Guided by a desire to affect positive social change, I’ve worked in activist, corporate and social enterprise settings initiating a string of projects along the way. Through the process I found that supporting people to do deep work is where my heart, skills and passion lie. Designing and guiding people through transformational processes feeds my soul, whilst growing the business satiates my mind. All in all, I’ve found the perfect job balancing the pragmatist and the mystic.

My experience includes designing and facilitating courses for young adults at edventure:Frome where I’m now a trustee; working in policy, strategy and campaigns through a masters at Forum for the Future; sailing across the Atlantic transporting cargo with Fair Transport and project-managing a sustainable house-build in France. My foundation in facilitation comes from participating in, and working on courses worldwide, including community-building, process-work, family constellations, sensuality & sexuality training, coaching, shiatsu and bodywork amongst others, but most of my learning comes from navigating the seas of life.

I love ‘sitting in the unknown’ with participants, guided by an intuitive voice and trust in the process that unravels. The art of working with powerful medicines like truffles is to really listen and act in service to these plants, with reverence and respect, and both feet firmly on the ground. This way of working derives from my own practice with the medicines that have supported me through life’s spectrum of light and dark, grief and joy and everything in between. Whilst heightened states can be profoundly life-changing, the real work of integrating the experience happens afterwards, weaving the magic and the mundane. Pivotal to the work are accessible rituals that cement healing, transformation and connection. I’m in my element immersed in nature, you’ll find me swimming in the sea, singing up the mountains and dancing round the fire.

To get in touch, email biz@alalaho.com

My path has been guided by a sincere longing to be of service to life, and a continuous inquiry as to how to go about that. I spent my teenage years and early adult life working on socio-economic and political issues, initially with children in India, Brazil, Peru and England, then on deforestation and human rights issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Papua New Guinea. I obtained degrees from the University of Oxford, Sciences Po, and Columbia University, however my most important education came from the illness and death of my mother, and the discovery of psychedelic medicines.

Through these experiences, I became increasingly focused on the inner dimensions of healing and delved deeply into psycho-spiritual work. Over the last years, I have trained in various psychotherapeutic modalities with The School for Essential Counselling, delved into sensuality and sexuality work with different tantra and embodiment teachers, studied in shamanic lineages of the Americas, predominantly in the Lakota and Shipibo tradition, embarked on the Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist path, and participated in a modern Mystery School training in New Zealand. I am also learning through gardening, dancing, singing, my friends and my family. It is a tremendous blessing to be able to draw on the wisdom of each of these approaches to support my own and others' journeys through the multifaceted nature of what it means to be a human being.

Growing up has been a continuous waking up to the fact that life is very different than what I have been conditioned to believe and expect, both much more challenging and also infinitely richer, vaster and more beautiful than I could have anticipated in my wildest dreams. It is my greatest passion and honour to contribute to the creation of a culture where we open up to the unfiltered wisdom at the core of our being, become empowered to take responsibility for our lives and feel free to express our unique gifts.

To get in touch, email stefana@alalaho.com

I have always had a passion for bringing people together to experience the magic that comes from authentic connection and from exploring uncharted areas of their inner worlds. My own curiosity led me down the psychedelic path, but I could never have expected that using psychedelics in a conscious and considerate way would create a catalyst for huge positive life changes and act as incredibly important tools for personal healing and growth.

Other meaningful tools I have discovered along the way that influence my work include bodywork and shamanic practice. Having trained extensively in BioDynamic Bodywork, I practice mainly massage therapy but also holotropic breathwork, body movement techniques and dance with the aim of releasing both physical and emotional tension and trauma. I am a student of Celtic Shamanism at the Centre for Shamanic Studies in Ireland (my homeland), where I practice the use of drum journeys, ritual, nature connection and Shamanic Counselling techniques as a means of healing deeper levels of the Self. What excites me most lies at the intersection of psychedelic, shamanic and body-based healing. Trainings that have informed my work of holding psychedelic sessions include drug welfare training with ChillWelfare (UK), Psychedelic Integration Training and modules of Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy training with Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies - MAPS (US).

