Frequently Asked Questions

Healing Philosophy & Foundations

Because we’ve been conditioned to believe we’re broken. But you’re not broken. There’s nothing to fix—only yourself to befriend and accept. And yes, let’s acknowledge that accepting yourself is hard in the face of so much conditioning otherwise. The struggle isn’t from what happened to you, but from judging yourself because of what happened to you. The moment you stop trying to fix yourself, the illusion of being broken fades, and what needs to shift does so on its own.

“We cannot change, we cannot move away from what we are, until we thoroughly accept what we are. Then change seems to come about almost unnoticed.” —Carl Rogers

In his lecture ‘Time and the More It Changes,’ Alan Watts stated:

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but an experience to be had. The more you strive to fix yourself, the more you reinforce the belief that you’re broken.”

Without acceptance, there’s resistance. And where there’s resistance, there’s tension, shame, judgment—an inner split. Acceptance is what allows us to stop fighting ourselves, even the parts we’ve pushed away or learned to reject. It doesn’t mean resignation or passivity. It means making space for what’s true—so it can be felt, understood, and integrated.

Healing begins when we meet what’s here with curiosity and care. Acceptance softens the nervous system, creates safety, and allows the body and psyche to let go of defense. It affirms that you are already worthy—of love, support, and attention—just as you are.

In this work, acceptance isn’t just a concept—it’s an embodied experience. And it’s often the thing that people have rarely, if ever, received. When it’s present, something begins to open. And that’s where healing can begin.

Not as much as one might think.

While psychedelic journeys can be powerful catalysts for growth, they’re not required to do deep, meaningful work. Many people find that sessions in Rosen Method Bodywork or Compassionate Inquiry can be just as—if not more—transformational, especially in a slower, gentler way.

It’s the process, not the medicine, that creates the conditions for healing. How we go about healing is part of the healing. Connection, attunement, safety, and being witnessed with acceptance and love are what truly allow something to soften, open, and shift.

Whether or not you choose to work with psychedelics, the heart of the work is the same: presence, trust, and a deep respect for your own unfolding. We meet you exactly where you are—and move at the rhythm that’s right for you.

Modalities & Integration

Rosen Method Bodywork is a gentle, non-manipulative somatic practice that helps bring unconscious material into conscious awareness through touch, presence, and dialogue. By contacting chronic muscular tension—often formed as a protective response to past experiences—practitioners create a safe space for awareness, release, and choice. There are no demands on the table—no meditations, special breathing, or effort required. Being held and witnessed with acceptance is enough. The body softens, the breath deepens, and long-held patterns surface in a way that feels safe and organic.

On its own, Rosen is a powerful modality for increasing self-awareness, supporting emotional release, and building a deeper relationship with one’s inner world. It enhances interoception—the ability to feel internal states—which can reduce stress, increase resilience, and create the conditions for long-term healing.

When used alongside psychedelics, Rosen provides a grounded and embodied way to prepare for or integrate what’s been revealed. The method helps regulate the nervous system, supports the parasympathetic state, and anchors the insights received from a journey in the body—not just the mind.

Whether as a standalone practice or as part of psychedelic integration, Rosen offers a slow, attuned, and deeply respectful way of meeting yourself—one that unfolds at the pace of trust and safety. 

Compassionate Inquiry is a powerful therapeutic approach that helps uncover the unconscious beliefs and emotional patterns that shape our lives. It creates space for insight, self-understanding, and the kind of compassionate presence that makes real change possible.

CI helps you connect the dots between present-day triggers and activations and the experiences that shaped you—often in childhood. It supports people in getting underneath surface-level stories to reconnect with the parts of themselves that have been exiled, silenced, or forgotten. When we can see how past experiences live on in our nervous system and continue to influence us now, we create the possibility for real choice and healing.

When combined with psychedelic journeys, CI provides a strong container for preparation and integration. Understanding your trigger history before a journey helps prime the experience and provides a framework for making sense of what arises—both during and after. It helps translate the symbolic or emotional material from a journey into real-life awareness and meaningful change. In my own work, I’ve found CI to be one of the most effective and adaptable modalities for gently, yet deeply, supporting people on their healing path.

