About Atman Retreat

It is my belief you have the wisdom within to heal yourself. I utilize voice and body work, various therapeutic modalities, spirituality, mindfulness, reiki, art, music, and movement to facilitate embodiment and self-reflection. By bringing awareness and expression to our authenticity, we find empowerment and liberation from fear. I am deeply committed to the collective awakening and the principles of sustainability, collaboration, community, and unconditional love.

During my time in grad school I went through my own psychedelic therapy. This experience changed my life and gave me relief from complex PTSD and depression. After I received my Master’s in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University, I trained in the therapeutic administration of psychedelic medicines. As a healer, I feel it is my ethical responsibility to offer the highest quality of care available and see this work as the future of psychotherapy. I have had the honor of guiding more than 400 life transforming journeys. It is my honor to support your path of self actualization.

Personally, I am inspired by nature, gardening, mixed media art,  and travel. I am passionate about sustainability and permaculture. Ashtanga Yoga and meditation have been a big part of my life. In a few years I envision myself leading medicine retreats at an off grid permaculture community. Healing within as we heal our planet together.

Learn more about Sasha on her website

I completed my dissertation on psychedelics at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). It is being published by North Atlantic Books as The Psilocybin Connection: Psychedelics, the Transformation of Consciousness, and Evolution of the Planet—An Integral Approach and will be distributed by Penguin Random House. The release date is April 5th 2022. Aside from academic work, I have undergone several major trainings, including graduating from the Hakomi Somatic-Psychotherapy program and training within the Mazatec mushroom tradition.

I assisted the Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy Certificate Training at CIIS for two years and mentored at the newly emerging School of Consciousness Medicine. I run a free monthly integration group called “Developing a Relationship with Sacred Mushrooms” with the San Francisco Psychedelic Society. I also taught a class on psychedelic psychotherapy at John F. Kennedy University, and worked with the Cosmic Mass for a year, a project to reimagine ritual in a postmodern culture.

Having attended Burning Man for almost a decade, I have led two camps, and volunteered at the Zendo Psychedelic Harm Reduction Center. Psychedelics, specifically psilocybin mushrooms, set the course for my academic career, first graduating from the University of Arizona with a major in Philosophy and minors in both Physics and Psychology, and then earning a master’s in Consciousness and Transformative Studies from John F. Kennedy University.

Learn more about Jahan on his website

Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy, EMDR Therapy and yoga all appeal to me because these therapies help people reach deeper levels within themselves and find their ability to heal. There is a letting go and self-processing that provides a foundation for seeing from new vantage points, and an expanded consciousness of a one’s story, life, and experience of being.

The body and mind provide protection from harm long after the threat is gone, leaving us in limited cycles of thoughts and feelings. Mind expanding therapies allow the body to process the past, experience safety and peace in the present, and manage adversity in the future. Being witness and providing the support to people as they venture through is truly an honor and privilege.

I learned Transcendental Meditation when I was just 10 years old and I didn’t realize at the time how it would change the trajectory of my life. Meditation has provided me momentary calm in the face of tragedy, and at other times in my life a complete sense of serenity. And still there are days I can’t calm my mind. That’s when I rely on yoga postures, mantras, connecting with my pets and the environment to find balance.

Early in my professional career, I worked in New York City in advertising and marketing research. I loved the work, but I could feel that something was missing and that was my need work with people. A little soul searching brought me back to the career I’d wanted to pursue when I was in college, so I went graduate school received my MSW at UCONN. After graduate school, I enthusiastically attended numerous post-graduate courses including EMDR Therapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, a yearlong training in dissociation, many addiction trainings, as well as becoming a registered yoga teacher.

The promising research on psychedelics along with personal experiences years ago inspired me to become trained in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy. I volunteered with MAPS and attended their week-long training in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy, and also participated in a Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy training.

I have over ten years of experience working in several different settings including outpatient mental health, substance abuse treatment and hospice, as well as extensive training and experience in Motivational Interviewing and Trauma, P.T.S.D. and Addiction treatment.

Learn more about Kate Becker on her website

I am a Registered Psychotherapist and a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. I completed an honours double major in psychology and sociology at York University and completed a post-graduate program for spiritual psychotherapy at Transformational Arts College of Spiritual and Holistic Training. I have also completed MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training with MAPS, and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy training with TheraPsil, a Canadian nonprofit. I’m grateful to be one of TheraPsil’s first provisional associates, which means I'm approved to provide legal psilocybin-assisted therapy to certain clients in Canada.
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From a young age, I always knew that my career would ultimately involve assisting and supporting others. As I grew and experienced the highs and most definite lows of life, I gained clarity in that vision. I experienced tragic losses early in my life. I watched those I cared for feel helpless, confused, and alone in their pain. My upbringing was touched by addictions, suicide, psychosis, rage, depression, anxiety, and so much more. Though those experiences were difficult, I wouldn't be who I am today without them. Through my own therapeutic and psychedelic journeys, I was able to uncover my resilience. The value of understanding emotional consciousness, spirituality, psychedelics, and mental health became clear to me.

