Alive and Well Functional Medicine Clinic, Bee Cave TX

Melanie Kelsey makes you feel so comfortable! I don't even feel like I'm in an appointment when we work together. She is so supportive and so kind and really strives to meeting all of your health and mental needs! I can't recommend her enough! If you're in need of a great doctor in the Austin area she is the one to go to!

I came to Alive + Well after a year of not feeling right after having 2 babies and breastfeeding. I was in constant fight or flight mode, had anxiety (which was completely new to my life), and just didn't feel like myself anymore. I thought I simply needed time to adjust or level out to a new normal after having kids for the past 5+ years.

In one appointment, Melanie took my (very in depth) history from birth to present and diagnosed what was likely wrong. She made me feel, for the first time, like someone heard me and didn't think I was nuts. In a short 3 months and with a very comprehensive approach, we have repleted my body, got completely rid of my anxiety, and (perhaps best of all) lowered my cholesterol 30 points and normalized my kidney function levels. Things I never would have guessed to be an issue in an otherwise "healthy" 33 year old body. It's honestly shocking.

I also partnered with Mel, a resident nutritionist, and she helped me transition my diet along the way - providing me with her personal stories, recipes, guides, and other personalized support to ensure my success. She has always been there to answer my questions without judgement and helps ensure the dietary changes feel more positive and possible.

These women and their guidance have completely changed the trajectory of my physical, mental, and spiritual health. When I started this process, I had no idea what I was walking into. I truly didn't realize there would be so many other benefits - I'm feeling more vibrant and confident as a person and in my wellness.

Run, don't walk!

Melanie and Mel are amazing! I've been working with them for over a year now and their guidance and wealth of knowledge has made a pivotal difference in my health - I spent years feeling sub-optimal with no answers from western medicine doctors until Melanie approached my labs with a holistic perspective that quickly revealed the health insights I was l looking for. I wouldn't be able to navigate this journey without their support and expertise - best investment I've ever made!

I am so grateful for Alive + Well! I worked with Melanie Kelsey as well as Melanie Shafranek. They helped me get to the root cause of my hashimotos and anxiety. They provided me thoughtful care and an impactful treatment plan! I followed their protocols and now feel better than I have in over a decade. The functional medicine program is a life changer for anyone looking to feel better and address their root cause of illness. Alive and Well has amazing supplements, and treatments as well! It’s a healing center for sure

I’ve been working with Melanie Kelsey for the past 8 months and I have nothing but positive things to say about her! She has truly changed my life. Her attention to detail and care for her patients is unmatched. I feel like a completely different person, in the best way possible. She’s extremely knowledgeable and great to work with! I’ve also been seeing Melanie S, the nutritionist, and she is top notch as well! She’s been able to help me implement a diet that is sustainable, realistic and healthy! Love working with them both!

I have really enjoying working with Melanie Kelsey and Melanie Shafranek as my functional medicine provider and nutritionist. They are both so kind, great at listening, and spend a lot of time and effort working on getting me feeling better. Both are very knowledgable about functional medicine and work very hard to address the root cause. Highly recommend working with them both!

I've been working with Melanie Kelsey and Mel S.at the functional medicine clinic at Alive + Well since May, and have had an amazing experience with them both. I was a year into a Hashimotos and Hypothyroid diagnosis, and had worked with other functional health practitioners in the past and felt very frustrated and unheard. I was definitely wary at first of how expensive things are, and wanted to make sure that my lifestyle, which included a lot of work and travel, was taken into consideration when developing a treatment protocol. Melanie K made me feel very listened to and understood early on, which is important when you're about to make a substantial financial investment in your health. I told Melanie the other day in our 3rd appointment (but probably 5th Zoom call altogether because she REALLY wants to hear you out) that I'd pay the same amount again in a heartbeat if it meant I'd feel this much better. Melanie takes the time to explain your labs to you, why you're on the supplements you're on, why and how the lifestyle tweaks you need to make are going to be good in the long run, and she is receptive to feedback about what's working and what's not. There are times she can be the "bad cop" but I appreciate how straightforward she is because she's truly advocating for you to be your best, and not undermine your own progress. I'm going to stay a client of Alive and Well for a long time, as I suspect that I won't truly be "done" with my health journey, as long as I have Melanie's support.

Mel S is also amazing! Definitely one of the kindest, most approachable nutrition experts i've ever worked with. She wants to know about your journey to help you make thoughtful next steps. She also has an answer for EVERYTHING. Name your favorite snack, and Mel has a replacement that can fit within your dietary protocol. Yes, even chocolate. Highly recommend working with Mel for nutrition support.

Overall, A+W has been the most responsive, helpful, well-staffed, comprehensive place I've ever gone for my health. It's going to feel expensive to participate in the functional medicine program, but again, I'd do it again without a second thought because I truly feel so much better than I did. I still have a ways to go, but I don't think I can get myself to where I want to be without A+W.

As another practitioner in functional medicine, I’m very picky with who I can chat with about my own health care protocols. Melanie has alway been amazing at helping me, especially since I’m too close to home for some of my own treatments. She’s a mental health advocate which is most important to ME, since the majority of my symptoms show up in the brain/mental health wise.

Melanie’s passionate, excited, loves to go above & beyond, LOVES to educate, and she’s a major women's health advocate.

