The Better Place

The Better Place Hello! I'm Sarah Donnelly, a chaotic good acupuncturist, esthetician, and bodyworker The Better Place is your local holistic healthcare clinic in North Oakland.

We are inspired to specialize in: cosmetic acupuncture; postop, fibrosis, scar care; lymphatic drainage, long-hauler syndrome (chronic damage from illness or medical treatment).

Sometimes the most useful thing is a different question.
05/12/2026

Sometimes the most useful thing is a different question.

The Body Literacy Orientation Guide is a workbook you complete at home: a chronological map of your symptom history, a p...
05/05/2026

The Body Literacy Orientation Guide is a workbook you complete at home: a chronological map of your symptom history, a present-moment body inventory, and a system for tracking whether care is actually creating positive change.

Everything your practitioners have never had in one room together.

Link in bio.

04/15/2026
04/05/2026

So what are doctors actually for anymore?

Medical information is cheap. You can Google or Claude your diagnosis, medication interactions, your surgical options in 30 seconds, for free.

Your body has been telling you something is wrong before you had language for it. Most of us learn to apologize for that...
03/09/2026

Your body has been telling you something is wrong before you had language for it. Most of us learn to apologize for that information instead of following it.

In this clinic, form and function can't be separated. The patient tells me where the discomfort is. I see what looks for feels not quite right. Together we build a picture neither of us has alone.

Full essay link in the comments.

The reason treatment stalls isn't the technique or modality. It's the sequence. Full excerpt in bio
02/28/2026

The reason treatment stalls isn't the technique or modality. It's the sequence.

Full excerpt in bio

Proteodynamic Work and When Healing Stalls are now available.Two volumes, one framework These monographs present the the...
02/23/2026

Proteodynamic Work and When Healing Stalls are now available.

Two volumes, one framework

These monographs present the theoretical structure underlying my clinical work with patients whose recovery has stalled

Clinical volume and plain language volume included

Link in bio.

Two volumes, one framework The practitioner volume builds the clinical theory. The patient volume translates it into a l...
02/20/2026

Two volumes, one framework

The practitioner volume builds the clinical theory. The patient volume translates it into a language anyone can use to understand what's happening in their body, and why treatment must follow a specific order.

02/12/2026

Menty Break Days

Intentional checking out as scheduled maintenance, not emergency response. I take Wednesdays. My friend takes Fridays. We check in Sundays to coordinate so we won't overlap and can support each other.

Protective infrastructure for sustained function under chronic stress > crisis management

02/04/2026

The same information, intentionally translated
Two monographs: practitioner - facing and patient - facing.
Releasing February 23, 2026

I’ll Be at AIMC’s Acupuncture & Arts Autumn Fest This SaturdayHi friends,A quick announcement for anyone who will be in ...
11/18/2025

I’ll Be at AIMC’s Acupuncture & Arts Autumn Fest This Saturday

Hi friends,

A quick announcement for anyone who will be in Berkeley this weekend:  I’ll be vending at AIMC’s Acupuncture & Arts Autumn Fest this Saturday, November 22 from 12–5 PM at 2550 Shattuck Ave.

AIMC is (one of) my alma mater, and this event is a community celebration as the school rebuilds and reopens. There will be free community acupuncture, herbal goods, ceramics, art, tarot, reiki, and more.

What I’ll Be Sharing

At my table, I’ll be offering:
• information on post-operative recovery
• guidance on lymphatic and scar-tissue care
• my Pain Paws tools for sale
• Q&A about swelling, healing timelines, and recovery architecture
• (and yes, you’re welcome to ask about shockwave / radial pressure wave therapy)

If you’ve been curious about how lymphatic or systems-focused work fits into healing, this is a great low-key opportunity to chat in person.

Feel free to stop by and say hello!  I’d love to see familiar faces and meet more of the community.

Address

6536 Telegraph Avenue Suite C-104
Oakland, CA
94609

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10:30am - 8pm

Telephone

+19252680878

Alerts

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