "Magic Steve" and "Magic Mei" read more

Beautiful new clinic with knowledgeable, caring, professional people! Highly recommended!!

Steve and Mei have a thorough knowledge of Eastern medicine and the right amount of expertise in Western medicine to work with concepts you are already familiar with. They are extremely compassionate, will work hard for you, and will ask you to go to the extra mile so that you can get better. See them and put in the effort - you will be happy you did. I do not trust any other TCM practitioner with my care. If you want to get TCM while avoiding the the New Age thing (which I personally do not care for), see Steve and Mei. They are professionals with big hearts. You will not regret coming here! read more

Dr. Steve and Mei are an incredible team!! Not only have the two of them helped me in just 3 visits, they have empowered me to understand my body more deeply. They really, really care, and are incredibly knowledgeable. You won't find a better duo who will help you get to the root of your problems. Highly recommend! read more