I'd rather stick together than shut the doors


Not the squeeze you were looking for in 2025?

Times are strange..

If you're feeling the squeeze, you're not alone. I'm right there with you. Like many small practices, I'm weathering rising costs, uneven demand, and the very real question of how to stay open without sacrificing the values that matter most.

At Unwind Oakland, that means sticking to the principles we built this space on: a means-based sliding scale without shame, no tipping, and thoughtful sessions co-created with care. I believe everyone deserves attuned, ethical bodywork, not just when it's convenient, but especially when life feels heavy.

If your situation has changed, please don’t hesitate to book where you are on the means-based sliding scale. That’s what it’s there for. I’d much rather walk this road together than price folks out or quietly disappear.

And, to those of you who consistently book at the higher end of the sliding scale: thank you. Your choice helps keep this space open for others who need more flexibility right now. You’re not just receiving care. You’re helping to sustain a community-centered model that values dignity, reciprocity, and shared resilience. I see it, and I don’t take it for granted.

Your presence and reciprocity matter more than ever. And I truly believe: better days are on the horizon.

With you,
Suz, Unwind Oakland

Peerimenopause Circle

Perimenopause is real. Messy. Mysterious. Often misrepresented, misdiagnosed, and mistreated. And, rarely discussed with nuance.

17 Glen Eden #6, Oakland, CA 94611
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Unwind Learning - Touch with Substance

Suz is the Managing Owner at Unwind Oakland, Unwind Learning, and Touch with Substance. Designed above-ground Ketamine-Assisted Massage Therapy and bodywork (KATM) in partnership with KAT and KAP providers as well as developed psychedelic/entheogenic preparation and integration bodywork methods. In 2023, published the first NCBTMB board approved continuing education course for massage therapists and bodyworkers on the topic of psychedelics and entheogens: Introduction to Psychedelic Conversations and the Massage Table. Completed core facilitator training at Sacred Garden in 2024. She is continuing with their Ordained Facilitator Training (in progress). Active participant in the process of crafting the details of California Senate Bill 1012. Suz stands for equitable access to services, a broad pool of facilitators, and the protection of sincere religious practice including indigenous autonomy. Teaches workshops such as Ethical Safety and Support Touch for Guides, Traditional Healers, Psychotherapists, and Witnesses in multiple languages and in cross-cultural groups. Working with Ethical Psychedelic International Community (EPIC) to seed public guidelines and resources on psychedelics and touch. Producing the upcoming Touch with Substance Conference (2024). When she’s not at the office, she’s enjoying time with her dog and exploring Oakland where she’s lived since 2003.

Read more from Unwind Learning - Touch with Substance

Psychedelics & Pain Symposium 2025 Dear Community, The Psychedelics & Pain Symposium 2025 is the only conference highlighting past, current, and ongoing investigations into how psychedelics can treat a broad set of new indications like chronic pain and related physical conditions, such as neurodegenerative, autoimmune, and infection-acquired chronic illness. This online event is hosted live on September 27 & 28, 2025, with sessions occurring from Noon to 6pm ET. Standard registration is $75...

Thank you forSharing Unwind! I want to take a moment to thank you not just for trusting me with your own care, but for extending that trust by referring friends, family, and colleagues to my practice. Every time someone new walks through my door and shares that you sent them, I feel a quiet ripple of gratitude. Your recommendation isn’t just a kind gesture. That trust is something I hold with the utmost respect. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making this work possible not just for...

PODCAST Touch with Substance – Episode 7: Language, Contact, and Consciousness with Sabrina Santa Clara & Suz Vera Burroughs Listen Now Dear Community, This episode is a nerdy and nourishing deep dive into something deceptively simple: the words we choose and why they matter so much when we’re talking about touch, transformation, and expanded states of consciousness. Sabrina and I unpack: The difference between altered and expanded states How language can reinforce or resist cultural norms...