What I love most about this work is the fact that the process we create has the potential to have an immensely profound impact on people's lives in both simple and very deep ways. To see people's souls being touched by the medicine of the psilocybin and the medicine of the group is one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed. This work has become an integral part of my life and it brings me such joy to share it with the team and those who attend our retreats. I'm most content when I'm gardening, foraging, playing music, adventuring in my van, or in an Ecstatic dance class.

To get in touch, email ciara@alalaho.com or for more info, visit www.ciarasherlock.com

I am passionate about the synergy between psychotherapy, meditative practices, and non-ordinary states of consciousness, and am nearing the completion of a 5-year diploma training in transpersonal psychotherapy. I particularly revel in infusing my work with the insights and little wisdom I have gathered so far from my training in Tibetan Buddhism, the past twelve years or so.

For as long as I can remember, I have had an insatiable curiosity about the world, and been dedicating myself to the exploration of the inner reaches of human consciousness: be it through an early interest in philosophy, science and astronomy, mythology and religions; through to a bachelor in social anthropology and years of avid reading on various shamanic and spiritual traditions, personal and collective healing and growth; or most significantly perhaps through a life-changing backpacking journey to Asia in my late teens where I discovered both Buddhism and the sacred use of psychedelic medicines.

It was in the Himalayan mountains that I experienced for the very first time the deep, inexpressible joy that comes from the cracking open of the heart to its own immensity, and to the inherent beauty of the web of life in all its intricacy, interconnectedness, mysteriousness. It was also then, on a meditation retreat centred around the exploration of the meaning of life in light of impermanence and death, that I vowed to dedicate my life to the cultivation of wisdom and compassion, and to being of service to people and the transformations so desperately needed in our aching world.

And so, a few years down the line, here I am, blessed to be able to weave together all of my deepest passions and skills so as to support people on their own journeys of unfolding. For that is what this work is all about: the unfolding of the infinite vitality, wisdom and potential that lies at the core of our being… just like the blossoming of a lotus.

To get in touch, email lode@alalaho.com or for more info, visit www.jennifertessler.com

It was the courageous journey of following my heart into the great unknown, that led me to this work.

A chronic burnout in my mid twenties forced me to look deeper and seek holistic practices for healing. I left my job to follow my dream of travelling the world and through this journey studied with teachers, mentors and shamans, training in meditation, ancient yogic philosophy, asana, breathwork, sound healing and plant medicine ceremony. Four years later I began facilitating and sharing, creating safe spaces to support vulnerability, authentic self-expression and connection.

Plant medicines and therapeutic work has also supported me on my journey as an artist, musician, designer and photographer. The continuous pursuit and surrender of living the creative life is, for me, deeply purposeful soul work that requires meeting the deepest parts of myself, moving through blocks, patterns and resistances so that I may express what wants to come through me in artistic form.

The conscious use of psychedelics has been a significant ingredient in my own journey of healing for over 13 years, and it is a profound honour to now be supporting others on their journeys into the inner realms. I have been in service as a psychedelic facilitator since 2018 and my reverence for this work only continues to deepen. Remaining grounded and in humility is essential to this work and I walk this path as life’s student, in devotion to the mystery and in commitment to my inner growth. I am participating in therapy and group processes in preparation for studying a psychotherapy degree.

The greatest wisdom I embodied from my journey is the power of following one’s heart into the unknown, through fear and resistance, and how the practice of surrender can bring one closer to a deeper connection and richer life. This is what I love about the teachings of the psychedelic work - the constant reminder of the importance of trust and willingness to lean in and let go.

My personal journey of growth and healing ignited my passion for working with enhanced states of consciousness as a means of traversing our inner worlds, processing trauma and engaging with the ongoing path of healing ourselves. Plant medicines, alongside other healing modalities such as breathwork, sound therapy and meditation, have facilitated some of the most important learning experiences of my life.

How we hold space for others in a manner which allows them to feel safe and supported as they engage with the medicines, is something that matters deeply to me. My work as a psychedelic facilitator over recent years has been so fulfilling due to the incredible people I have had the pleasure of supporting during their experiences.

