Lisa Tongel, LAc

Over the course of the three decades that I worked to help people achieve their goal of having children, the requests to be referred to acupuncture increased exponentially.  At first, there were very few options and even fewer skilled in this area.  However as the data grew supporting its effectiveness I also began suggesting my patients seek it out. Working with Lisa Tongel, LAc and associates made this alliance so much easier for our mutual patients and took one of the myriad of worries and concerns off of our patients plates.  Lisa Tongel is an extraordinary caring warm person in addition to being a skilled acupuncturist, and she stays well informed of changes in her field making her a gem to work with.

-Dr. Laura Greenberg, MD, REI

I used to resent the fact that I have to go through infertility treatment, but I came to realize one of the best things about it is meeting people like Lisa Tongel. Lisa is truly talented and compassionate. I cannot imagine what it would have been like without her help and caring.

-K.C.

I honestly cannot say enough about Lisa…. I have been with her through two IVF procedures, one miscarriage, and two pregnancies. During my nearly six year struggle to conceive, I’ve worked with many different health practitioners but I can easily say that Lisa was the most knowledgeable about infertility – what women go through logistically, emotionally, and physically. If you are trying to conceive, undergoing fertility treatments, or especially if you are undergoing IVF, I would highly recommend working with her. She has very nurturing and compassionate energy. It has also been a gift to have her care during both my pregnancies. It helped with nausea, gave me much more energy and strengthened my immune system. Most of all I want to say that working with Lisa has been a wonderful source of support, self care and expertise that brought me much strength during one of the most challenging times in my life.

-P.A.

Both my wife and I worked with Lisa at different stages along our long and winding path to have a family. Through infertility and early pregnancy losses, Lisa was a gentle and caring support, both emotionally and physiologically.  Working with Lisa was one of my first forays into non-Western medicine, and I initially had reservations about how acupuncture could make a difference. She honored my desire for information, was a generous listener and shared only the necessary information so as not to overwhelm me during an anxiety-ridden time. Her approach was a helpful reminder to take things one step at a time and trust in my own body’s ability to carry a child. To a same-sex couple entering the world of fertility support and prenatal care, Lisa was a true ally; sensitive to the heteronormative health care system that we were navigating with our primary care, she sought ways to complement and counterbalance that with her personalized approach. Lisa’s postnatal support was also tremendously helpful – this is a stage I had taken for granted, and she helped me to embrace my forever changed body – and working with her reminded me of how far I had come. My wife and I each carried one of our sons, and I am so grateful to have had Lisa’s support through this journey. My only regret is that I don’t have more time to continue regular visits with Lisa, now that I am a busy parent!

– A.C.

When I was 34 years old, I was diagnosed with ovarian failure. My FSH level was 108, and I needed to take hormone replacement. Three doctors told me that I was in menopause, and the only way to get pregnant was to use an egg donor. I started seeking an alternative treatment instead of Western medicine, and I was fortunately introduced to acupuncture treatments from Lisa, and I had a miracle if there ever was one. Lisa was always very positive, patient and giving. I just followed every step she recommended, such as acupuncture treatments, massage, Chinese herbs, and even diet changes. It was quite enjoyable. After a few months, I got pregnant! I still can’t believe I have a very healthy four month old baby. He wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t met Lisa and had the acupuncture treatments.

-O.M.

I found Lisa Tongel two weeks after my son died; he was stillborn at 36 weeks. Since the first phone call, Lisa has been immensely supportive – she found time to see me that week to get the post-partum hormones managed. I have seen Lisa every two weeks since – nearly two years now. She has been an amazing support through the grief, the hormone and body changes, the emotional rollercoaster, the anxiety. She worked with me at first to get my body physically stabilized after the loss. Then, we slowly worked toward being healthy enough to try for a subsequent pregnancy. She worked with me through the trials of getting pregnant and has been supportive every step of the way through this subsequent pregnancy. I trust Lisa wholeheartedly. She is amazing with Chinese medicine, she refers me to other practitioners when she feels I need something else, and she’s knowledgeable in Western medicine so we can discuss my MD appointments. She has this ability to be sensitive and supportive without being smothering, she recommends a solid path of healing, but does not pressure. I feel safe with Lisa, she has always accepted where I am with the grief and my body. I have recommended Lisa to friends with more ‘normal’ female issues, and we all agree that we look forward to appointments with her, that we feel safe and comfortable and that she is integral to our healing. I have seen a lot of different types of practitioners since the death of my son – I now understand that Lisa’s ability to heal the body while supporting the emotional side is unique and nearly impossible to find. I am so lucky to have found Lisa in my time of need.

-G.L.

I met Lisa just before my third pregnancy loss. As I suffered that miscarriage and the two that followed it, she offered much needed physical and emotional support. She helped me navigate the murky waters of ART and to think about different options for a person suffering recurrent miscarriage. She offered an unparalleled blend of skill and compassion, knowledge and intuition. She helped me grieve my losses, move on, and make decisions. She helped me deal with the stress and grief of infertility and miscarriage, and in the end helped me celebrate when, miraculously, I spontaneously conceived my son. At that time I had been seeing Lisa regularly for acupuncture for about two years. With the news of my pregnancy, I committed to acupuncture once a week, and towards the end received acupuncture twice a week. My pregnancy went smoothly, and my son was born on his due date naturally without drugs or other medical intervention. I couldn’t be more grateful.

~R.K.

Hilary Simila, LAc