Low-dose sessions using Relational Somatic Tuning (RST) provide a gentler, significantly less confrontive approach compared to the Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP) sessions they are based on. RST is a somatic, trauma-informed, and real-time relational way of working that offers a powerful yet subtle way to access and unwind what’s stored in the body emotionally, physically, and energetically.

These sessions often involve cannabis, occasionally ketamine, or sometimes no medicine, allowing your nervous system to integrate experiences at a safe, manageable pace. Low-dose work is ideal for those seeking grounded and relational healing, doing integration, or working with developmental or attachment trauma.

Somatic techniques complement psychedelics by providing a powerful concrete framework, your body, for processing emotions, integrating insights, and fostering profound personal transformation.

Combining somatic practices—such as Rosen Method Bodywork and movement practices that work directly with the nervous system—with psychedelics enhances access to subconscious material and promotes profound emotional release. These practices create a safe space for exploring and releasing trauma, leading to lasting changes and personal growth.

By working directly with the body’s felt experience and physical sensations, individuals can better integrate psychedelic insights into daily life. This embodied approach supports a more comprehensive healing process, anchoring transformative experiences in the nervous system and promoting resilience and self-awareness.

SSP and RRP are sound-based interventions grounded in Polyvagal Theory, which is a neuroscience framework that helps us understand how the nervous system responds to safety and threat.

The Safe & Sound Protocol uses specially filtered music delivered through headphones to gently stimulate the vagus nerve and middle ear muscles. This helps shift the nervous system from states of defense (fight, flight, or freeze) toward regulation and social engagement. Many people notice they feel less reactive, more grounded, and better able to connect with others.

The Rest & Restore Protocol takes a different approach, using rhythmic, immersive sound with embedded biological cues that support deep restoration and homeostasis. Co-developed by Dr. Stephen Porges (creator of Polyvagal Theory) and composer Anthony Gorry, RRP supports both dorsal and ventral vagal pathways, encouraging profound internal rest and nervous system balance.

Both protocols are non-invasive, research-backed, and can be experienced remotely or in person. They’re particularly helpful for those dealing with anxiety, hypervigilance, difficulty feeling safe in relationship, or anyone seeking greater nervous system resilience.

SSP and RRP are natural extensions of the somatic, trauma-informed work we do at Akasa Journeys. Whether used on their own or alongside Rosen Method, Compassionate Inquiry, or psychedelic work, they offer gentle yet powerful support for nervous system regulation.

Because so much of healing depends on the body’s ability to recognize safety, these sound protocols can create a foundation that makes other work more accessible. Someone might use SSP before a psychedelic journey to help their nervous system feel more resourced, or engage with RRP during integration to support deeper rest and restoration.

They also stand alone as complete interventions—whether as a primary modality, a complement to other practices, or a way to support ongoing nervous system health over time.

Like everything we offer, SSP and RRP are used collaboratively. We start with a free consultation to explore whether one of these protocols feels right for where you are in your journey.

Guidance & Psychedelic Support

While the terms psychedelic guide and trip sitter are often used interchangeably, there are meaningful differences in the depth and style of support.

That said, these terms are often used loosely or interchangeably in casual conversation and across different communities. The key is that the support you receive fits your needs—whether you call it guiding, sitting, or something else.

A trip sitter typically offers basic safety and presence — staying nearby, ensuring physical safety, and holding space with minimal active engagement. This role is usually supportive but more passive.

A psychedelic guide, by contrast, brings intentional training and relational presence. Guides assist with preparation—helping clarify your intention and emotional readiness—offer attuned support during the journey by knowing when to speak or stay silent, and facilitate integration afterward. They actively track your process to create conditions for safety, depth, and exploration.

In my work, I offer a flexible, trauma-informed, somatic approach that adapts to your needs—whether you want grounded presence or deeper facilitation. We discuss what level of support feels right for your unique journey.

