TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

As the fascinating fields of consciousness and psychology continue to evolve, so must we practitioners. There is much to learn, and the more I learn, the more I realise I know nothing.

Below are details of the mental health professional training, workshops, and certifications I’ve attained, attended, or am currently completing.

Certified Training

  • ICEERS Psychedelic Integration Training (3 months). Certified by The International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS).

  • Alef Trust Transpersonal Coaching Psychology (1 year). Certified by the IACTM.

  • Counselling Skills Certificate Course (44 hours). Certified by The Academy of Modern Applied Psychology.

  • Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (15 hours): EMBARK Approach. Certified by Cybin.

  • BreathMasters Certified Breathwork Facilitator (50 hours).

  • Polyvagal-Informed Practitioner Course: Proven Interventions to Guide Clients Toward Safety and Connection (Online). Deb Dana.

  • Certificate Programme in Women’s Trauma: EMDR, IFS, EFIT, Polyvagal Strategies for Treating and Empowering Survivors (Online Course, 21 hours). Certified by Evergreen Certifications.

  • How To Grow Mushrooms (Online, 7 hours): DoubleBlind DB101.

  • How To Trip Sit (Online, 6 hours): DoubleBlind DB101.

  • Buddhist Psychology & Contemplative Psychotherapy (Online, 8 hours). Certified by the Embodied Philosophy Wisdom School.

  • Healing Stress: A Buddhist & Psychoanalytic Approach to Working with Anxiety in Body, Mind & Spirit (Online, 2 hours). Certified by the Embodied Philosophy Wisdom School.

  • Death, Grief, Healing in Depth (66 hours) Oxford Diploma. Certified by the Oxford School of Learning.

Workshops & Seminars

  • Heart Mind Institute Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Global Summit 2023 Clinical Track Workshop Series (6 hours).

  • Psychedelics in Therapy: MDMA, Psilocybin, Ketamine, Micro-Dosing & More (Online Course, 7 hours).

  • Treating Trauma With the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™: Advanced Strategies To Harness the Power of the Body’s Natural Healing Process (Online Course, 4.5 hours).

  • Using Internal Family Systems To Heal Trauma and Addictive Processes: Step-by-Step Compassionate Strategies To Heal Your Most Difficult Clients (Online Course, 3.25 hours).

  • Somatic Approaches for Working With Anger and Healing Trauma: Essential Clinical Skills and Demonstrations Using Body-Based, Polyvagal, and Neurobiological Interventions (Online Course, 3.25 hours).

  • EMDR & Parts Work for Treating Complex Trauma: Somatic Techniques to Decrease Defensiveness and Facilitate Trauma Processing (Online Course, 7.5 hours).

  • Gabor Maté Compassionate Inquiry Master Class (Online Course).

  • 2-Day Trauma Conference: The Body Keeps the Score-Trauma Healing Through the Senses with Bessel van der Kolk, MD (Online Course, 14 hours).

  • Using Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) for Trauma: Enhanced applications for understanding and using compassion in trauma treatment (Online Course, 7.25 hours).

  • Finding Meaning in Loss (David Kessler): The Sixth Stage of Grief (Online Course, 11.25 hours).

  • ADHD, Autism, and Trauma: Integrating Polyvagal Theory, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Internal Family Systems Therapy When Working With Neurodivergent Clients (Online Course, 3.25 hours).

  • Working with Narcissism: Essential Strategies for Treating Narcissism, Severe Traumatisation, Abuse, and Neglect (Online Course, 7.25 hours).

  • Integrating Internal Family Systems Therapy and Polyvagal Theory: Enhanced Healing Through Compassionate Connection (Online Course, 7.25 hours).

  • Single Session Therapy: Maximise the Effect of Every Therapeutic Encounter (Online Course, 7.25 hours).

  • Heart Mind Institute: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Global Summit (Online, 35 hours).

Practising Psychonaut

Psychedelic facilitators and mental health professionals should not have access to clients without first facing (and integrating) their own Shadow Self. We must learn and embody emotional intelligence to effectively, authentically, and sustainably teach it. I’ve done that work.

Before working with a psychedelic facilitator or psychedelic-assisted therapist, ask them about their own practice with these medicines. How much and how often? Is their practice ongoing?

If not, why not?

We cannot appropriately help others prepare and integrate their psychedelic (or "entheogenic" or "holotropic") experiences if we do not regularly practice this work ourselves.

I have worked intensively and (intentionally) with psychedelic plant medicines for six years, not just as a group or 1:1 facilitator but regularly engaging in introspective work on myself.

I have extensive experience working with Psilobyin mushrooms, Ayahuasca (DMT), and San Pedro or ‘Huachuma’ (Mescaline). I've worked closely with shamans from Chile, Peru, and Brazil — with the Brazilian Noke Kuin tribe, who also initiated me to serve the plant medicine Hapéh (or ‘Rapé).

I am not a shaman, neoshaman, shaman in training, or an Ayahuascero.

I've been
in your shoes

While such divulgence is often perceived as ‘improper’ for a counsellor, in the interests of radical authenticity, my experience with extreme mental illness is first-hand.

For over two decades, I struggled with high-functioning addiction, depression, and anxiety. I grew up no stranger to adverse childhood experiences rooted in parental alcoholism, violence, and neglect.

I healed my mental illness using many of the combined (cherrypicked) modalities that I use with my clients today.