The Wellness Institute of America

If I could give this place no stars, I would. Enough said.

This place is a joke. Good luck getting a returned phone call or email when you have an issue. Horrible business practices. Any review above 1 star is planted by friends or family. There will be no reply to this guaranteed.

FRAUD. I called the office to make an appointment with Dr. Sklar (who is amazing), a doctor I had seen a few years prior. Even though I was very specific in that I wanted to make an appointment with Dr. Sklar, I was not told while making the appointment that he no longer shared a practice with Dr. Williams… in fact Dr. Williams was the one who answered the phone and scheduled me to see him, despite my request for Dr. Sklar. When I showed up to the appointment, I said I was there to see Dr. Sklar, but again no one told me that he was not at that practice, instead I was told that he simply «wasn’t in» but Dr. Williams is here to see me. At first I didn’t think much of it as the two doctors used to share a practice years ago so it appeared to be one doctor filling in for another. NOT THE CASE. During the entire appointment and even after several references to Dr. Sklar, Dr. Williams never informed me that they were no longer affiliated. He also claimed that he «couldn’t find my records for some reason» knowing very well that he didn’t have them because I was never his patient. Upon making the appointment, I confirmed the office address that I had (Dr. Sklar’s current address) and Dr. Wiliams said that they no longer have that office and gave me a new address (his office). It appears that Dr. Williams moved offices but kept the old phone number and is now poaching patients from Dr. Sklar.
In addition to Dr. Williams being completely dishonest about his practice, my «free consultation» was not free. I was told that some tests needed to be run and there was a $ 150 fee and that I would have to come back for the results. As soon as they ran my card they started the «tests» which took 5 – 10 minutes… if that (blood pressure, looked at my tongue, felt a few pressure points on my leg and measured PH levels in my mouth)…not much, especially for $ 150. Upon leaving I emailed Dr. Sklar to let him know about the appointment and his response was that they split ways 3 years ago!
I contacted Dr. Williams office by phone and explained the situation and requested a refund for my «testing» as I was not coming back for the followup appointment, as I was very clear the entire time I was there to see Dr. Sklar. The receptionist said that she would talk to Dr. Williams and that I would get a call back. NO CALL BACK. I emailed Dr. Williams directly also explaining my grievances… NO RESPONSE. Emailed him a second time and again NO RESPONSE. So I have no choice as to dispute the charge with my credit card company.
Really bad business practices in my opinion. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY.

The Wellness Institute of America was really easy to find (google maps on my phone), the staff very welcoming and friendly, and the business is very clean. I came in for an initial consultation and decided to sign up for treatment. I’ve had 6 appointments so far, and the staff is still very friendly/​professional. When my sessions are over, I feel relaxed and can’t wait for the next one.
I recommend this business to anyone who is looking for positive results naturally (I’m a huge health nut, I eat all non-​gmo and organic, so natural medical help is the only way for me!)

I had a number of health problems and in a couple of months of treatments, most disappeared. It is a safe, friendly environment for treatment. They offer zero percent interest payment plans, if your medical insurance doesn’t cover alternative treatments. They are close to bus line and have free parking.

This week, I experienced my very first acupuncture treatment EVER. Now, I was extremely unprepared and quite nervous, but honestly Dr. Williams is calming, funny and professional. My shoulder still feels relaxed. I look forward to learning more about his practice.

I was introduced to the institute through a health fair at work. Free consultation – yee haw. I went and listened and was impressed with the science involved in acupuncture. I arrived for the free session and went away hopeful to alleviate pain and long term issues that could not be dealt with through other medical procedures. It was an investment well worth every penny. That first session was mind opening to say the least. I immediately felt blood flow all through my body. A sensation that went from head to toe. My muscles relaxed and all my anxieties and panic dissipated immediately. I do not like to take drugs and this has been the best treatment for depression, pain, anxiety, digestive system and so much more. The staff is patient, flexible and extremely considerate to your needs. Thank you for your service. I recommend Dr. Williams and his staff to anyone open to trying a non-​traditional treatment for those nagging issues that never go away.

I was at the Health Fair here in San Diego and discovered the Wellness Institute of America. A friend and I went over to check it out. We were impressed with what they had to offer.
I was interested in treatment that had more to offer than just feeding myself prescription or OTC medication.
Well, it has been the best investment in my health I have made. Working with Dr. Williams on a treatment plan that has corrected many of my health challenges. Lower back problems and hand and nerve pain issues.
I experienced relief rather quickly, and have found it to be very beneficial to my continued health.
Thank you, Dr.Williams.

