Frequently Asked Questions

Healing Philosophy & Foundations

Because we’ve been conditioned to believe we’re broken. But you’re not broken. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with you that needs to be fixed. There is a relationship with yourself that can become more accepting, compassionate, and whole. And yes, that is difficult in the face of a lifetime of conditioning to the contrary.

The struggle is not simply about what happened to us, but about what happened within us in response—the ways we learned to protect ourselves, judge ourselves, disconnect from ourselves, or adapt in order to survive.

The moment you stop trying to fix yourself, the illusion of being broken begins to fade. And when the struggle against yourself softens, what needs to shift can begin to unfold more naturally.

“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 many talks and writings, Alan Watts often made this point:

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but an experience to be had.”

Alan also repeatedly returned to the paradox that the more we try to fix or improve ourselves, the more we reinforce the premise that something is wrong with us. Self-acceptance as we are is key.

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 can help the body soften by supporting a greater sense of safety in the nervous system, allowing defensive patterns to soften as well. 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 something 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 Relational Somatic Tuning 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. I meet you exactly where you are—and move at the rhythm that’s right for you.

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. I bring these together in an approach I call Relational Somatic Tuning, creating a foundation for depth, safety, and meaningful change.

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

I provide the conditions in which safety and trust can develop. Whether the work is quiet and subtle or deep and expansive, the rhythm is the same: we move at the speed of trust, with presence and respect for the intelligence of your own process.

APPROACHES & 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—the practitioner creates 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 rest and digest state, and helps embody and integrate insights from a journey—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. 

Relational Somatic Tuning (RST) is a gentle, trauma-informed, relational approach that works with what is happening in the present moment—within you, in your body, and in the relationship between us. It brings together elements of Rosen Method, Compassionate Inquiry, Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory, PSIP, and other somatic approaches into a flexible way of working that can meet you where you are.

It helps you connect the dots between present-day triggers and activations and the experiences that shaped you. Rather than forcing insight or pushing through defenses, RST supports curiosity, awareness, and connection so that protective patterns can be recognized and understood without judgment.

This can be especially helpful when working with developmental or attachment trauma, where healing often happens not only through insight, but through having a different kind of relational experience in the present.

RST is offered in both 60-minute sessions and extended 90–120 minute sessions. Extended sessions allow more time for deeper somatic exploration and may, when appropriate, include low-dose cannabis or ketamine to deepen access to felt experience while maintaining relational connection and awareness.

With psychedelic work, RST can support preparation, low-dose therapeutic exploration, and integration. It offers a grounded way to work with what arises emotionally, physically, and relationally, helping insights become something that can be felt, understood, and lived rather than simply remembered.

Combining Relational Somatic Tuning (RST) with Rosen Method Bodywork is a particularly powerful combination, creating an extended arc of exploration, embodiment, and integration.

This combination can be done with either a standard RST session or RST Extended. Standard RST generally does not involve medicine, while RST Extended may include low-dose cannabis or ketamine when appropriate. A full RST Extended session followed by Rosen is typically about three hours.

In these sessions, we typically begin with RST, allowing us to work directly with present-moment emotions, relational patterns, protective responses, and whatever is arising in the body. When low-dose medicine is part of the session, this portion of the work can open access to material that may ordinarily be harder to reach.

The RST session is then followed by a full Rosen Method Bodywork session on the table. As the more active exploration settles, Rosen offers a quieter way to stay with what has emerged through touch, breath, muscular awareness, and deeply attuned presence. This allows the experience to continue unfolding without requiring more effort or analysis.

When medicine is used, the Rosen portion also provides valuable time for its effects to gradually diminish while you remain supported, grounded, and connected to your body before leaving the session.

Together, the two approaches create a natural progression from exploration into embodied integration—allowing what has been discovered relationally and emotionally to continue settling at a deeper somatic level.

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.

Guidance & Psychedelic Support

Psychedelic guide. Trip sitter. Facilitator. 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, facilitation, or something else. That said, these terms can describe different levels of support—but not always.