I am a passionate transpersonal psychotherapist who is wholeheartedly committed to the conscious and spiritual development of the self. I believe that the potential to heal and grow is in every single one of us. I am gentle, patient, and understanding in my work. I am here to support you as we uncover parts and experiences that you are called to explore and heal. I honor the therapeutic space we share, the vulnerability that you bring, and do so without judgement. Your vulnerability is sacred. It is my hope that you and I will cultivate a strong therapeutic relationship, and that, together, we work towards your goals and inner healing.

Learn more about Shawna on her website

Is there a story you’re telling yourself that isn’t serving you anymore? I am a Bay Area based psychedelic guide and an award-winning theater artist and performance coach who understands the power of the stories we tell ourselves, subconscious stories of identity and worth that have the potential to oppress our light and stifle our spirit.

My fascination with story propelled me into a career as a certified life coach (CPCC). But it wasn’t until a transformative psilocybin journey which allowed me to, for the first time, rewrite the foundational stories of my own life, that I heard my true calling to pursue therapeutic work with sacred medicine. I have been creating and holding healing space now for over 10 years and have completed two in-depth experiential medicine trainings, including CSP’s Training of Ministers, as well as education in microdose coaching. I offer preparation/integration, 1:1 journeys and therapy, couples journeys, and group ceremonies/retreats.

I use a holistic, mindfulness-focused mixture of coaching, therapy and spiritual practices to explore your inner narratives. My process is highly involved and deeply transformative. For the seasoned journeyer, I have a knack for helping you mine new depths of exploration. For journeyers brand new to the medicine path, my process is particularly supportive and reassuring. Transcending our narratives on a cellular level is the path to personal liberation.
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“We are the stories we tell ourselves.” -Joan Didion

51 years ago at the age of 17, I had my first glimpse into the vastness of human consciousness through a psychedelic experience. This experience led me on a lifelong journey of exploring human consciousness and human potential through various spiritual practices and working with sacred medicines.

As a retired Registered Massage Therapist I work with non-ordinary states of consciousness through a somatic approach. My personal experience has shown me that deep healing and insights happen from a place beyond the mind. Every impression we receive throughout our lives is stored in the body as an energetic imprint. Much of it is long forgotten cognitively, but all of it is remembered on a deeper sensory level.

In 2006, after decades of meditation training and spiritual explorations, I returned to medicine work better-informed to work from a more mature, intentional place. My work is a synthesis of many of the trainings I have completed including, a 150-hour trauma focused, psychedelic therapy training, 18-month Mindfulness Yoga & Meditation training with Spirit Rock meditation centre, 7-day professional training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with Jon Kabat-Zinn, 200-hour yoga teacher training with Nosara Institute, and Yin Yoga teacher training with Paul Greeley. I’ve also trained and volunteered at both the Victoria & Toronto Hospices. My body centred approach incorporates many modalities and energy techniques I’ve studied and practiced as a Registered Massage Therapist.

As interest in psychedelics and psychedelic therapy is growing exponentially, it is a critical time to create Codes of Ethics and Best Practices for therapists and guides working with these powerful medicines. I’m currently spearheading an Ethics Committee with the Canadian Psychedelic Association (CPA) and they will soon post my guide on how to choose a psychedelic therapist on their website.

We’re at a critical and fragile time for all life forms on this planet. I feel that a profound awakening to our interconnectedness and natural environment can alleviate some of the suffering and environmental destruction we face. Entheogens, used for a higher purpose, in a careful, safe, and intentional way, can be an important tool for healing, both personally and globally.

Using mindfulness and a caring presence, I will accompany you on the road to personal growth, supporting you in understanding how you can become appreciative of your behaviors: they helped you come this far! We will explore how you can see your life through different, enriching perspectives to include multiple ways of being in relationship and acting in the world in a more satisfying way for you. It's about empowering you with the ability to choose what you want to live. It is about giving you choices.

As a strong believer in human consciousness as a self-healing system I clearly see that we engage in relationships aiming to give ourselves another chance to heal from past wounds. We are in search of opportunities to learn how to reclaim our voices, our wants, our needs, our lives.

As an integrative practitioner I will invite you to perceive how you are influenced by your own personal experience, by your body and physiology, by your family of origin's culture and norms, and by the institutions that govern your life in society. How unconscious expectations may hurt you. I look forwarding to supporting you on your journey!

Hi! I'm Chrissy. I'm a master's-level social worker and a certified Transformation and Psychedelic Integration Coach.
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I feel incredibly grateful to get to support you on your healing journey. I draw on potent methods from conscious relating, positive psychology, Eastern philosophy, and self-development to help you to find more joy, peace, inner empowerment and vibrance that really lasts.
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I bring to Atman over a decade of work in the mental health field and my own experiences using psilocybin to heal from depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder. I have also completed trainings with Being True To You, Psychedelics Today, and Fluence.

I believe psilocybin is such an incredible tool because it connects us more deeply to ourselves, each other, and the earth. At Atman, we're lucky enough to share this experience, supporting one another in this remembering and reconnection. In a world that at times feels so incredibly disconnected, there is nothing more powerful for me than being able to support this work.

