I draw inspiration from many sources. The medicines I work with are compassion, empathy, authenticity, acceptance, curiosity, and reflection, sometimes facilitated by plant and psychedelic medicines. I will need to learn more about you and what you’re working through to determine which, if any, is the right choice for a particular session.
I am a certified integrated attachment theory coach as well as a crisis counselor, and have learned from many teachers around the Western and indigenous world. I blend these learnings with strong analytic problem solving skills and you’ll find elements of attachment theory, traditional ceremony, CBT, and contemplative psychology (among others) in the work we do together.
This depends heavily on what type of session is needed, and your own personal intentions that you bring in.
In a medicine session, we will meet together first so that I can learn about who you are and what is drawing you to this work. If we determine that a particular medicine will be a good fit I will prepare you for what to expect — it’s important that we both feel comfortable and safe before scheduling the session.
A few general things that can show up in the actual medicine session are: breathing exercises and (optional) ceremonial tobacco snuff called hapé to calm nerves and get into a grounded head space. After the medicine is taken, your personal experience will strongly influence the way the session plays out. I will be there with you the entire time (sober), and will let you lead the direction of the session in terms of what feels important to talk about in the moment, and when it is time for silence and introspection. There may be long stretches where I simply hold space for you to go through your own process, and there may be periods of time when we are actively talking through the emotions and visions that are coming up.
Music and eye mask will be available.
Depending on the medicine, a session can last anywhere from 1 to 12 hours. After a session we will connect at least one more time for integration, generally a week after the session ends. Believe it or not, it is often at the integration sessions where the majority of the work happens. In some ways, integration sessions are the heart of this practice, and I cannot stress enough how important they are.
If further integration is needed, we can always follow up with additional sessions as needed. If you currently see a therapist we can also discuss how you can continue the integration work with them. Additionally, I also offer standalone integration sessions for psychedelic experiences you’ve had in the past.
One of our biggest strengths is the ability to convert complex processes into subconscious habits. Whether we know it or not, we trust these subconscious processes with our lives, and many of the habits we form are directly related to keeping us safe and alive. But sometimes these habits and behavioral patterns end up holding us back too. Even if we can recognize the patterns that hold us back it can be extremely difficult to change them because of how deeply they’ve been carved into the subconscious.
With the aid of psychedelics, the subconscious becomes more accessible, and deeply ingrained habits can become less automatic, at least temporarily. With the right tools and in the right setting we can lay a foundation for new behaviors and habits, and with proper integration we can continue to strengthen the new habits and let the old ones weaken. This is the basis of any growth, and the ability to shake up our subconscious rigidity is what makes psychedelics so effective in this sort of work.
These medicines have a spirit and wisdom of their own that is eager to help you recognize your connection to the universe. Whether you are looking to heal trauma, strengthen your relationship with your ancestors, expand your awareness of what is possible with a mystical experience, or are struggling with the concepts of existence, mortality, and purpose, these medicines may help you find exactly what you need.
The term "bad trip" is language that I avoid, and I would encourage you to reframe this as well. The idea of a "bad trip" plays into the stigmatization of psychedelics, and may lead you to start your journey feeling disempowered and unsafe. After all, "bad" is quite a subjective word; I suggest reframing it instead as a difficult experience.
The truth of this work is that it often is difficult. I cannot guarantee that you will experience cosmic bliss, and if we are doing trauma work there’s a good chance that at least part of our experience together is going to be difficult. But there is nothing inherently "bad" about difficult work — in fact there’s quite a lot of good that can come from it.
What comes up in session was already inside you even if you weren’t consciously aware; the really difficult and scary pieces of your experience are exactly the things you are trying to heal. Recognizing your pain allows you to learn what you need in order to move through it and feel better, and with proper integration these lessons will help you move forward in a good way after the session.
My role is to help you feel safe and supported throughout the entire experience, no matter how painful or scary it feels in the moment, so that you can do the difficult work that is needed to heal. When things start to feel too overwhelming I will help guide you to lighter territory. I have a very grounding and calming energy. You will be ok. And then you will be more than ok.
Titles are useful in any line of work, and I felt it was important to choose one that felt accurate and authentic. Over the years I have tried on several and none of them fit right, so I invented my own: Espejador comes from the Spanish ‘espejo’ (mirror) and would translate to ‘mirror worker’ or ‘mirrorer.’ This is a theme that has shown up in much of my interpersonal work throughout the years.
It can be hard to see ourselves clearly, especially when traumas and internal experience distort our perception and narratives. It can often feel easier to hide from certain aspects of ourselves, whether consciously or subconsciously, that we don’t want to see. In my experience it is important to see these things with clarity and welcome them into the space if we want to truly grow and heal. My goal as an espejador is to help you cut through illusions, make your own discoveries, and see yourself and your next steps with more clarity by holding a safe space, meeting you with empathy and acceptance, listening deeply, and asking the right questions.
I also refer to myself as a teacher’s aid when it comes to medicine work. These medicines can be very powerful teachers. Sometimes the lessons aren’t entirely clear, and sometimes the lessons feel so obvious in the moment but are harder to grasp once you come back to a more ordinary state of consciousness. I work to help you process your experiences and integrate the lessons into daily life.
I’ve been a strong proponent for entheogens (sacred medicines) for more than half my life. My own journeys and the experiences of many others have taught me what a profound positive impact even a single experience can have in someone’s life. While I have learned how powerful and transformative these experiences can be, I also know that without the proper safety and integration they can cause harm. People deserve support during and after psychedelic experiences. They also deserve access to these medicines. I believe that medicine work is the most impactful way that I can help support the community around me and build a better world.
Regardless of what type of session we are having, the most important thing you can do to prepare is to take it seriously. This means taking the time to acknowledge the important work you’re doing and come in with clear intentions. You should take care of yourself as well as possible in the week leading up to a session. Get plenty of rest/healthy nutrition/hydration, try to avoid stressful situations and toxic environments, avoid other substances (especially alcohol and cannabis), meditate, spend time in nature, limit TV, social media, etc. Give yourself a full day of rest both before and after the session to ease your transition in and out of ceremony. To get the most from your experience, it may also be necessary to taper off of certain prescription medications beforehand. We can discuss this in preparation for your session.
This is variable and something we will discuss before a session. My medicine sessions are donation based. I believe that these medicines should be accessible in a safe way to the people who need them and I don’t want to turn anyone away due to lack of funds. That said, part of what allows me to continue making this accessible is your financial support. It's also important to mention that this exchange is not only for my sake; making a contribution helps enforce your flow of energy and commitment through this journey. As a benchmark, a suggested donation for a 6-7hr medicine session (including followup integration session) is $1200. If that is not possible for you, give what you can, no questions asked. If you can give more your funds will help those who are not able to pay. We are a community.