I’ve spent the past five years creating holistic events and workshops with a particular focus on the preparation, navigation and integration of the psychedelic experience, in relation to the benefits of meditation, yoga and sound healing. I am inspired by practices that have made a considerable difference to my own life, such as vipassana meditation, holotropic breathwork and sound therapy. As a musician I have always felt very connected to the power of sound and music but I first became fascinated in applying it as a tool for helping navigate non-ordinary states of consciousness whilst spending time in South America. Those experiences led me to qualify and work as a sound healer. I am also in training as a shamanic practitioner and find nourishment in learning and practicing ancient techniques which can assist and empower us to connect to the wisdom within ourselves and the natural world, whilst supporting our journeys within.

I am a systemic group therapist and in my final year of an integrative psychotherapy training. I’ve been working as a psychedelic facilitator for over two years now and have found psychedelic work to be a beautiful, wild support for people looking to deepen into themselves and feel more agency in their lives. I have spent a good portion of my life working in community and arts projects, and I now focus on inclusive therapy services, finding ways to connect people with personal work who often don’t have access to that way of thinking, whether due to class, race or cultural structures.

I grew up in the north of England, in relative poverty and learnt a lot then about self-sufficiency. After leaving home at sixteen I travelled the world, sometimes for work, sometimes for fun, sleeping rough or on couches, doing what I wanted and not worrying too much about where things were going. Luckily enough life took me in interesting, inspiring directions. I lived in radical communities, in cultures different from my own, followed my interests and managed to get an education at the same time.

Of all my trainings and life experiences, nothing has taught me as much as becoming a father. It is a constant reminder of how much life and wellness depends upon relationship. After growing up a devoted introvert I have been forced to face how much I need other people, how we all do if we let down our coping mechanisms and our body armour. Every day I am forced to ask how I can be in relationship with my partner and with my child, without being overwhelmed by our feelings, and without repressing them; to take joy in this crazily intense process called parenthood, to let it completely take over and also not lose myself in it. This is the work of therapy I believe. To support us to live life as fully as we can, to let life enter us, overwhelm us and inspire and transport us, and yet to still feel at our core a still point, an inner clarity and a spaciousness amidst the whirl.

Life has offered me many opportunities to explore the human experience, body and mind. Firstly, by studying the voice, performance and storytelling, then as a vinyasa yoga teacher and integrative nutrition coach. Through a series of breakthrough experiences during group therapeutic processes, I felt moved to look at human health beyond nutrition and embarked on training with The School for Essential Counselling. This path led me to co-founder and co-director, Stefana Bosse and the retreats. I have been part of the facilitation team for two years, alongside training to become a transpersonal psychotherapist.

Psychedelics have given me precious lived experiences and blueprints for integrating more parts of my psyche into daily life. I’m extremely grateful to my teachers and to the opportunities I’ve been offered to work intentionally with psychedelics in different traditions.

I was raised by a pair of group facilitators who spoke the language of personal growth – a culture I was embarrassed by as a kid and kicked back hard against in my teens and twenties. Motivated by my own existential aches and pains, I’ve found myself coming home to this kind of essential human work as I’ve grown older.

What interests me most is how we can find more compassionate relationships with the parts of ourselves we often seek to erase. To find more ways to live with greater responsibility, truth and humour. And, as the poet David Whyte says, to begin to cultivate a friendship with the unknown.

I don’t see psychedelics as a panacea for mankind’s ills. However, I do experience them as one of our most direct teachers and masters of the school of felt sense; a tool and tuning fork to complement other, ‘slower’ daily practices and therapies.

Alongside inquiry work, poetry, intuitive movement, sacred song and singing, I find the experience of being with people in a more real way on the retreats to be one of my greatest medicines.

I am a Psychotherapist and Group Facilitator trained in humanistic and transpersonal psychology. In my work as a therapist I aim to create a supportive, dynamic space where people can explore, process and make meaning of their most important life experiences.