Dr Williams is a class act! I would consider him the guru of integrative reproductive medicine. Dr Williams has been dedicated to the treatment of infertility and women’s health for decades. I honestly don’t believe you could find someone more knowledgeable in this area. I recommend his services wholeheartedly. You’ll be in great hands.
— Dr. Burns

I’ve been going to Dr. Williams for two months. Something I’ve struggled with for 30 years has disappeared in the last two weeks thanks to the acupuncture I received. I’m so excited!
The staff is wonderful and friendly and Dr. Williams is an excellent listener. He is detailed and knowledgeable. I’ve learned SO much about how to regain and maintain health without drugs or surgery.
The holistic approach that has my body healing itself is exactly what I was looking for. I look forward to my appointments and seeing Erika and Jennifer and Dr. Williams. They feel like family.

Thank you for all the help that you have given to me, my chronic leg and back pain was resolved in much shorter time than I expected. Dr Williams and his staff are excellent and caring people.

I have been receiving treatment at The Wellness Institute for quite some time now and I am always very impressed with the quality of care. I have suffered from extremely low energy as well as sinus issues and low immunity function since I was a child. After seeing Dr. Williams, I can now say I rarely get sick and if I do, it’s when I miss a treatment! I have so much more energy now to be able to play with my daughter and waking up refreshed is a nice change. If you are suffering from any type of chronic health condition, this is the place to go because your conditions will not only be treated naturally, but you will be taken care of by the wonderful staff, especially Dr. Williams who is always delightful and extremely passionate about helping as many people as he can.

I’ve been stuck in the vicious cycle of the worker’s comp world. I wasn’t getting enough or adequate treatment, I was broke and feeling more and more pain as the days passed. I was lucky to run into Dr Williams at one of his outreach events. I’ve always been interested in the holistic approach so I set up an appt. I couldn’t take pain meds because they made me feel so sick so I opted to just be in pain which led to many other health issues (overeating, stress, anxiety). I felt like a 70 yr old when I finally met him. On my first appt he gave me an in depth treatment of all of my health conditions including my pain and started treatment right away. He’s phenomenal and unlike any other Dr I’ve seen. He genuinely cares for your health without an extreme financial agenda. Since then I’ve had a lot of my issues have gone away, after only 2 sessions I was able to be active and do Yoga again. After 2 months, after being off from work for 1 ½ year off I was able to return to work. You’ve definitely got to be open and receptive to his methods but, he definitely knows what he’s doing and how different people’s body work/​reactions. I’m not going to lie, he’s turned my life around. I was so sick of «managing» the pain. My life is definitely healthier, I feel a ton better and I’m active and happy. I’ve been so fond of the work he does, I’ve gotten two of my friends in to see him. He’s definitely worth checking out for any and everything!

They say if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Those people are idiots.
There are many great tragedies in this world – one of the greatest being that I am required to give one more star than the Wellness Institute of America deserves. I tried to move on with my life, but I would be doing a great disservice to society if I didn’t explain how truly awful this place is. As the Bulwer-​Lytton award celebrates bad fiction, they should name an award after the Wellness Institute for bad medicine. To give a preview of how the Wellness Institute — and all those associated with it – are a complete and utter failure at medicine and life, one of the assistants left an acupuncture needle in my leg that I only noticed upon leaving.
I learned about the Wellness Institute from an AmazonLocal deal. I was excited at the prospect of combining acupuncture with a dietary analysis. I was disappointed to learn how little my $ 266 promotional value deal ($ 79 paid value) actually covered, and somehow got convinced that I would be satisfied by paying hundreds of dollars for a full analysis. Who would’ve expected a new age treatment from an establishment boasting 1.5 stars on Unilocal to be completely full of crap? (Note to self – check Unilocal first).
Dr. Williams (I’m relying on Unilocal reviews, I forget his name) is an unassuming man with an English accent that lures you into a false sense of security that you are in fact dealing with professionals. Instead of talking to you like a human being, he spends the majority of the consultations asking leading rhetorical questions along the lines of «would you agree that» and «do you understand that» that became increasingly inane and insulting to those boasting a 3^rd grade education (hint – the answer he was looking for always was «Yes, I agree with you»)
After a long conversation, Dr. Williams proceeds to stick you with needles with the tenderness of a back-​alley stabbing. Dr. Williams cannot be bothered to stay with the peons, no no! Once the needles are placed, Dr. Williams then leaves for the day and lets his assistant remove the needles.
On my last meeting, the last straw was officially had. Dr. Williams demanded that I decide whether to commit the hundreds of dollars in future testing appointments prior to proceeding with the final acupuncture. (Talk about unequal bargaining power given that he was the man with the needles). This was indicative of my feeling that this is not a place of health, but just a business to make as much money as humanly possible before someone has the good sense to actually google The Wellness Institute before going. I could sense that the «good» Doctor’s demeanor shifted immediately when I told him I would no longer be interested in coming to the Wellness Institute.
Now I am uncertain whether this is causation as opposed to correlation, but his assistant somehow neglected to remove a needed from my right foot. I only discovered it on the way out when I felt the slight discomfort aka pain of a needle brushing against my pant leg. I can accept human error, what I can’t understand was her complete LACK of horror of seeing a patient with a needle in his leg. No «Oh my gosh I am so so sorry» or «let me help you I can’t believe I missed that!» Just a methodical robotic non-​acknowledgement of error. I’ve seen New York City subway riders show more kindness and remorse for being an prick than this person.
I will gladly change my rating if I learn that the Wellness institute is actually a living parody of what bad New Age medicine looks like. Until then, (and I mean no disrespect), but the Wellness Institute is truly a triumph of medical incompetence, and everyone who is a part of this organization should feel what humans call «soul-​crushing shame» for associating yourselves with it. But you know, the lights worked so at least you have that!

