Berkeley Massage & Self-Healing Center

One of the worse massages I have ever received. 115 $ for a glorified oil down. Lack of knowledge and lack of execution. Never again!

Had a great massage with Mindy.
On a Sunday, I came in with a pulled shoulder-​area issue and was all upset about it because it was gonna stop me from some upcoming climbing dates. So I marched on in just hoping to walk out totally healed — in whole! High stakes.
But hey, Mindy’s magic worked! The massage was soothing, firm, intuitive. Not only did I walk away feeling far more less tense, but my comfort in my body allowed me to see the benefit of easing into my injury and taking pause with all this heavy body usage business (aka — climbing).
The kindly suggested «take it easy on that shoulder» was a nice souvenir to walk out with as well; advice well needed and now, quite gladly to’ve been taken.
So great!
Thanks

I have been having awful lower back pain for the past week. I called this morning and they were able to fit me in today.
Sylvia did my massage and was absolutely wonderful! My back feels great. I will definitely be back.

This is a wonderful place. I have seen Ana Diane and Victoria, they are both great. Highly recommended.

I moved here early in the year and tried 4 or 5 massage therapists in Berkeley, looking for someone who could do deep tissue/​medical massage. I am super happy to have found Mandy at Berkeley Massage/​Self Healing. She is very good at what she does, and probably the most diverse massage therapist I’ve seen in terms of her range of techniques (all of which I have been effective). For context, I have multiple factors that determine how happy I am with a massage — I want to feel like some actual work was done on the muscles to release the tension (something I couldn’t do myself), I want to feel better for days, and ideally a few weeks after, and I want the experience itself to be relaxing and quiet. Mandy is great on all these counts.

Great therapeutic massage. Different styles with different practitioners. A bit pricey though for not being a fancy spa. Rooms are cozy but no frills. If you give a normal gratuity, you could be shelling out over $ 90 for a 1-​hour massage.

Was referred here by a friend, and have been seeing Diana for about 3 years now. She is very intuitive and kind, and the entire experience is always very healing and relaxing. The space is very comfortable and clean, and I never feel rushed. When driving, if you pay a 1 hour meter, don’t forget to ask your masseuse to feed the meter during a natural break in the massage.

I came here for a last minute Sunday appointment when I stupidly pulled a shoulder muscle and was in total can’t-move agony. Sylvia saved me from suffering for a week. She was responsive, listened, and readily agreed to spend the whole session on my shoulder.

I’ve been going to Diana for over ten years and always have a wonderful massage in a friendly, pleasant environment. If I have a problem with my body she always works on that in a gentle, thorough way; but if I have no sore muscles I get a great overall massage and walk out feeling twenty years younger! I’ve seen a good many massage therapists over my seventy some years but nobody as good or as nice as Diana. The other folks there also are cheerful and friendly.

I don’t know how this place gets so many glowing reviews. The ambience is awful — no aromatherapy, soft lighting, or calming vibes, but rather an awful dank smell, like dirty hair or body odor. Water delivered in an old coffee mug. A room with old furniture. Wrinkled sheets that didn’t smell fresh. Worst of all a massage that was deeply unsatisfying and not at all what I asked for. For $ 110 it was a huge rip-​off.

This place offers a decent swedish massage, but prenatal massage seekers beware. Although Berkeley Massage and Self-​Healing lists «prenatal massage» on their pamphlet and website, they are really not equipped to do so. I had booked one for my pregnant girlfriend as a treat, and made sure with the center they could accommodate her. I specifically asked for a prenatal table, and they said this would be no problem. The front desk confirmed with me the day before, however when we arrived they looked surprised to my friend was pregnant. What is worse is that they had no «special prenatal table». It was just a regular massage table and my friend had her massage on her side. Given she paid $ 75 — we expected more.
Overall, if you are going for a regular swedish massage you would likely have a positive experience. But those interested in prenatal massage — I would take your money elsewhere.

OMG, I went to this place as a last resort, through Free 411, after a chiropractic appointment on a particularity terrible day for my neck and back. My chiropractor recommended a particular masseuse for a deep tissue massage, however, they were not available during my time of need.
When I reconnect with the business to relearn my masseur’s name, I will definitely share that information.
I was having extremely bad back and neck problems, and my masseuse asked what area to focus on (my neck). When we were nearing the last 20 minutes she got to my neck ($ 75 for an hour-​planned appointment). When she realized the severity and uniqueness of my particular situation, she spent an extra hour and a half, free of charge, table massaging, chair massaging, and stretching my neck. She also spent extra time referring me to a more aggressive business, as well as teaching me stretches that I use to control my pain and heal my neck everyday… It is people like my masseur that change lives and give that extra bit of care that make all the difference. I had waited years for someone that understood my particular issue and correctly treated and advised me on it. She was an amazing masseur, person, practitioner, and a good and honest Samaritan at that! I would highly recommend her and the Center.
The atmosphere was highly relaxing, comfortable, and soothing: the best massage I ever received: DEEP tissue. It was painful at times, and at others I was forming a drool puddle on the floor and nearly sleeping. I would not hesitate to recommend this business and my masseuse (I will hopefully have a name update) to anyone willing to pay a sound amount for excellent service and care!

