Dr. Laura Paris Functional Medicine & Acupuncture - Monterey, California

Madame Morris

I have received acupuncture treatment from Laura Paris twice now for the purpose of inducing labor. Each pregnancy (3) I made an appointment a week post my provided due date alongside an induction massage with my doula. I went into labor within 48 hours after receiving the treatment with both my first and third child. Having these appointments has given me peace of mind that I could have some concept of control as I was constantly hoping to avoid hospital induced labor. I was scheduled to have my acupuncture with the 2nd baby as well, but I went into labor the morning of my appointment and had to cancel. I was grateful then that Laura Paris was kind enough to honor the cancelation with short notice and to not charge me for the full services- at least that is what I recall! The acupuncture itself is very minimally invasive- I don’t think invasive is even best to describe it. I did have the slightest amount of pain from the electrical tapping the second treatment, but I was able to calmly delve into it and enjoy the time as an excuse to nap and relax and do nothing. I feel that the price for the treatment is fair even without the ability to bill it to insurance- the offer is reasonable. This was my first and only experience with acupuncture. You are here reading this- give it a try and feel safe using the professional services of Laura Paris and her staff!

Jael Mand

I started seeing Laura for acupuncture because I have PCOS. I had a history of miscarriage and was ready to have a baby and my midwives recommended her. I wasn’t sure about acupuncture, but Laura’s knowledgeable, warm and caring presence made me feel comfortable, starting with our very first appointment. Every time, Laura checks in with how I am feeling to explore what I need out of the session. I always feel genuinely cared for. My goal when I first began was to overcome infertility and get pregnant, and have a healthy pregnancy, and that’s what happened! I consider it an amazing bonus that every session I feel so relaxed as well. Thanks to Laura, I was able to get pregnant, and stay pregnant! During my pregnancy, she helped to relieve the morning sickness and headaches I experienced in the beginning and helped induce labor at the end, and everything else in-between. I even received a hand-written card from her after I had my baby (whom she met at my first postpartum session)! Laura is amazing at what she does, what I’ve experienced has been relaxing and healing and transformative!

Cori Gentry

My first acupuncturist passed away, and my next one retired, recommending Laura... so I came into Laura's practice having had a lot of experience with excellent acupuncturists. I saw Laura for several years through two pregnancies. I was an insurance patient and she always told me my appointments were covered. I never had the results before and during my pregnancies that I did with my other acupuncturists, specifically with managing PCOS (my first acupuncturist was amazing, I lost 25lbs with him but never lost a pound with Laura), nausea in pregnancy, and with hormone balancing and labor encouragement during my pregnancy. She was also supposed to treat me during my 5th birth, she showed up and did not do any acupuncture, but took pictures with her phone without my permission before. I was really nice about it after, but her behavior became more and more inappropriate and upsetting so I switched acupuncturists. I'm including just one interaction about 3 weeks after I gave birth, which was deeply upsetting. I still saw her after, but only a couple times, and did not choose her during our most recent pregnancy.

If you are getting pregnant, are pregnant, or postpartum... I would look elsewhere. If you use insurance, I would run, as you can see from my photos, she really does not want to work with you and will not be understanding if paying a $800 out of pocket bill on no notice is hard for you, I never want someone to not get paid, but some warning and willingness to work with the patient is nice.

The childbearing year is a vulnerable time, and Laura is not a kind or safe practitioner. I have attended her talks, followed her on social media, and I really think money and her ego are her primary priorities, not the wellbeing of people who may not be as privileged as she is. She had mentioned referring patients to doctors that refer back to her, despite those other practitioners having policies and practices that are harmful to women, again making me believe money is more important than a patient's wellbeing. I don't like leaving negative reviews, but after a number of negative experiences with Laura, I feel compelled to warn others.

Julie Densmore

My consultation with Dr. Paris was excellent. She spent time to understand my medical history and end the visit with practical next steps. I appreciated her organization and balanced approach to Functional Medicine embracing both Western and Eastern philosophy.

Susan Paull

Laura is not only very knowledgeable about the functional medicine approach to health she takes time to notice the effect emotions may play in your healing process. I came in to see her with health concerns after a death of a sibling and she met with me with care and concern and she postponed a new protocol because she knew I needed time before I could have good follow through.

Jacqueline Little

Laura is an incredibly gifted practitioner. She assisted me in getting pregnant with my now, 9-month-old son (I have PCOS), and saw me all throughout my pregnancy and into the postpartum period (so so needed!). My husband goes to her for his moderate/severe arthritis, as well!

Laura has a deep knowledge base that seems to flow effortlessly from her fingertips. She is compassionate, witty and smart. She combines treatment modalities like diet, lifestyle, herbs and movement with acupuncture to give you a comprehensive care plan. Unlike some practitioners, she is thoughtful with her recommendations, and doesn't try to upsell you on anything that may not be in your best interest. She's always current on the latest research, and forever taking courses and conferences to increase her skill.

I can't recommend her enough.

ZeBeFruity

LAURA PARIS is the medical sleuth I prayed for. After 60 practitioners, two ER visits and tens of thousands of dollars - with still no diagnosis or treatment (apart from painkillers and antibiotics that made matters much worse), I started working with Laura. She took on my advanced and complex case very seriously and fearlessly. She made a thorough assessment of my history, symptoms, environment, diet and activity, then ordered tests that no other practitioners ever did. Now after four years of being homebound sick with constant physical pain, we have a diagnosis and a treatment plan which she has written up for me very clearly. Honestly, I was on my last hope, and now I can say Laura it is probably saving my life. She is ridiculously smart and always learning more by studying and attending courses and conferences. On top of that she is a very clear communicator, generous, caring and alot of fun to work with.

Victoria Bristol

Decent service, however I did not feel like my concerns were very discussed and did not discuss any sort of treatment plan related to my depression etc. I was also concerned that I wasn’t asked for my pulse points or for a look at my tongue on this initial consultation. I was planning on ten sessions but will actually look elsewhere in Monterey to see if I click better and feel more connected to the experience.