I met Dr. Williams some time ago while out of town, and was introduced to his practice. As someone who travels quite often, it is very important to me to have someone that I can trust to give honest, quality care when I’m away from home. I found that I was given a multitude of information about their practice, my health, and acupuncture. I was surprised that as someone who had been getting «wellness care» for so many years, I learned a great deal from Dr. Williams.
I have suffered for years with ailments that at times has debilitated me, and Dr. Williams has been my answer. I only wish I lived in the area, he’d be my regular physician. He listens when I tell him what’s going on, and encourages my feedback — try doing that in another office! He ensures that he understands me and that I him, which is invaluable in healthcare. Thanks to him, I have been feeling wonderful and have been pain free. I see him once per month, whenever I’m in town, and would recommend to anyone that has the privilege to see him more often to do so.

It was supposed to be a free consult, but it turned out to be a sales presentation. I don’t actually mind that – Dr. Williams comes across as a caring and knowledgeable individual. However, I was sold a «information package» that was supposed to cost $ 200 but discounted to $ 125 for that day.
Again, never mind the fact that it was supposed to be a free initial session. When I asked for the results in a printed form, I got 3 pages from a copying machine with no explanations. That isn’t a lot for $ 125. On the other hand, maybe I would have gotten more out of the whole experience had I agreed to the 4 sessions to follow.
I wasn’t ready to part with more money until I was sure that the initial session was going to yield more. I don’t mind paying for services that are rendered, but I don’t like it if I feel that I didn’t get the worth for my hard earned money. The staff, however, was courteous and professional – as was Dr. Williams.

I am very pleased with the services at the wellness center! I encountered the center on a living social deal. Was looking for a wellness specialist to help fine tune my health needs since I felt western medicine had failed me. I tried so many others such as homeopathic medicine and such. Finally! I feel so much better and I am only half way done with my treatment plan. I am a health care worker so I was skeptical. I was amazingly surprised
Dr Williams is so knowledgable, professional and compassionate. On my first visit, he was very thorough in explaining what the process would be. Every day after was the same. My questions were welcomed. If you just do what he tells you to do, you will get the results.