Learn more about Chrissy on her website, and follow her work at the East Bay Healing Collective

I am a counselor, shamanic guide, musician, and energy healer.  I have been working as a guide since 2016 - working with individuals, couples, and groups.

My knowledge base is grounded both in scientific paradigms (neuroscience and psychology) as well as spiritual paradigms (shamanism, intuitive and energetic work, chakras, etc.).  I incorporate energy healing, sound healing, Hakomi principles and practices, and intuitive guidance into my healing practice.

With my grounding, loving guidance, I have helped clients be free of the cycle of depression, reduce anxiety, find life purpose, connect with their ancestors and past lives, gain clarity on their relationships, heal from childhood trauma, foster self love, and much more.
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In my mid-twenties, I spent years working with a traditional therapist and had gotten to a point of feeling frustrated and stuck around my path toward healing. I started working with shamanic healers in expanded states of consciousness and finally was able to break through places where I had felt so stagnant. Through this work, I was finally able to make significant shifts in myself and my life. I understood the power of this work and found my calling. It is an honor to be of service in this way.

Training and Education:

• Shamanic Guiding with Expanded States based in the Mazatec Tradition

• Core Shamanism: Divination, Soul Retrieval, Extraction, Death, Dying, and Beyond

• 2-year Comprehensive Hakomi Therapy Training

• M.A. in East-West Psychology from The California Institute of Integral Studies

• B.A. in Cognitive Science from U.C. Berkeley

• Clairvoyant Training from Intuitive Way

• Energy Work Training from Intuitive Way

• Level 1 Reiki Master

Learn more about Julie on her website

I have been an avid student and practitioner of different mushroom modalities for over 6 years. I began my studies 6 years ago in Alabama. After attending my first psilocybin mushroom retreat as a participant, I found my first mentor.
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I apprenticed under this teacher for 2 years before beginning to work with people on my own in a therapeutic setting. During this time I also co-founded Alabama's first gourmet and medicinal mushroom farm.

Since then, I moved on to deepen my studies and gather further experience. I have worked with psilocybin mushroom retreat centers in Mexico, Jamaica and the Netherlands. I am also a contributor to Psychedelics Today's Navigating Psychedelics for Clinicians and Therapists course.
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Currently I'm living in the San Francisco Bay area. I'm assisting with microdose hikes in Oakland, leading mushroom preparation circles, collaborating with the psychedelic communities, and continuing my education of working with entheogens.
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Holding space for individual and group mushroom experiences has been the most fulfilling work of my life. It is my passion and privilege to be with people in this way, and I look forward to supporting you on your journey.

Over the past dozen years through personal experience, anecdotal evidence, and a growing body of scientific research, it’s become clear to me that psychedelics are uniquely powerful tools for creating profound, positive change in people’s lives.

Psychedelics have long played an important role in my own life. I had my first psilocybin experience at 16, and it deeply shifted my sense of self worth as a young person. Further psychedelic experiences through my later teens and early twenties helped me solve personal problems, improve relationships, and provided me with insights into the world and the nature of my own mind I otherwise never would have had.

Towards the end of my undergraduate degree at McGill University, I discovered psychedelic research, in particular the MAPS MDMA trials and psilocybin studies at Johns Hopkins. The prospect of a level-headed, evidence-based return of psychedelics to our culture was incredibly exciting. What good luck, I thought, to be alive right at the time of the “psychedelic renaissance”.

After university I spent three years travelling, living abroad, and working remotely. During this time I’d write about personal development, spirituality, and psychedelics on my blog, Freedom and Fulfilment, which has now reached almost a million people worldwide. My interest in psychedelics grew over this time, along with the belief that increasing access to high quality psychedelic experiences could be deeply impactful in a positive way.

In mid-2018, I started putting together the pieces of what would become Atman Retreat. I’m fortunate enough to have had support from some very smart, competent people, and to have found an exceptional group of facilitators along the way. We’re honored to offer the opportunity for people to explore the full potential of psychedelics in a safe, legal way.

Other interests of mine include meditation (practicing for over 9 years), applied ethics, personality psychology, transpersonal psychology, yoga, and nonduality.

Thanks for visiting, and we hope to see you soon on a retreat!

Pranab is committed to reducing suffering and improving quality of life wherever he can.

He is a growth & operations generalist, and has led growth for founders across healthcare and B2B SaaS. Personally, he's an avid meditator and loves learning about different healing modalities. Connecting with psychedelics and dharma has changed his life, and he hopes to compassionately bring that to others.

Pranab holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from UT Austin.

Justin is the covering physician (doctor on call) for Atman Retreat, available throughout our psilocybin sessions. He practices general medicine as a medical officer at St. James Public Health Services and Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Justin received his MB,BS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) from The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica.

Alex advises on safety practices and provides input on the participant intake process for Atman Retreat. His main professional interests are addiction medicine and longterm patient relationships, and he is excited about developments in both clinical and non-clinical applications of psychedelics. Alex received his MD from the NYU School of Medicine, and holds a BSc from McGill University.