Sequoia Healing Clinic and Spa

Came here with same day reservation on a weekday. They have special pricing for only $ 50(cash), or $ 50 (with card) Plus cash tip. What a deal !
The massage parlor is pretty small, but kept clean and neat. The waiting area is small. Don’t expect anything fancy or high-​end. They have a narrow hallway with around 7 private rooms.
My masseuse’s name was mary. She was very sweet and accommodating. Before she started, she asked me if I wanted soft, medium or hard. I started with the medium. It was the perfect amount of pressure for me. She was very thorough and gentle. I was very relaxed and enjoyed my whole hour session.
Today (the very next day), I’m feeling all my soreness went away from snowboarding the weekend before. I have a small bruise on my leg, which is normal after a massage, and if you have sensitive skin like me.
Overall, I am extremely happy with my experience. I would definitely recommend to all my friends, and return for another session myself. This place is SO worth the price.

Loved my foot reflexology! So relaxing and healing. Mary was my masseuse and super talented!

Great service! Good massage. Good prices

I came here because it was close to work. I woke up with an extremely stiff & sore left side (neck & shoulder). The receptionist suggested cupping to assist with increased blood flow so I agreed ($ 25). This was in addition to the neck & shoulder massage ($ 29.99). The Receptionist knocked on the door & walked in before I responded to come in. Then her hands were ice cold & she was rough. She performed the cupping. Then the massage therapist came in & her hands were freezing too. I had to ask several times for less pressure. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed. I will not be back. A waste of $ 60 & my time. My neck still hurts! Lesson learned.

One of the worst massages of my life here. I’m a trained acupressure practitioner so I know when people know their stuff and have a therapeutic touch. This practitioner seemed very disconnected and it did not feel therapeutic at all. I actually wished the session to be over after like 10 minutes of trying to give her a chance «warm up» or something. Nope, it just became more torturous as I laid there trying to convince myself to relax. The worst part however was that after she was finished, I tipped $ 10 (which I felt was generous considering how terrible it was) to which she became angry and said the tip wasn’t enough and that customers usually tip $ 40. Wtf. I felt so startled and guilty that I had angered her that I gave her more tip! Ugh… I felt like she got me while I was down! It’s already super vulnerable to let someone touch your body to begin with, let alone haggle with them about how much they should get tipped! Never again, please don’t go here.

Sequoia healing clinic is superb.
Everyone is very helpful and the foot/​body massage is amazing.
If your stressed or need to chill out for a bit in a good place, this is the place.
Try it out

First time I’m leaving a bad review because people use the Internet instead of talking things out. I did make sure to talk the parties inv4. well before she walked away.
I’m a 20 year old college student and went for a full body massage .the lady came in. and asked what I wanted. I mention the problem areas. she asked if I wanted my legs done. I said yes. She did not get to do my legs so I let her know to add half an hour and charge
I was paying the lady who massages me let’s me know that the tipping minimum is 10 dollars. now .I only carried money for the one hour. and the money I paid for the extra half hour was my tip money. so whatever change I had. was my remaining tip. thw lady who massages me strong off mad at me and front desk lady is trying to tell me politely that tip means I respect their work. I wish we could all get tips to make us feel reapected. i do not agree with that policy or the fact that I have to be forced into Tipping 10 dollars minimum.

Great service! Glad that I went during my lunch time.
Have lower back pain for 1 year due to working as a front desk agent.
After got massage from Edwin, I felt relieve from lower back pain.
Edwin really know my points, where to put more pressure and where is not good for pressure.
He’s so nice and pay full attention on me while doing massage. He’s not like some other places, they will try to save energy and time, and rush to finish the work and get paid.
Also I tipped him $ 30 for 1 hour FULL massage work. I really recommend him.
Also, I tried their sauna service which is free for customer before the massage or after the massage, which is so convenience for me to take shower and do sauna after the massage.
The environment there is clean, quiet and make me feel comfortable and reliable.
After all I would recommend this place, you guys should give it a try!!! =)

A friend told me about this spot for cupping therapy for pain. It was different but has help for the pain and I would recommend this location for this therapy. I lady that did the work didn’t speak very good English but did a great job. Try it you will be very surprised at the end result.

