THRIVE

Testimonials:

"I first started my journey with Rachel through a girlfriend's recommendation. I couldn't remember the last time I had a regular bowel movement or had a day without painful bloating and gas. According to western medicine, I was fit as a fiddle. However, everything I ate made me sick. With Rachel's unwavering support for my wellness, she offered me a new perspective on which foods I should eat and which supplements I should take. She also offered a new perspective on life that was much more difficult to tackle. My stress levels were too high. It was affecting my marriage and my health. With Rachel's continual support and guidance, I made alot of life changes including the the decision to have children. With Rachel at my side, we prepped for conception. First month of trying, and I was pregnant. I continued to see Rachel throughout my pregnancy. She helped me keep things in perspective especially given the obstacles that popped up along the way. She also offered continual support postpartum, which turned out to be extremely difficult for me. Rachel even offered to do a home visit to further assist with my postpartum recovery.

I cannot recommend Rachel enough. She has found her calling, and is the voice of support and reason that I seek out continually. Her compassion and depth of knowledge in functional medicine, reproduction, and eastern medicine is unrivaled. She would be an asset to your organization. I wish that more ob/gyns would open their minds to accept the alternative methods that Rachel and her peers have to offer. She is a breath of fresh air."

--Lauren

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"In the summer of 2008, I first contacted Rachel Schneyer at Thrive Integrative Health to help me on my fertility journey. At that time, I had three miscarriages in a period of two years, and was undergoing my fifth round of IUIs and fertility drugs. Having exhausted my options with Western medicine, I knew there had to be a better way.

When I first met with Rachel, she was warm and informative. We met for more than two hours as she listened to my story. By the end of our appointment, she provided me with a page and a half of customized notes. She explained her philosophy in helping assist patients return their bodies to ultimate health.

Based on her suggestions, I started a gentle cleansing process, including a twenty one day elimination of gluten, dairy, sugar (including artificial sweeteners) wine and caffeine. I also add into my diet some liver cleansing agents such as Dandelion tea, lemon and water, Milk Thistle, and wheat grass. I also added new elements into my diet such as herbal tea, rice bread, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, coconut water, homemade miso soup and many other foods from the health store.

Every week, I found time in my busy work schedule for an hour long appointment with Rachel, including nutritional counseling and acupuncture treatments. Each week, she gently suggested ideas based on my needs. Her guidance, intuition, warmth and support were invaluable.

For the first time in years, I felt in control of my body. I lost five pounds and adopted an overall glow. People asked me what I had done differently.

Knowing that I had turned a new corner in this process, I decided to retest my FSH level. I almost fell off my chair when the doctor reported that it came back at 7.1, down from over 12.

Although I went on to have two more miscarriages, I eventually fell pregnant on my own. With Rachel’s support, I am now approaching my 39th week of pregnancy, and am due to deliver July 12, 2010. I would never had made this journey without Rachel guidance and expertise, and would recommend her to anyone looking for a powerful way to return to health."

--Heather

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"I highly recommend Rachel's practice. I have immense confidence in her abilities. I've moved away from the Bay Area, and I am saddened that she is no longer my acupuncturist. When I lived in San Francisco, I felt it was worth the commute to Mt. View to see her.

She conducts a thorough diagnostic assessment with each session. She is a great listener and a deeply caring, thoughtful person who is incredibly insightful. Her approach is a unique combination of science/analytics and intuitive compassion.

I also appreciated her vast knowledge about nutrition and herbs. Through her acupuncture and nutrition advice, Rachel addressed many issues for me that western medicine attributed to stress and had no cure for. With each visit, I walked away learning something new -- whether it be a better understanding about how my own physiology or how I could use food to improve my body's performance. I'm deeply appreciative of her positive impact on my well being."

--Audrey

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"I first met Rachel Schneyer in late 2008. My husband and I had been trying to conceive for about three and a half years, and I’d just had a miscarriage after our first IVF cycle. While I’d worked with a very good acupuncture practitioner during my first IVF cycle, I was interested in working with someone who had a holistic, integrated approach to care. My husband and I were immediately impressed with Rachel’s compassion and her evidence and research-based approach to care. Rachel advised on diet, on exercise, and made herself available for consultations on a whole range of questions, from colds to insomnia to jet lag.

For example, I had always been a stickler about organic and sustainable food, but Rachel’s guidance went beyond lists of “good” and “bad” foods; she provided incredibly useful and specific guidance on foods that would be most nourishing, based upon my specific needs. I also travel a great deal for work, and Rachel was always incredibly generous with recommendations in cities around the world!

My husband and I both worked with Rachel for almost a full year before attempting another cycle. Rachel was a tremendous help with encouraging us to find a good RE, and our consultations with that RE led us to isolate a specific medical cause for our infertility. We entered that cycle feeling in the best of health; both emotionally and physically prepared. Since we decided to cycle out of town, Rachel also connected us with another practitioner in the city in which we cycled! I’m thrilled to report that the cycle was successful, and I am almost 34 weeks pregnant with a baby girl.

Rachel’s dedication to high-quality care, her thoughtful and incredibly well-informed approach, and her ability to bring out the very best in clients have been and continue to be such a gift. And, best of all, she is an absolute joy to know!"

--Ellen

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"From allergies to fatigue, anxiety, nutrition and my pregnancy Rachel has not only provided exceptionally effective acupuncture services, but has also offered genuine support and constructive guidance. Coming from the spa industry, I have had a variety of healing services like massage, reiki and chiropractic that have proven to help calm the spirit and soothe the soul. While those services have been useful in their own ways, nothing has provided me with the immediate comfort and results as Rachel's acupuncture treatments. Rachel has demonstrated consistent quality service, professionalism, knowledge and authentic passion for what she does and through this I have learned to trust her immensely with health. Rachel has been an honor to work with and I hope to continue to have the opportunity to continue on the journey to thriving health."

--Char

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I began working with Rachel during a very difficult point on my path towards better health. I had, for years, been traveling from doctor to doctor, specialist to specialist trying to find help with a number of health issues I had been facing, but to no avail. Part of the problem was that each doctor focused only on their specific piece of the puzzle rather than how all the pieces fit together. Enter Rachel, who clearly thrives on the challenge of putting the full puzzle together. Her focus on holistic care was a revelation for me, as was her emphasis on patient self care and education.

Each appointment with Rachel consists of talk time and then acupuncture/table time, and I have sometimes found the talk time to be even more valuable than the acupuncture treatment itself. This is because Rachel not only checks in and really listens to my updates on how I'm feeling, but also focuses on giving me the tools to manage my own health and wellbeing - from exercise tips and detailed explanations about why she is prescribing a certain course of treatment, to my personal favorite, food-as-medicine suggestions. Rachel ensures that we are working together to solve my health issues and, because of that focus, I feel empowered to really own my own journey towards better health.

When I found Rachel, I was incredibly frustrated with my body for the aches, pains, and issues I was facing. Fast forward to the present, and I am now someone who understands it, owns it, and honors it in a new and important way. My quality of life has improved immeasurably since working with Rachel, and I now know that if bumps come my way along my ongoing path towards the best health I can have, I am equipped with the tools to right the ship and keep moving forward.

--M

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