A guide offers much more than just supervision—they hold the space with presence, safety, and attunement, allowing the experience to unfold in a supported and intentional way. Having a guide can help you feel more secure, especially when navigating unfamiliar or emotionally charged territory.

Before the journey, a guide helps you clarify your intention and prepare emotionally and energetically. During the session, they provide a grounded and non-judgmental presence, creating the conditions for you to go deeper while feeling safe and held. If difficult material arises, a skilled guide can help you stay connected to yourself and the process, without shutting down or becoming overwhelmed.

Afterward, a guide helps you begin to integrate what was revealed—through reflection, conversation, and support in weaving insights into your life. While the medicine may open the door, it’s the relationship, rhythm, and trust that help you walk through it.

I primarily work with two main medicines: the classic psychedelic psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA. Cannabis is the primary medicine used in Relational Somatic Tuning (RST) and PSIP sessions. I use ketamine occasionally in specific somatic contexts, but only rarely.

My role is to support your healing process through preparation, journey, and integration—not to provide any medicines. Our focus is on healing, safety, education, and harm reduction. However, we can direct you on how to obtain or grow your own medicine if needed.

During our preparation session, we’ll discuss the substances you plan to work with, dosing appropriate to your experience and intentions, and important considerations about set, setting, and safety. If you want, we can also explore which substances might best align with your goals.

I do not provide, source, or sell any substances. You are responsible for obtaining your own medicine. However, we can direct you on how to obtain or grow your own medicine if needed.

I’m here to support your process—helping you prepare, holding space during your journey, and facilitating integration afterward. Part of that preparation includes discussing dosage, safety, and ensuring you feel informed and ready for the experience.

If you’re unsure where to start or have questions about sourcing responsibly, we can talk through that during a consultation or preparation session. My focus is on creating the safest, most supportive container possible for whatever medicine you choose to work with.

Difficult or challenging experiences are a natural part of deep psychedelic work, often signaling something important trying to surface. With good preparation and the right support, these moments can become deeply transformative rather than overwhelming.

Preparation includes thoughtful discussion about dosage—starting low and going slow is a guiding principle I emphasize. Less is often more; we only need enough to gently open unconscious material rather than blasting off. This approach helps minimize difficult experiences by creating a safer container for exploration.

If challenging material arises, I’m here to support you—helping you stay grounded, present, and connected to your body and breath. I don’t try to push the experience away but instead help you meet it with curiosity and care.

Drawing from trauma-informed approaches like Compassionate Inquiry, Rosen Method, and Polyvagal Theory, I offer gentle reminders that you are safe, assist with calming breathing, provide reassuring touch if agreed upon, or simply hold a steady, calm presence.

You will never be left alone—I stay with you as long as you need to feel ready to move forward.

The goal isn’t to avoid difficult moments but to navigate them in a way that feels supported, witnessed, and ultimately healing.

Psychedelic experiences carry both potential benefits and risks—a fact taken very seriously in my work. Some individuals may experience intense emotional or psychological shifts, challenging states of mind, or temporary destabilization during or after a session.

Good preparation, appropriate dosing, and a supportive container significantly reduce these risks. Discussions around your mental health history, current state, and intentions help tailor the experience to you.

While difficult experiences can sometimes feel destabilizing, they are often part of deeper healing processes when navigated with care. If you have pre-existing conditions or concerns, we discuss these thoroughly to ensure safety or explore alternative approaches.

My trauma-informed, somatic, and relational approach is designed to create a grounded and supportive environment, minimizing risk while maximizing healing potential.

Yes. Microdosing can be a powerful tool for some—offering subtle shifts in mood, creativity, presence, and emotional access without the intensity of a full journey. It can gently support and open your mind in small, approachable ways over time.

I provide personalized consultations to help you explore whether microdosing aligns with your goals, establish a protocol that fits your intentions, and support you as you refine your practice.