Based on my experience, Christine and her crew work hard to satisfy the customer and deliver great results. It’s true, sometimes you may feel there is a language barrier. If you are patient and don’t take things the wrong way, they will do everything to try to help you. I did note a previous review complaining about billing. However I have had no issues thus far after several months of visits (approx. 15 visits.) I would say it’s helpful to tell them what you want during your massage, and how you want it. For instance during acupuncture, I ask for the voltage to be turned up or down. Christine is very responsive to that kind of feedback. I have had massage by 2 different people and both are excellent (Ella and Joyce). I’m glad they are available at this location — very convenient to my office near Lake Merritt. All in all a great place to go!

The foot spa/​tea bar is so nice! The tea was excellent! I go on the regular basis for massages. The spa is clean, the staff is prof’l and the prices are reasonable.

I had a 1 hour massage, but masseuse kept on concentrating on areas which did not need massaging. She appeared to be deliberately ‘wasting’ time on my legs. Did not even do ‘proper’ massage on my back. Just kept elbowing my back and resting elbow as if she was ‘resting her arm’ on my back. Overall, I felt like I just had a back massage. Did not even turn me over. Arms also were not massaged at all. Front of legs and thighs, feet, not massaged at all. It wasn’t a body massage, but a back massage for $ 50.00 which I think is a rip-​off. I had better chair massage at the mall.

I have been back here twice for foot massages and notice improvement in terms of 1) employees conversed quietly, 2) water fountain running at lower/​whisper speed, and 3) the door kept close to preserve the tranquility of the room. I care less if a male or female do my foot massage –as long as he/​she can go deep and strong to break up those pesky knots I am a happy camper. Albeit I admit the massage was temporary painful at time, but hey, I did not asked for a Swedish Massage, and my feet feel so light afterward –no pain no gain. Thanks for giving my feet a good workout Jacky. Too bad Health Care Reform –as far as I know– does not cover this type of treatment.

I am there regularly to have acupuncture treatment and body massage for the sake of my shoulder and back pain. The clinic is located at downtown Oakland just 5 minutes away from the 19^th Street Bart Station which is very convenient; if you drive, there are few public parking nearby and plenty of street parking.
Environment wise, the clinic is very clean and bright which give a relaxing feeling. The lady at the front desk normally welcomes me with a cup of tea and lead me to the room. The rooms are also clean so that I don’t have to worry about the hygienic problems.
For the acupuncture treatment, Dr. Chen is professional and friendly, she is very attentive to follow up with my problem every time and give suggestions on my daily activities and diet to help me get rid of the pain.
The massage is great, I usually have the same therapist since she knows what I need and where to push stronger and softer. Since my neck and shoulder are usually very tight, she will give deep tissue massage on the spots where are really tight, and do softer on other area. I feel much better every time after the treatment, and my pain problems has improved a great deal since I started treatment there.
The price is reasonable comparing with other places of same kind. The biggest bonus is they gave me 1 free treatment when I bought 6 treatment package. They also have different massage coupons available on Craigslist, it is usually a big discount on the regular price, so I will check on it if I feel like having body massage only.

Dr. Chen is full of B. S! i do not know why she is a doctor when she really care… less about her patients! What she really cares about is MONEY!!!$$$$$ money hungry doctor that tells you that you are injured and tells you to come in for more treatments!
Based on my opinion and personal experience, she is just hella unprofessional. Tell me what DOCTOR will have the nerve to harass the insurance company/​adjuster demanding a check! like hello? you know you will get paid! when i spoke to insurance company, the adjuster said the doctor kept harassing them and wanted to report her to BBB. Also, It’s just really annoying to have the adjuster calling me to tell me that they can’t reach the clinic regarding the case and it’s just UNPROFESSIONAL
As a doctor, your job is suppose to help and care for patient and worry bout the money later! doctors are suppose to help CURE people and it’s a gift to be able to heal people! and! did i mention, it hasn’t even been a year yet and she send my bf to collection! Because the insurance didnt pay for her his treatment yet! that’s just hella scandalous! I don’t understand how can she do such a thing when his case is not even settle! honestly, i don’t even care if she reads this and know who this is cause I COULD CARELESS! I’m just expressing my experience .to alert people of this so called «healing clinic».afterall, this is Unilocal! and one more thing, she always tell us to tip her workers which is not fair! we are here for medical treatments and the massages or whatever is suppose to be included already in their payroll!
if you want to deal with her and play her little games, then come here, otherwise dont! there are many other acupuncture’s out there that’s better than her.

