I have received multiple massages from Gracie during pregnancy and postpartum and they have all…read morebeen fabulous. Especially when I was 9 months pregnant, she did a fantastic job making sure I felt comfortable and helping relieving the physical pain of the third trimester. During postpartum, I have received a couple of massages for back pain related to breastfeeding and I always leave feeling rejuvenated and more aligned. Highly recommend

I reached out to Brilliant Births to find a birth doula. They offer a matching service and…read moreconnected me to 3 doulas who work independently (not employees of BB). We were really fortunate to find our birth doula (who we love!), but the other 2 candidates were not very impressive. The first doula missed our appointment with no follow-up communication. We were initially confused and thought she was the coordinator for BB, because she only communicated by text. The actual meeting was just by telephone so there was no face-to-face interaction, which felt strange. We could've easily FaceTimed or Zoomed. So communication and reliability were not great. The second doula abruptly canceled our half-hour appointment when we were 10 minutes late for a 30-minute appointment due to my husband wrapping up a Zoom meeting. During our appointment time, she was responding to my emails (in which I apologized for being late), but insisted she could no longer meet with us. I thought this was a really bad sign about what she would be like to work with - labor and delivery is rarely precisely timed and some flexibility is needed. In addition, her email said that she lives in Portola Valley, but we live Berkeley (also where Brilliant Births is located). This also struck me as strange, because it would take 1.5 hours for her to arrive to meet us at the hospital, which is not ideal.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Loving Arms Childbirth Services' birthing class! Jessica Cristen was our…read moreinstructor, and she was excellent! She's a certified midwife and lactation support specialist, with years of experience. Taking this class was the best decision I made for preparing for the birth of our baby girl. (even with the countless books I read and classes taken from Kaiser) My birth did NOT go at all as expected, but thanks to these classes I was super well prepared about all the possibilities that could occur during labor & delivery and helped my partner and I be on the same page (and have my partner know how he could best support me). Thus when things started to go different than what we prepared for in our birthing plan, we were really able to navigate the various options skillfully and have educated conversations with our care team. This made me feel way more secure when my health was declining during delivery. Even though I didn't have the birth I pictured for myself, I felt I had a wonderful birth story thanks to the classes from Loving Arms and our care support team. The class is very comfortable, super educational, and a good place to meet other couples about to have babies too. The instructors here really care about helping new families, and have years of experience and maturity. Again, best decision to take this class here @ Loving Arms. So glad I chose them!

We are so grateful we found Loving Arms and were able to take their childbirth prep class. I didn't…read morewant to have a doula and these courses helped me feel so knowledgeable about what to expect during childbirth and allowed my husband to know how best to support me. The lactation support and honest expectations about what to expect in the first few days with a newborn were invaluable. I ended up not having time to get an epidural and without this class, I think I would have panicked giving birth. However, armed with the knowledge from the courses, I was able to get through it and have a positive experience. Another plus is that we were able to bond with the other couples in the class and are still in touch now 9 months after our babies were born. Highly suggest!

Christina's class has been THE most supportive thing I've done for myself and baby boy. We joined…read moreher playgroup class when he was only 4 months old (over a year ago) and he's thrived so much because of it. Our weekly play group-classes have provided invaluable social skills, bodily coordination development/learning, and parent education; my now one and a half yr. old is thriving, confident, secure & super coordinated! Christina holds a 1.5 hour class, almost all free play, with simple age appropriate objects/toys in a light-filled play space (at Then Comes Baby in Oakland). The RIE principles that she teaches has supported my son's natural development; like letting him roll, crawl, walk, etc, at his own natural pace as opposed to propping him up or helping him in ways that might by-pass his own learning & discovering. It's been such good practice to learn to let them figure things out on their own and resist the temptation to "help" or interrupt their natural curiosity and frustration as they learn new skills and limits. Of course we also get plenty of practice of setting boundaries for and with our children as well. This group has really helped my partner & I have a healthy and balanced parenting style and reduced our stress as new parents. The community of babies and parents has also been super sweet; you don't have to do this alone! Christina is experienced, knowledgable, and very encouraging. I highly recommend working with her!

From the owner: Respectful Caregiving: Balanced Families, Secure Babies…read more Respectful Caregiving is dedicated to supporting families with babies and toddlers throughout the Bay Area. My work is inspired by Magda Gerber's Educaring® Approach (RIE®). This Approach encourages trust in the infant for knowing how and when to develop. We caregivers do not consider it our responsibility to "teach" children how to move, play, or learn. Instead, it is our responsibility to provide a safe environment conducive to self-initiated play and discovery. The Approach places emphasis on the quality of the nurturing relationship between caregiver and child, and has many specific suggestions for how to make that relationship as respectful and cooperative as possible. Parents using the Educaring® Approach report significant a decrease in the perceived burden of parenthood, and a corresponding increases in their confidence and enjoyment as parents. Children raised with this Approach are emotionally aware, confident, graceful, creative, independent, and secure in their sense of selves. I offer RIE® certified classes such as Before Baby™ and Nurturing Nanny. I also offer sleep consulting, parent coaching, nursery design/babyproofing, workshops, and individualized nanny training.