In addition to my therapeutic work I have many years of experience working with and exploring expanded states of consciousness; through meditation, conscious movement, fasting, breathwork and the use of psychedelics and plant medicines. In addition to my own explorations in these areas I have several hundred hours of experience working in psychedelic integration and harm reduction.

In relation to the work I do with the retreats team I am particularly interested in the urge that many of us human animals have to seek out ‘Ecstasis’, both as a route to escape suffering and to achieve healing or a sense of wholeness within ourselves. I think that the careful, intentional use of psychedelics can be one way in which we can do this, and that through this opening up of consciousness we are sometimes able to connect more deeply with ourselves and others and thus be more alive and present amidst all ups and downs in the mystery that is life.

I'm a licensed psychodynamic / somatic psychotherapist and trauma therapist and I work in a private practise with individuals, groups and couples. In the last few years, I have been exploring sexuality, embodiment and sexual therapy approaches. I benefited so much from this personally and I love working with people who aim for feeling more at ease, alive and joyful in this regard.

Being interested in the incredibly rich ways in which psychedelics can help us connect more deeply and more simply, I joined Alalaho in the beginning of 2019. I love the way the whole team works together, integrating so many different backgrounds and passions, from creative work, psychotherapy, bodywork, shamanic training, to food wisdom, poetry, and dance. It inspires me deeply, and the people that have come to our retreats and their unique journeys and perspectives on being human amaze me, in each retreat cycle anew. I love to see how humans naturally strive for being more whole and how they creatively organise themselves. I am interested in how we perceive love. I am fascinated by how we ‘survive’ certain traumas and in how ‘symptoms’ can point to change and expansion. I love holding space for people finding new trust in themselves and life.

Coming from a rather alternative home, I ‘rebelled’ in my teens by being quite conforming. Later, I went on long travels, and lived abroad. I am grateful for times of learning, while being immersed in very contrasting realities. The course of my life has drastically changed a number of times and I love to see how it all makes sense, now, allowing for deep change.

I love doing this work. I love tending to plants. I love hiking and finding edible fruit and herbs along the way. I love losing my mind in dance, and love sleeping outside.

My life path has never been very straight, well thought-out or paved. As a young girl, when someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always just replied ‘happy’. That ambition had me study fashion and design, international publishing, and cultural anthropology, but none of them truly felt like… me. I wanted to do something more creative with my love for people, cultures and flavors of the world. For the last decade or so, cooking has become this thing, the kitchen my happy place, and I feel so very grateful for this new chapter in my life.

I got my practical kitchen skills from cooking in restaurants, on festivals and film sets, but it is really only since entering the retreat space that all things fell into place. There is just so much magic in feeding people, in a group setting full of deep inner work and play, for several days. Sharing nourishing, healthy and delicious food has this way of bringing people together, of making bellies and bodies happy, feet grounded, souls soothed and hearts open. Food then becomes part of the journey and growth. Another inspirational thing to bring back home.

The more I cook, the more I realise how important it is to do so in a holistic, healthy and sustainable way. But that should never mean a lack of taste, variation, presentation or satisfaction though! Life is too short for such compromises… I truly believe it is possible to enjoy fantastic food that nourishes both people and the earth, and I love proving this on a plate!

My love for food alchemy started at a very young age. Fascinated by the process that ingredients would go through to create a dish - or even better, a cake - was pure magic for me as a little girl.

Growing up I fell into a deep pit of eating disorders. There I was, stuck, for over 10 years in a downward spiral. It came to a point where I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired I was determined to find a way out. Conventional therapy wasn’t helping me and I decided to start doing my own research. I came across an abundance of resources that I devoured. Step by step, bite by bite, I got better, more positive mentally and stronger physically, until slowly but surely, my eating disorder became irrelevant.

This whole journey led me to see the incredible power we have as human beings of transformation. Plus, the great impact of eating a healthy diet on our quality of life.

I have been cooking full-time for 7 years now, serving holistic, plant based and organic food on many retreats and festivals. Being able to give forth what has given me so much feels like a blessing.