Appalling.
I have never felt the need to post a review that warned people away from a business. That time has come. Go somewhere else! Now!
I stopped by for a 20-​minute chair massage to help with a stiff neck, and received a merciless pummeling for my trouble.
Disclosure: I am a trained massage therapist and former massage/​anatomy instructor, so I know what to ask for, and what to expect in a session.
This was unquestionably the worst massage of my life. Why? The guy didn’t relent. Might have been a language barrier, but repeated cries of «Ouch! Ouch! Too much! Too tight! Too painful!» should have been noted. If I hadn’t been so stunned, I might have jumped off the table and headed for the fire exit.
In addition, the therapist had a cough that sounded like he had TB, or perhaps smoked 3 packs a day. Not pleasant.
The surroundings were fine: good table, linens, music, temperature — but I couldn’t get away from the pain. The PAIN.
Elbows are not to be used a brute-​force implements, you know? And there’s this little thing called preparation — warming the muscle?
Deep tissue does not mean playing bass guitar on my tendons. Seriously.
Now I have to find a nice student clinic or chiropractor to repair the damage.
Next time, I’ll take a long soak in the tub and give the $ 20 to the food bank.

I asked around at work for a great acupuncturist. Over and over, Sequoia kept coming up. I gave them a try and was very pleased with the services. Although I came initially for acupuncture for an injury, I stayed for additional services like facials, foot massages, etc.
Although the services were wonderful, what really makes this place stand out is the kindness I was shown by their own Dr Chen. She was wonderful and played a major part in my healing and recovery. She did a lot extra that made me feel taken care of. I highly recommend this place and I hope you try it. They take many insurance plans so expense isn’t an issue for most of their services. Check it out!

I was in the bay area for the summer and when an unexpected foot injury disrupted my routine, I needed a short-​term spot to seek therapy.
1^st visit: 30 min foot massage
All pros: Very polite, excellent foot massage
2^nd visit: had the 30-​min foot/​30-​min body massage
Pros: Excellent massages
Cons: 1. If I hadn’t asked when the massage was starting, they would have kept me in the foot bath forever. 2. When it came time to pay, I realized that I didn’t have exact cash for the tip I wanted to give, but the the lady behind the register refused to break a large bill for me. She just looked at me and said, «people normally give $ 10 for an hour.» Who was she to tell me to pay 20+%, especially since I am a student? I didn’t want my masseuse to pay for her words but I will question another visit to the clinic.

I was referred to this place by my co-​worker who knew that I frequently get migraines and in need of a massage due to our work environment. I must say this place is AMAZING. I always leave feeling better. The massages are VERY affordable and feel GREAT. You don’t feel as though you were attacked and in need of pain pills later. Not only that the multiple services they provide for the price is just perfect for my budget.
I recommend the massage and the acupuncture. I have never had acupuncture done before because I am not a fan of needles but I appreciate them showing me the needles were never used, and I could barely feel them placed on me. I can’t say enough how much I LOVE this place and HIGHLY recommend it!!!

I called in on ⁶⁄₉ to set up an appointment for a 1 hour massage therapy for the following Friday (⁶⁄₁₁). I came in at the scheduled time where I was greeted by a woman behind a desk. Apparently, there was a language barrier. I told her I was here for a my appointment, but it seemed like she did not understand me at all. Eventually, she realized I was there for a massage so she nods and says «give me money». Double WTEFFF!!! I’m a little hesitant since there is usually a form you fill out indicating any pain/​medication you have at all of the other massage clinics I’ve been to. And I thought you pay AFTER your services? Just seems a little shady to me. I ended up declining and walked out. Too bad, I really needed a massage, but who knows what the quality is like after experiencing this type of customer service.
P. S. Funny how the previous three reviews are from people that just joined Unilocal this month and have only reviewed one place: Sequoia Healing Clinic and Spa!