Together, we work on finding the right dosing and schedule, clarifying your intentions, tracking your experiences, and integrating insights that arise. This thoughtful approach helps make microdosing a meaningful part of your broader healing journey.

While I’m not a licensed therapist, I deeply value the principles behind Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT)—particularly the emphasis on integration, presence, and the therapeutic relationship as a foundation for meaningful change. The “assisted therapy” part is what makes the work truly powerful, and that spirit is very much present in what I offer.

My work draws from therapeutic modalities such as Compassionate Inquiry, Rosen Method, PSIP, and Attachment Theory, and is grounded in trauma-informed, somatic, and relational care. It’s not strictly clinical—it’s collaborative, intuitive, and attuned to the whole person: body, psyche, and beyond—into the transpersonal and non-dual dimensions of experience, where we begin to touch the mystery that lives beneath it all.

Knowing that psychedelics often open a door—a door to a stairway—that shows us where we still need to bring attention and compassion, I support your process as insights unfold, offering guidance on how to move forward. That’s where integration, reflection, and presence come in.

My approach is grounded in relationship—attuned, collaborative, and co-created with you. Everything begins with safety—creating the conditions for trust, so you can explore what’s arising without pressure or performance.

If we’re working with psychedelics, the process typically includes:

    • A preparation session to clarify your intention, orient to the process, and support emotional and nervous system readiness
    • The journey day, which unfolds at your pace and in your space—often in your home, though travel arrangements can be made in either direction
    • A post-session integration meeting to reflect on what was revealed and begin weaving it into your daily life

All my work is informed by Rosen Method, Compassionate Inquiry, Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Theory, PSIP, and trauma-informed somatic practices—creating a foundation for depth, safety, and meaningful change.

“A heart assured of safety opens instantly.” —Tim Freke

We provide that safety. Whether the work is quiet and subtle or deep and expansive, the rhythm is always the same: we move at the speed of trust, with presence and respect for the intelligence of your own process.

Logistics, Format & Access

It depends on the type of session.

    • Rosen Method Bodywork sessions are held in person and are approximately one hour.
    • Compassionate Inquiry sessions can be done in person or online, and last 50 minutes.
    • Psychedelic preparation sessions are in person and last approximately 90 minutes, depending on what’s needed.
    • The journey day itself is typically 6 to 8 hours, though I stay with you as long as needed—you won’t be left alone until you feel ready.
    • Post-session integration is often done online, though in-person is also possible. These sessions also last approximately 90 minutes.
    • See the Rates page for details on additional offerings including SSP/RRP, low-dose RST sessions, and microdosing support.

We can also discuss ongoing support and additional integration sessions, which can be tailored to your process and held either in person or via Zoom.

I’ve completed a graduate-level, two-year certification in Compassionate Inquiry, a trauma-informed therapeutic approach developed to support a range of mental health challenges. I am in the final two months of a four-year training in Rosen Method Bodywork and Movement, a somatic practice focused on awareness, embodied presence, and emotional release.

My training also includes certification in Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP), completion of Diane Poole Heller’s level 1 Attachment Theory course, Dr. Joe Tafur’s River Course, and a certification in Polyvagal Theory through the Safe and Sound (SSP) and Rest and Restore (RRP) Protocols.

I served as Executive Director of PsychedeLiA Integration, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing community, education, and support for those exploring psychedelics for healing and growth. Since founding Akasa Journeys in 2018, I’ve guided over 150 individual one-on-one psychedelic journeys.

My approach is rooted in the belief that healing doesn’t come from fixing what’s broken, but from remembering what’s whole—and befriending who we already are with compassionate, non-judgmental acceptance. I see this work as a collaboration, centered in safety, relationship, and deep listening. The tools I draw from are important, but it’s the human connection that makes them meaningful.

For more info see my About Us page.

Fees vary depending on the service and level of support. I offer a sliding scale for all sessions to help make this work accessible.

For detailed pricing information on all services, please see the Rates page.

If affordability is a concern, please don’t hesitate to reach out — I’m happy to discuss options that work for you.

Scroll to Top