Board Certified means advanced training and experience
Suz supports and invites your contributions to:
The American Civil Liberties Union
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.
Biography
Suz started community college and her own business at sixteen years of age. She graduated from UC Berkeley as a Haas Scholar and with scholarly distinction in 2005 and completed her Master of Science in Education with a specialty in online teaching and learning at CSUEB.
After many years in the tech industry and business schools teaching topics such as mindfulness, leadership, coaching, instructional design, compliance education/risk management, i/o psychology, product/service design, and design thinking internationally, she was called to a hands-on healing practice.
Suz has been working with clients since 2014 when she began clinical hours as a student of massage therapy and bodywork in both Western and Eastern traditions. She completed her California State Massage Therapy Certificate requirements in 2015. She passed her national board certification exam in 2020. This is the highest credential offered in the United States for massage therapists and bodyworkers. It requires advanced study as well as several years of experience to sit for this exam. Following this exam, she has demonstrated leadership and expertise, qualifying as a continuing education provider for massage therapists and nurses.
Additional training
Anatomy and Technique
Structural integration, anatomy, physiology, body reading, kinesiology, and dissection labs with Anatomy Trains
Introduction to TRE Facilitation
Introduction to Craniosacral Therapy (CST) Techniques
Transforming Stress into Calm and Confusion into Clarity by Embodying Key Embryological and Neural Pathways, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen
Best Practices for Implementing Interoception-Based Supports (in progress)
Entheogens and Psychedelics
Sacred Garden Ordained Facilitator Training, 2024 (in progress)
UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, Certificate in Psychedelics and the Mind, 2024
Cannabis business and science with Oaksterdam University, 2020
Introduction to Psychedelic Autism Certificate and Intermediate Psychedelic Care for Neurodivergent Clients with Autistic Psychedelic, 2023 - 2024
Neurodivergent Cannabis (in progress)
Harm reduction and volunteer training with DanceSafe
Commenter and participation in the California SB102 and SB508 coalition and bill writing process
Additional Courses and Workshops:
PhD level coursework in transpersonal, somatic, and integral psychology at the California Institute for Integral Studies
Spirit Pharmacist, Psychedelics as Analgesics
Beckley Academy Foundations/Relational Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Training, 2024 (87% complete)
Introduction to Psychedelics for Chronic Pain from the Psychedelic Pain Association (In progress)
Integrating Neuromuscular Rehabilitation with Psychedelics with ReMap (In progress)
Attended full day FDA public workshop: Understanding Current Use of Ketamine for Emerging Areas of Therapeutic Interest
Mindfulness, Buddhism, Stress Reduction, and Traditional Practices
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction instructor training with the University of Massachusetts Medical Health Center for Mindfulness
Dzogchen and Zen Buddhism with various teachers
32 Parts of the Body practice with Bob Stahl
Resonant empathy, NVC, interpersonal neuroscience, and constellation facilitation with Richerliving.org and Sarah Payton
Sat seventeen days at Jakon Rate in Peru
Innovation Management, Group Facilitation, and Other Topics
Basic Life Support Certified, American Heart Association
Association of Training and Development (ATD) speaker profile
Peacemaking Circle Keeper Training at The Circle Center
International Innovation Management at Stanford University
Studied cooperation theory and media literacy with Howard Rheingold at RheingoldU
Odds and Ends
2004 - 2005 Haas Scholar, UC Berkeley
Contributed a chapter to a book on collaborative learning called The Peeragogy Handbook
Co-wrote a published song
Hosted an event on B Corps and opening lecture
Lectured at Seoul National University and spoke at the Houses of Parliament in Korea
Directed a short film, Executive Produced a short film called Made in Heaven (imdb)
Authored a online magazine article
Wrote a feature length screenplay, Gertrude
Guest speaker for organizational design professionals hosted at Valero
Wrote an op-ed article
Spoke at a psychedelic integration conference
Teaches cider making at Oak Barrel Winecraft shop
Wrote a comic book called I Was Born on Fire
Wrote The Psychedelic Mindbody Integration Coloring Book downloadable for free on the Unwind Oakland blog
Cover photo artist for the Berkeley Undergraduate Research Journal, 2003 and 2004
Association of Training and Development speaker, Design Thinking and the A & D of ADDIE