Working with plant medicine and psychedelics such as Ayahuasca, Bufo, Psilocybin, San Pedro, MDMA, and Ketamine can evoke trauma imprints and memories, arising to find resolution, healing, and freedom.

Plant medicines and psychedelics can access the implicit memory of individuals, and often trigger both confusing emotions and psychological states. When these states are not held with trauma awareness and care, individuals can experience disorientation, increased anxiety, disassociation, intrusive flashbacks, and at times, short or long-term psychosis.

Although many participants come to heal and process trauma experiences, very few facilitators possess the education and knowledge to respond effectively to the various categories of trauma that arise in this sacred space. The lack of trauma awareness and knowledge has led to many individuals staying “stuck” in the trauma loop and experiencing re-traumatization. These repercussions can be damaging and harmful to the psychological and emotional well-being of participants.

It requires a great deal of courage, experience, and bravery to navigate skillfully through the process of resolving trauma imprints in the arena of psychedelics when they arise. Unfortunately, many trauma survivors do not have the inner resilience or the resources to do so on their own.

Similarly, facilitators often feel overwhelmed with a lack of resources, education, and tools and without a practical understanding of what to do when various trauma imprints arise. This becomes neglectful and is perceived as dismissed by participants. leading to greater distress and perpetuating the trauma cycle.

Nepal Yoga Teacher Training

Why Attend?

At AYA Healing Retreats, we believe that being treated with safety and care in our current psychedelic renaissance is a human right, our birthright.

For this to happen, we need to co-create an inclusive, ethical, trauma-sensitive psychedelic renaissance that is grounded in responsibility, impeccable care, and compassion for all.

Our Trauma-Informed Plant Medicine Masterclass workshops will provide bite-sized tools and resources for facilitators to cultivate their trauma sensitivity and awareness. Workshops are 90 minutes long and will be facilitated by Atira Tan, Head of Integration at AYA Healing Retreats, the pioneer and founder of the Trauma-Informed Plant Medicine Facilitation Three Month Training Program, and the creator of the Somatic Plant Medicine Integration Model.

She will be joined by a guest facilitator for each masterclass, and each workshop will focus on a specific plant medicine, such as Bufo, Ayahuasca, Psilocybin, and Huachuma.

Each masterclass will start with a 45 mins talk and discussion about trauma-informed tips and tools to work with each medicine, followed by a 45-minute Q & A where participants can ask questions about the trauma-informed plant medicine paradigm and specific case studies.

“This trauma-informed plant medicine facilitation course has put language and science to the most important aspects of my work in ways I never could. This training empowered me to create safer, more integrated, and more compassionate healing containers for myself, the healers I work with, and of course our participants. I now feel that anyone working to facilitate healing of any kind should be trauma-informed as a foundational part of their approach. In fact, as we face the mounting challenges of today’s world, I feel we can’t afford to be.”

– Lara Charlotte, Co-Founder of Garden of Dreams, New Zealand.

“I cannot recommend this training enough for anyone working in the plant medicine space; whether you are pouring medicine, a supporter/facilitator, a pre or post-ceremonial integration specialist, or even a student of the plants. I strongly feel that this training should be the basic foundational training (alongside 1st Aid) for all healers and support plant medicine staff.
Atira is an excellent bridge and guides into the intersectional realms of plant medicine and trauma therapy.”
– SKYE MENDOZAY, FACILITATOR, SOUTH AFRICA

WORKING WITH BUFO 5-MEO DMT

Our first Trauma-Informed Masterclass will start with the plant medicine Bufo, also known as 5-MeO-DMT.

We have seen an increasing number of individuals experiencing re-traumatizing experiences, the loss of personal identity, increased anxiety, and disassociation from the use of Bufo. Many of these individuals did not receive sufficient or adequate care from facilitators before, during, and after the psychedelic experience, leading to high levels of anxiety, depression, fear, and other disassociative symptoms.

Our masterclass will share tips and tools on working with trauma with Bufo, certain contra-indications that facilitators need to be aware of, and how to facilitate and administer the medicine in a trauma-sensitive approach that is attuned, compassionate and safe.

Joining Atira is Stephan Kerby,  a Bufo facilitator, and coach integrating modern therapy and Bufo to help individuals with trauma, including working with war veterans. He also runs Wounded Healers Outreach, a mentorship and coaching program helping folks with severe trauma such as PTSD, depression, and anger management.

“Participating in this training gave me profound insight into what I’m doing as a ceremony guide and integration & microdosing coach, illuminating areas where I can grow, and strengthen & expanding my toolbox of resources, practices, processes, protocols, and tools I already have, to be able to support people in their healing journeys even better.

Atira carries a strong and very clear vision of the importance of having a trauma-informed approach and awareness when working in this rapidly growing field of plant medicine & psychedelic-assisted therapies. Being in her presence and receiving her teachings was super inspiring and motivating to keep showing up for this special and very much-needed work.”

– JUAN MANUEL BURGOS, Microdosing & Integration Coach, Argentina.

