March 1, 2026
Behind frosted panes and soft white curtains in a quiet Lakeville studio, Stefanie DiLibero puts 17 years of experience and care into her signature cosmetic acupuncture treatments.
She stumbled upon this ancient Chinese medicinal practice as a college student while teaching English in Taiwan, when an acupressure treatment resolved a chronic sore throat almost instantly. A few years later, acupuncture resolved another health condition, and DiLibero decided to pursue the practice herself.
As she grew more interested in skincare and healthy aging, her training in Chinese Medicine became a central part of her technique.
“I wanted an approach that was natural and rooted in long-term health rather than quick fixes,” she says.
She combined traditional acupuncture with modern technology to develop her own treatment method: Aculectrics.
It starts with a simple verbal evaluation. DiLibero asked about my health history and current concerns to better inform her personalized plan, considering the body as a whole.
I came into DiLibero’s studio with visibly irritated skin. She adjusted the plan accordingly, prioritizing gentler treatment that would help restore my skin barrier.
While I lay in a robe on a heated table, DiLibero cleansed and hydrated my skin before applying thin, single-use needles.
The needles were so gentle I barely knew they were there. She strategically placed them all along my body and face to support circulation, digestion, and skin repair, then let them sit for 30 minutes with an LED light therapy mask over my face while a speaker played soothing sounds nearby.
“Most people fall asleep during this part, so just relax,” she tells me.
I was too concerned about keeping still and not messing up the needles to sleep, but it was relaxing nonetheless.After removing the needles, DiLibero used manual therapy and acupressure primarily on my chest, neck, shoulder, and jawline to help lymphatic drainage and to promote skin healing. The full session, including intake, lasted two hours.
My skin looked hydrated and much smoother immediately after the session, but hours later I noticed even more dramatic changes––inflammation and redness had dropped, leaving my face looking calm and healthy overall.
DiLibero uses her own treatments and has never used Botox or fillers, though her treatments are compatible with both, and her own youthful appearance is a strong testament to the long-term effects.
She started her practice, Gotham Wellness, in New York City in 2009, and has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and New York Magazine. She’s traveled the world honing her craft in various countries, but moved to Litchfield County during the pandemic. “I feel more at home here now than I do in the city.”
Her Lakeville studio opened in July 2025, offering both cosmetic and traditional acupuncture services as well as a curated line of skincare products. “I love helping people feel at home in their bodies. The external changes matter, but the internal shift—how someone feels in their body and in themselves—is just as powerful,” says DiLibero. —gothamwellness.com
20A Millerton Road, Lakeville