I’ve been three times now to Leah, and I swear she is like a durned magician, because every time I’ve gone to her, she manages to focus on my problem areas (usually my neck and upper back) but while also working on the rest of my body, and invariably, I leave feeling a lot better than I did an hour earlier (speaking of which – there, an hour massage actually means a 60 minute massage – not 45 or 50 minutes). She is also very considerate about asking you what you feel needs the most work, if you’re comfortable, etc., which went a long way for me, just to help me to trust her.
Its location is fairly convenient – it is right next to a BART stop, and there is plenty of street parking if you turn off of University – but it also does create the one major downside for me – since it is on one of Berkeley’s main drags, it is very difficult to tune out the constant noise of automobiles whizzing past. These sorts of drawbacks to the ambiance is the only thing keeping me from giving the place 5 stars – the staff is quite skilled and very friendly.
They’re by appointment only, and they don’t take plastic, so plan accordingly. It isn’t cheap, but still worth it. Been trying to make it a monthly practice because working with Leah has done me so much good.

My review is for Bill McCully. He is one of the best therapists I’ve had work with me. I greatly appreciate his presence and his art and skill in listening to what I really needed. He has a healing touch.
The Center is very calming, the people very friendly. I just wish they had hot tub facilities.

Leah = Amazing.
I wanted to relax after the bar exam, and Leah was exactly what I needed. Calm and very friendly, she applied a constant amount of significant pressure on my shoulders and back.
I am no connoisseur of massage so I couldn’t tell a Swedish from a Finnish. But the other massages I have had were worthless because they didn’t do diddly.
I’m definitely going to be a repeat customer.

I hate to do this, but I was very disappointed in my experience here, especially because I went here based on the number of positive Unilocal reviews.
I went to Leah for a massage. I asked for a deep tissue massage and got something that felt like a Swedish massage. Nothing memorable at all, except for the fingernails that kept being driven into my back. No, I didn’t say anything, I was just cringing and hoping it would be over.
And then… it was! I didn’t leave feeling relaxed at all. Ambiance was — errr— Definitely was not worth what I paid and I will not be back.

Diana is simply phenomenal! Over the last 12 years, I have had many excellent sessions with her. Diana has a sophisticated sense of touch that is far better than most other practitioners I’ve worked with. She has a gift for finding areas of tension and using various techniques to effectively reduce tension and alleviate pain. She also is talented at craniosacral work, which is very relaxing as well as therapeutic. Because her work is sophisticated, you will not get the «cookie-​cutter» approach, but will be treated on an individual basis addressing your personal needs quite thoroughly. In addition, Diana is delightful: easy-​going, warm and caring, making her an excellent choice for anyone looking for either short or long-​term care. I recommend her wholeheartedly with no reservations. Call her today!“
Michael Rehl, Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Massage Therapist

Timi Asaka gives the best massage I have ever had. I even went to massage school and get massages regularly so this is a huge compliment. since getting a massage from Timi I don’t even bother to book massages with anyone or anyplace else. She is worth way more than what she charges. She also works at the Claremont spa which is much more expensive. She also tends to do a little longer than an hour instead of the 50 minutes that other places call hours.
She is great about concentrating on the areas that you want her to. I’m a computer programmer and get really knotted up in the shoulders neck and forearms. She gives me relief in one session. She is also very kind and you can tell she really is into doing a good job and is sympathetic to me having me talk about my bad day or my aches and pains. She is a real energy healer.

I was referred to Ana Diane. I’ve been seeing her for about a year. She is great and very knowledgeable.
She’s not just a masseuse either she’s a healer. If you believe in that. She’s also lovely, compassionate and goes out of her way to make you feel comfortable. She will also discuss what’s going on with your aches and pains. She wants you to tell her what to work on and she will listen to you and focus on those areas.
What you won’t get is a deep tissue massage. If you’re looking for a squeezing and a hurting you won’t get it here.
What you will get is a clean, relaxing massage space that has a hippie-​been here a long, long, very long long time feel. Kind a like my first apartment when I moved into the Haight with 7 other people.
The prices are very reasonable considering whats out there. For an hour it’s 75, I’ve paid over 100 for that in SF. For an hour and a half it’s 90. Great deal.
I love Ana Diane. I wish I could go every week.

I’ve been going here for a while now, and I love it! Like Blue, I get my massages from Diana (dhee-​ah-​nah). She really gets to know your body and which parts needs work. Her elbow grind on my shoulders are sooOOO great! I have trouble sleeping usually, but I’ve fallen asleep during a few of my massage sessions. I caught myself doing a half snore! :X That’s how good they are!
She really does want you to get better and tried to teach me some stretches. But I am lazy and well… just lazy so I haven’t done them too often. But when I have horrible back pain and it’s still a week before I see her again, I’ll do the stretches and they really help relieve the tension.
They only do massages by appointment so you’ll need to call and set that up. I always take the BART to the North Berkeley station and walk over to the place. She’s been kind enough to give me a lift to the bart if I’m her last client of the night.
It says on their website that they’re open from 10am to 10pm, 7 days per week. It’s great for people who work since I can go after work without missing a big chunk of my day.