This program’s deep dive into the realms of living impeccable service has been nothing short of life-changing.

I remembered so much about the nervous system, about my life, about my purpose, about the bridges between paradigms and the collective trauma on the Earth. I was deeply warmed, inspired, challenged, and excited by the entire experience.

Atira transmits genuine, care, curiosity, understanding, and expertise. She is devoted to providing safe spaces for people to heal and her life’s work is a testimony to her wisdom. This body of work is a must for all.”

– MELE MAI, Art Therapist & Facilitator, Australia.

DETAILS & INVESTMENT

Our Trauma-Informed Plant Medicine Masterclass: Working with Bufo is available to watch as a recording. Your package comes with the following:

– The 90 mins Live Zoom workshop recording

– The 90 mins audio recording to download.

– Your PDF manual on trauma-informed tips and tools, an orientation list, and contraindications of working with Bufo.

Cost: $50 USD

What a life-changing experience. This training is a true treasure of knowledge and wisdom and shared with a caring and loving presence.

The depth of insights into a variety of tools to create safer spaces is the most I have ever experienced in any training. However, besides the theoretical teachings, what touched me the most was how the space was held in such safety and care and naturally became the soil for our personal softening into the journey.

And with that, we were able to truly experience the effect of a teacher who fully embodies what she teaches. And that is a priceless gift I will benefit from for the rest of my life.”

– FLORIANNE WOLFHART, Trauma-Informed Coach & Breathwork Facilitator, The Netherlands

“My mind and heart are in deep amazement and gratitude as I apply all that I learned in the Trauma-Informed Plant Medicine workshop.

I highly recommend this course/workshop, not only to those who are interested in the relationship between trauma and plant medicine but anyone who is curious about understanding human relational patterns to self and society. Atira shares in-depth knowledge and expertise of trauma studies and this work is much needed in the world.” 

– ELIZABETH GOTTWALD, Kambo Facilitator & Photographer, USA

YOUR TEACHERS

Atira Tan
Atira TanHead of Integration at AYA Healing Retreats
A TEDx speaker, activist, somatic trauma specialist, #1 Best Selling Author, and yoga teacher & group facilitator, Atira Tan,  is a powerful agent of transformation and change. She has touched the lives of thousands of women, men, and children around the world, supporting them through her 19 years of experience in various somatic and creative trauma recovery approaches.

Passionate about creating safer spaces for everybody, and bringing healing and awareness in the “shadowy” areas of life, Atira has worked as a trauma-informed integration specialist in retreat centers such as the Temple of the Way of Light and is currently the head of integration at AYA Healing Retreats.

Atira has mapped the trauma recovery of hundreds of PM participants in her private practice as an integration trauma specialist and co-facilitates Trauma-informed and Somatic Experiencing Plant Medicine retreats and dietas in Peru with AYA Healing Retreats. She is also the pioneer and founder of the Trauma-Informed Plant Medicine Program, of which has over 150 graduates in 2 years.

She possesses an MA in Art Therapy, has a background in Transpersonal Art Therapy and Holistic Counselling, and is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, amongst decades of training in various other trauma-informed approaches.

Atira has also worked for over a decade internationally in community organizations and international development as a consultant, clinician, and supervisor, as well as an educator in non-for-profit settings. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the European Graduate School in Switzerland, researching the effectiveness of somatic and creative trauma recovery interventions for sex-trafficked survivors in Asia. Atira also has presented at numerous conferences alongside Dr. Peter Levine, Dr. Stephen Porges, Dr. Pat Ogden, and Dr. Gabor Mate, just to name a few.

The CEO and Founder of Art to Healing, an Australian charity which supports the recovery of child sex slaves, Atira has also initiated international women’s health, art therapy, and trauma-informed programs for women and girls who have experienced sex slavery and exploitation internationally for the past 15 years.

Pre-COVID, Atira taught workshops, retreats & teacher trainings in 4 continents around the globe including Australia, Europe, Asia, and South America. She specializes in supporting women, men, and children, particularly those who have experienced sexual abuse to recover from trauma, in groups & individually in her private practice and international development settings as a trauma specialist through the embodied somatic psychologies and other holistic approaches.

Stephan Kerby
Stephan KerbyBufo Facilitator
Kerby is a Certified TIPM (Trauma-Informed Plant Medicine Facilitator), Reiki Master, medicine facilitator, healer, spiritual/life coach, herbalist, forager, and hypnotherapist with a specialty in utilizing 5-MEO DMT with modern therapy and coaching techniques to help individuals with trauma. He specializes in birth trauma and past-life trauma, PTSD, and depression.

Kerby also runs Wounded Healers Outreach which is a mentorship/coaching program to help folks with heavy trauma especially dealing with PTSD, depression, and anger. Kerby is an integration coach and works in many other roles, all utilized to help maximize the benefits of the sacred plant medicines. Kerby offers a unique approach to using plant medicine/sacrament in effective ways for healing and growth.

We would love for you to join us!

Please email Elio at info@ayahealingretreats.com for booking inquiries.

Follow me on Instagram!