The major things I’ve seen her educate on are:

- Stool tests: she loves using the GI MAP and helping educate patients on how their symptoms connect to their results. She also to share data from Up to Date and research articles to get the Western Approach and also utilize outside of the box thinking to find ways to address chronic periodontitis leading to inflammation in the GI track, etc

- Mental health tips for balancing tricky conditions like OCD, anxiety, depression, panic. She loves to educate on how To utilize lab work and supplements to support people's mental health

All and all she goes above & beyond to listen and help you figure out a plan best for you.

I haven’t been able to smell anything for over 2 years since getting covid in early 2021. I started working with Melanie Kelsey a month ago and am already starting to be able to smell things again! I had tried everything before seeing her (smell training, accupuncture, essential oils, etc.) and nothing had improved my ability to smell. She has helped me improve a number of other health challenges but the most exciting and life changing thing has been getting my smell back! I am really looking forward to seeing and feeling the progress that is to come!

I am a functional medicine patient and couldn't ask for better partners in healing than Melanie Kelsey (PA) and Mel Shafrenek (FNTP). Melanie is professional, caring, encouraging, empathetic, thorough, and crazy smart. She has identified both issues and interventions that have brought relief and healing - helping me accomplish the health goals we set at my first appointment. Mel is professional, empathetic, kind and incredibly knowledgeable about all things nutrition. She strikes the perfect balance of reasonable nutrition - practices that invite healing but also can be incorporated into the life of a working mom.

I have been a patient of Dr Melanie Kelsey for the past year. She has been so helpful in my medical journey over that time. She is great at asking good questions, being thorough and getting to the heart of the issue. She is very kind and really cares about her patients. I am very thankful for her care and concern and expertise!

I have been a Functional Medicine Member at Alive & Well under the treatment of Dr. Melanie Kelsey, and Mel Shafranek, FNTP since Feb 2023. Being able to work with a team who are communicating about your health and care has been a great experience. Dr. Kelsey is very detailed in her assessment. After reviewing my blood work, we have put together a workable plan that combines nutrition, exercise, mental health, and medication/supplements to help my return to a better health condition. I can easily access my labs and treatment plans anytime in my patient portal. I would recommend Alive & Well if you are looking for a Functional Medicine team. Plus, all the therapies at the clinic are a bonus: IV vitamins, red light beds, hot saunas, foot baths, etc. Its a truly unique and wonderful place to work on your health.

My symptoms have improved so much over the last year thanks to my PA Melanie Kelsey and my nutritionist Melanie Shafranek. Their approach is so comprehensive and empathetic and you can tell that they're invested in you feeling better. Highly recommend them if you're used to doctors doubting you or dismissing your symptoms. It's seriously been life changing

Melanie Kelsey is a wonderful colleague to work with. She has become a friend of mine and is always teaching me new ways to help patients. She is so dedicated to helping others get their health back!

In the three months I have worked with the functional medicine clinic I have seen great improvement in how I feel on a daily basis. After years of searching for answers it is so nice to feel like I am on the road to finding them and getting healthy again. Melanie is amazing. She has done an incredible job helping me to heal but also encouraging me through the process which is such an important part also. Highly recommend

Melanie Kelsey, PA-C, my functional provider at Alive and Well Austin is “AWESOME. She is very passionate about her patients and their physical and emotional well being. I have learned so much and look forward to all the positive outcomes for myself…I love you, Melanie!

Melanie Kelsey is an incredibly intelligent and compassionate PA at A&W. She never rushes through appointments and takes all the time that’s needed to answer my questions. If you are looking for someone to support you in your health journey, I highly recommend scheduling an appointment with Melanie!

I truly don’t even know where to begin. The second I stepped into the care of all of the providers and specialists at Alive + Well, my life changed. As many of us who are seeking functional medicine, I have pretty deep medical trauma. I even have had terrible experiences with functional doctors, however the second I met Melanie Kelsey, I was able to let me guard down and completely throw my whole being of trust into her hands. She’d probably laugh reading this because our journey working together didn’t begin on the greatest foot. My nervous system was extremely disregulated, to the point where I was reactive to every single protocol she put me on. As scary and anxiety filled as I was, Melanie always reminded me of how much she cared about me and how hopeful she was that I’d get out of that place. After many months of working with a somatic therapist and Dr. Karla (functional neurologist at A+W), things shifted. My body wasn’t fighting against me anymore and finally fell into a place of safety. This is where the real healing had begun. Melanie met me where I was at and we’ve been taking it very slow. My diagnoses and symptoms have been very complex and everychanging, but my anxiety has diminished significantly, my gut issues are improving and my overactive histamine is under control. My body is responding to supplements and treatments, my labs continue to improve, and I’m actually detoxing. Im also sleeping better than I ever have in my life- when just several months ago I was experiencing debilitating insomnia. We’re working on lowering cortisol, balancing hormones, radicating bacteria overgrowth, etc. Its a journey and we still have ways to go, but the improvements and progress we’ve made together has been like nothing I’ve ever experienced with any doctor or provider in my life. Eveyrone on my team truly cares about me and has my best interest. Melanie is a wealth of knowledge, she’s always learning and is honestly one of the most brilliant and caring humans I’ve ever met in my life. She understands you because she’s been where you’ve been. I never thought I’d be in a place, feeling so good and so hopeful about my healing and my recovery. I actually feel happy, healthier, and optimistic about tackling more and more. Also shout out to Mel, my nutritionist who is a ray of sunshine, positivity and knowledge. She’s played a huge role in my healing as well and Ive learned so much from her. She’s made the nutrition piece of this puzzle so attainable when it’s been overwhelming in the past. Thank you so much Melanie and my Alive + Well team. I’ll never put my health and trust in the hands of anyone else.