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

A psychedelic facilitator or guide, by contrast, generally offers a more intentional and relational level of support. In my work, facilitation includes preparation—helping clarify your intention and emotional readiness—attuned support during the journey, including knowing when to speak and when to stay silent, and integration afterward. I stay attuned to your process throughout, helping create the conditions for safety, depth, and exploration.

I offer a flexible, trauma-informed, somatic approach that adapts to your needs—whether you want grounded presence or deeper facilitation. We discuss together what level of support feels right for your 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 supported 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 Extended Relational Somatic Tuning (RST) sessions, though ketamine is used as well, in collaboration with an MD. 

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. When appropriate, I can offer general harm-reduction information about legal access, sourcing considerations, or cultivation.

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 discuss the differences between substances and how they may relate to your intentions.

I do not provide, source, or sell any substances. You are responsible for obtaining your own medicine. When appropriate, I can offer general harm-reduction information about legal access, sourcing considerations, or cultivation.

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 legal access, sourcing considerations, or cultivation, we can talk through those from a harm-reduction perspective 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 ourselves and overwhelming our system. 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 Relational Somatic Tuning—which includes Rosen Method, Polyvagal Theory, and other trauma-informed somatic approaches—I offer gentle reminders that you are safe, help you regulate your breathing, provide reassuring touch if agreed upon, or simply remain 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 emotional and psychological state, expectations and intentions (SET), and the physical and interpersonal environment of the journey (SETTING) 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 assess risk carefully and determine whether psychedelic work is appropriate or whether another approach would be safer.

My trauma-informed, somatic, and relational approach is designed to support grounding, careful pacing, and thoughtful risk reduction throughout the process.

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 exploring a dosing range 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.

Not in the clinical psychotherapy sense. I’m not a licensed therapist, although the work I offer is deeply therapeutic and shares many of the principles associated with Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT)—particularly preparation, integration, presence, and the importance of the therapeutic relationship.

My work is grounded in Relational Somatic Tuning (RST), which integrates Rosen Method, Compassionate Inquiry, PSIP, Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory, and other trauma-informed somatic and relational approaches. Like my other work, this too is collaborative, experiential, integrative, and attuned to the whole person—body, psyche, relationship, and, when it arises, the transpersonal or non-dual dimensions of experience.

When ketamine is used as the primary medicine in a deeper, higher-dose session, I can work collaboratively with a prescribing MD as part of ketamine-assisted therapy, providing the somatic, relational, and integrative support while the physician oversees the medical aspects of treatment.

The medicine alone is rarely the whole process. Preparation, relationship, reflection, integration, and what you do with what emerges are what help turn an experience into meaningful change.

Logistics, Format & Access

It depends on the type of session.

    • Rosen Method Bodywork sessions are held in person and are approximately one hour.
    • Relational Somatic Tuning sessions can be done in person or online, and last 50 to 60 minutes.
    • Extended Relational Somatic Tuning sessions can be done in person or online, and last 90 to 120 minutes.
    • RST + Rosen sessions are in person and are approximately 2 hours, or about 3 hours when combined with Extended RST.
    • Microdosing Support sessions can be done in person or online, and last 50 to 60 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 these offerings.

I can mix and match offerings and custom-tailor sessions to your situation as needed, either in person or online. 

I am a Certified Rosen Method Bodywork Practitioner, having completed the four-year professional training in Rosen Method Bodywork and Movement, a somatic practice focused on awareness, embodied presence, and emotional release.

My additional training includes a two-year certification in Compassionate Inquiry, a PSIP Certificate of Mastery Level 1, Diane Poole Heller’s Level 1 Attachment Theory training, Dr. Joe Tafur’s River Course, completion of Medicine Dance moving meditation facilitation training, and certification as a provider of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP), both Polyvagal Theory-based nervous system interventions.

I previously served as Managing 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 more than 160 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.

I’ve also been featured on podcasts, in interviews and articles, and on National Geographic’s Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, discussing psychedelic healing, integration, and my approach to this work.  

For more information see my About Us page.

Fees vary depending on the service and level of support. I offer a sliding scale for most 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.

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