My experience with this organization has been extremely disappointing and, in my opinion, reflects…read morea system that prioritizes billing over meaningful support for families. I was ordered by the court to participate in co-parenting counseling through COPE, which effectively left me with no practical alternative provider. Prior to beginning services, I was informed by Megan that the cost would be approximately $45 per session. I was later surprised to discover that I was being charged approximately $160 per session instead. When I raised this concern, Megan Van Carpels advised me that she would investigate the discrepancy and recommended that I request reimbursement. Despite multiple communications, I never received a follow-up or resolution. I was ultimately directed to contact Headway on my own, leaving me to navigate the issue without any meaningful assistance from the organization. I was equally disappointed with the quality of the counseling services provided. My sessions with Isabel often lacked structure, guidance, and actionable feedback. Rather than facilitating productive communication, identifying areas for improvement, or helping develop effective co-parenting strategies, many sessions consisted primarily of passive observation. As a result, I found myself questioning the value being provided relative to the substantial fees being charged. For a service that is frequently court-ordered and intended to support families during challenging circumstances, I expected greater transparency, accountability, professionalism, and therapeutic value. Instead, I was left frustrated by the billing practices, lack of follow-through, and overall quality of the services received. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this organization.

I don't have enough bad words to say about this company. After finishing and completing the…read moremandatory six week group course on zoom, where the teacher was constantly being interrupted by her kids that she was babysitting, we got put on a waiting list for over eight months to see an individual counselor. When we finally did get our individual therapist, it's someone who doesn't even have their license, but just a trainee. She was so miserable to talk to, she had the worst attitude, and I wonder why she's even working in therapy? This company sucks, I pray to God I never have to go through them again, and I would give them zero stars if I could. They do not actually care about making situations better, they care about court ordered therapy so that they can get their check. That's all I have to say about this joke of a company.

Everything went well. Alfonso was awesome with my new rescue dog. First time I bought her for…read moreGrooming it was fabulous.

Honestly, I don't even know where to start. This place was a complete scam in my opinion. I came…read morehere expecting to actually be taught and trained, but I barely learned anything. I feel like I wasted my money. The cleanliness of the shop was honestly disgusting. There was anal gland residue on the wall next to the tub that had apparently never been cleaned. There's literally a vacuum sitting in the shop, but it doesn't get used. The clips aren't properly cleaned between dogs either. The same clips used on a dog one week were being used again on another dog later. That is a huge sanitation issue and a great way to spread skin problems and irritation between dogs. But honestly, the worst part was how some of the dogs were treated. I personally witnessed things that were extremely upsetting and, in my opinion, crossed the line into animal cruelty. These are living animals that deserve to be treated with patience and respect, not like they're just objects on a grooming table. If you're thinking about paying money to attend this school, PLEASE do your research first. I genuinely regret spending my money here. You'd have better luck throwing your money out the window.

Very detailed class great instructor. Jokes along the way helped for the learning process and the…read morehand on part was awesome very glad I chose this place

From the owner: "CPR Certification Oakland teaches American Heart Association BLS CPR classes in Oakland, CA. Our…read morehands-on, in-person CPR training gives the quality of CPR certification card that employers require. Our AHA CPR certification cards are issued on the same day as class. Apart from BLS CPR, we are offering First Aid, Bloodborne Pathogens, and Pet CPR trainings as well. We have weekly classes and we also do onsite trainings for businesses & groups.

I gave birth naturally to a healthy 9lb baby boy in October. Being first time parents, my husband…read moreand I were very nervous about birth and wanted to take a birthing class to prepare. We found Asiyah by chance through internet search and are so glad that we did. She has the most calming and soothing presence and helped us answer all of our questions. Her advice really resonated with me and helped me keep me cool during labor. We both think taking her class is a huge reason labor went as smoothly as it could.

First of all I am a real person! Second, there are not enough words to recommend Asiyah enough! She…read moreis warm, patient, extremely knowledgeable, warm, understanding, and GENTLE. My husband and I took the class truly without much thought and expectation, and she far surpassed my wildest dreams for a child birth education class. She made my husband and I, especially me, feel comfortable and welcome always. As first time parents we had a lot of fears and anxiety, but Asiyah was gentle and patient in her approach. She personalized her sessions that made us feel special and cared for. Even my husband couldn't believe how much he learned and enjoyed the classes as well. Asiyah is the best of the best, and far surpassed even the classes I took at a major local hospital. Her knowledge and empathy is endless and her passion for empowered and informed birthing experiences for all women really comes across in her teaching. She is patient and understanding and flexible. Honestly, she is just a loveable person. I find myself even now cradling my healthy and squirmy 3 month old, remembering the advice and things she taught me during her class. Please, please, please, with all sincerity from the bottom of my heart, sign up for her class if you are searching for a high quality, high caliber child birth educator. To the readers who will read my review and sign up for her classes and be eternally grateful you did, I say you're welcome ;-)

Needed my daughter's wedding dress altered in two days and she made it happen. She's amazing,…read morecreative and straightforward.

Called mimi because she was the closest to my house, however, since Covid, she is now working out…read moreof her home in San Leandro. Not too far at all I went with my boyfriend we were both fitted and discussed exactly what was wanted. She was happy to accommodate. She even offered to drop them off to me in Oakland, when they were ready, which was very convenient.. She knew exactly what she was doing. A true professional in her craft. She's is my seamstress for life. Thank you Mimi!!

I loved how Nicole approached working with me not only from listening open-mindedly, but also from…read morean astrological and enneagram perspective. It felt like I was being seen from a more whole, expansive view, which gave us many more angles to find clarity and actionable steps.

Working with Nicole was one of the best investments I've made in myself. She helped me create…read moremeaningful change across multiple areas of my life -- both personal and professional -- in a way that felt structured and achievable. She has a gift for listening without judgment and then translating insights into practical next steps. I appreciated how available and responsive she was, and how focused she stayed on helping me make measurable progress toward my goals. I'm incredibly grateful for her guidance and would absolutely recommend her to anyone ready to grow with intention.