The food I serve is holistic, as for me it has been -and continues to be- such strong medicine. It is my honor to let others experience the joy and power of eating great foods. The dishes I serve are thought through on many different levels (taste, texture, colour, health benefits and energetics). All the love, intention and attention that goes into the creation of the food being the most powerful ingredients.

It is an honor being able to support such powerful transformations as hosted by Alalaho, by nourishing you deeply with great foods.

Growing up as a child of a multicultural family (Chek, Slovak and Croatian) and the landscapes of the country that disappeared into non-existence (SFR Yugoslavia), early on I got a toolkit for ‘how to survive on an edge’. The edges in life and the transformation that comes from being in them, have for a long time been my place to be and my inspiration… Transformation as my guiding force has brought me to most of my adventures.

My grandmother was a medicine woman in a Slovakian village and her initiation would guide me to do yoga in my teens followed by massage and Reiki later on, to Shuem Shamanism, the platform for most of my mystical experiences. It is an honour to my beloved family that I now work with Psychedelics.

Fleeing the war in Croatia with my beloved, I came to Amsterdam, and it is here in the Netherlands that I started all over again, finding my new place and my new love, friends and family. After a few years of building a new life I became a mother of Izza and Moos... I started to design clothes and organise fashion shows and run a small restaurant on the edge of Amsterdam in a community where we still live. In this amazing free place, Rijkshemelvaart, I could explore my talents and discover that my family heritage - love for creating and enjoying food - could become my occupation.

Creating new recipes and menus become the manifestation of so many of my passions. Discovering what happens when people meet with the intention to open to the unknown and surrender, learn to be mindful and surprised, play and enjoy togetherness, the warmth of another human being and everything that surrounds that, the food, music, dance, silence… is that magic, that transformation, that edge I love to bathe in and help to create.

The guideline to the food creations beside the colours, the visuals and taste for me is ‘let the food be your medicine, let the medicine be your food.’ Besides the love for creating food I love to organise festivals, dance, sing, make things from textiles, but above all I love and learn the most from being a mother.

I am currently a full-time mother to two autonomously-educated / unschooled young boys and I learn alongside these pint-sized Zen masters daily about the love and connection that truly matters. I am also part-time Retreats Coordinator, gently holding many of the threads that weave through our team to deliver the magic of our retreats programme. My journey to this point has been long and winding and every time an applicant or participant reaches out on email, I feel a deep empathy and connection for what brings us to this moment and an even deeper respect for the bravery and courage needed to take this step on your own personal journey.

I have an almost lifelong passion for plant medicines and psychedelics and have experienced first-hand the transformative and life-enhancing effects of these medicines.  In November 2019, I was a participant in a groundbreaking clinical trial at the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College on the use of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression. I consider myself living proof of these medicines, and to say that my life was changed is an understatement. My everyday experience of Life has been redefined. I am now returning to a long term calling and continuing my studies in January 2021.

I am committed to expanding access to these psychedelically assisted therapies and experiences, to my own ongoing journey of personal and spiritual inquiry and to spreading the spores of this sacred wisdom.  The roots of my daily practices grow deeper and sustain me on this journey, and include meditation, breathwork, embodied movement/dance and weekly peer integration sessions that are enabling me to connect to my vulnerability and find aliveness, joy and connection. I have come home to myself, and have found that I am wholly unbroken. Life in all its richness, is guiding me towards taking my place in the psychedelic micro/macrocosm. I am evolving from patient to practitioner. I am heeding Chiron’s call and I will speak my truth as I take my next steps on this winding path, always in service to Life and all its mystery.

I am a clinical psychologist, with experience working mainly with developmental disorders, addiction and neurological problems. I very much admire the work of Jung and my work and personal life are both highly influenced by his philosophies. My first experience with psilocybin was enough to convince me that this space is my future, and I endeavour to work with these substances, to assist myself and others in the weaving together of a pathway towards psychological and spiritual healing and growth, through the intentional and respectful use of psychedelics in combination with psychotherapy and other practices.

I feel privileged to be able to utilise my skills as a psychologist part-time here with Alalaho, to screen and interact with applicants from the first point of contact with our organisation.