About Atman Retreat

Psychedelics are known to produce profound, meaningful, transformative experiences when used in a safe and intentional manner.1 However, many people don’t have access to psychedelics, or to a safe setting within which to use them. Others simply don’t want to break the law. Until we adopt more compassionate, evidence-based drug policy, there are few ways for people to experience these extraordinary states of consciousness safely and legally. Atman Retreat exists to fill this gap.

Mission

Our core mission is to help people explore the full potential of the psychedelic experience, in all its healing, transformative, and transcendent qualities. Retreats are held in Jamaica, where psilocybin mushrooms are legal. Participants stay at a spacious villa, with comfortable rooms and a scenic private beachfront. Our team of experienced facilitators is passionate about creating space for inner transformation, insight, and breakthroughs.

Whether you’re completely new to psychedelics, or a seasoned psychonaut interested in a different kind of journey, Atman Retreat is a complete 4-day experience that allows you to explore psychedelics safely, legally, and in a setting designed to maximize their benefits.

When you feel ready, you can apply here. Read more about our team below, and we hope to see you soon on a retreat!

Back to team

Shawna Alvis

Facilitator
https://www.wellnessalignment.ca/

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.

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.