I encountered the Wellness Institute of America at an info session on Acupressure. They advertised a free one-​hour wellness evaluation at the clinic, which I accepted. I was interested in Nutrition counseling, mentioned this, and asked if that was something they could provide, and Dr. Williams said that certainly he could speak to that.
Dr. Williams made me feel welcome. He gives off a very caring demeanor, and I honestly agree with most of his philosophy of care, of non-​traditional medicine, and of the effectiveness of acupuncture. What I had a big problem with is the process, which I’ll outline below:
1) First step is an intro meeting, where he goes through an interview with you and your health issues, and asks about your health goals. This also includes a ph assessment and another test around the acupuncture points (no needles)
2) Second step is to go over the results of the interview and the assessment tests. At this meeting, you’re introduced to the treatment process, which involves 4 acupuncture appointments that are required to determine how quickly your body responds to treatment, so that then he can set the «real plan» for your treatment period (e.g. 8 weeks or 12 weeks, etc…)
3) You begin the 4-​treatment trial period. You are required to pay in advance for the 4 treatments, at the price of $ 50 each. At your 3^rd appointment, you read some material on acupuncture, and the material asks you to bring your significant other in the next time to discuss a treatment plan.
4) Apparently, after you complete the 4 trials, then you set a treatment plan and talk about cost, and I assume proceed forward with treatment.
— — — —
I didn’t get to step 4, because of the following:
1) I didn’t go to the Wellness Institute to receive acupuncture, but for Nutrition counseling. I felt misled, because I stated in my 1^st appointment that I had an acupuncturist, I was happy with her, and that I was really interested in Nutrition.
2) My ph test showed I was a ph of 7, which is right smack dab in the middle of «balanced.» At the next appointment, he insisted that it was wrong, and wanted me to re-​test, but when he showed me the litmus paper, it still looked like a 7 to me, though he said it was more of a 6.5, then proceeded to explain how each 10^th of a point meant that your body was some huge percentage out of balance. I tested my ph again when I got home, and it still looked like a 7 to me. I confronted him about it at the next appointment, and his explanation was that these tests are sometimes really inaccurate, and that I should trust his professional reading of all of my other symptoms, not just the ph test.
3) I’m a reasonably intelligent person, and this interchange, as well as others where he explained acupuncture, seemed dumbed down below my level of comprehension. I wish he would speak to me a bit more like an intelligent adult.
4) He wears a white coat and goes by Dr. Williams. In the state of California, his professional designation is a Licensed Acupuncturist. He is a licensed Doctor of Acupuncture in Rhode Island, so he’s allowed the title «Dr,» but it was just a little weird for me because of the whole white lab coat thing for holistic healing.
5) He’s a bit rough with the needles, though I might just be spoiled by the gentle touch of my acupuncturist.
6) The treatment rooms (there are at least 10 of them) reminded me a bit of an assembly-​line. I didn’t follow a protocol when checking in at one of my appointments (a protocol which was never explained to me), and I waited in a room for 25 minutes before I had to go out and ask what had happened.
7) I thought it was interesting that at this clinic they only access the acupuncture points on the lower legs and arms, abdomen, and head. I can’t help but think that in some cases, there are acupuncture points that could be effective but that are beyond the areas of the body that are exposed by this practice. Seemed a bit like a short cut to me.
8) They make you pay in advance for the 4 appointments, which then obligates you to continue to receive them. I didn’t want to continue treatment, but felt like I had to go because I had already paid. I do not believe this is a best practice for medical care.
9) For 2 of the 3 appointments I went to, Dr. Williams had his assistant remove the needles. He didn’t even take the time to come back in and do it himself, or check in with me to see how I was feeling. I thought this showed lack of personal care to his patients.
10) They use Pandora for background music, and during one appointment a weird guided meditation came on that made me really uncomfortable, lying there, «like a patient etherized upon a table… pinned and wriggling against the wall…»
Good news is, they gave me a refund for 2 of the 4 appointments. Dr. Williams and I agreed that we were not the best match for one another. For some people, he might work. For me, it was a relationship that couldn’t have ended faster.

1^st visit: I requested a massage with a female therapist but was informed that one wasn’t available. They rescheduled me to the Sorrento Valley location.
2^nd visit: I get assigned to a «pregnancy massage» specialist and she starts doing these strange motions. Then she finishes it in 30 minutes (I scheduled an hour massage).
No manager was on-​site so I called when I got home. After 15 minutes or so of back-​and-​forth with the manager, she relented and gave me a refund.

I showed up for my pre-​paid massage appt 15 min early. No one was at the front desk so after awhile I tried to get someone’s attention. I even rang the bell I could see someone sitting at her desk, but she didn’t bother to get up. Finally someone walks in from outside to help me. The first 2 people I spoke with didn’t seem to know what was going on. Then «the doctor» was called to help me and he told me that the massage therapist, Yvonne, that I was scheduled with «hasn’t worked here for several weeks» He then called the «main desk» where Mallory found my appt. All anyone could say is «I’m so sorry» No one ever called me to cancel or reschedule my appt and I was turned away. I got an email from Mallory giving me an extra 30 min free of charge. Can you believe it? an extra 30 min? How generous! No thank you! I DON“T recommend this place at all. Very unprofessional! and unorganized!