Education and Training
My work bridges two worlds: 17 years of traditional Amazonian healing practice and contemporary postgraduate training in Expressive Arts and somatic therapy.
I am committed to ongoing learning and regularly engage in professional development through workshops, courses, and supervision. Below is an overview of the formal training and apprenticeships that inform how I support individuals navigating trauma, embodiment, and the journey back to their authentic selves.
​Traditional Apprenticeship
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17+ years of immersion in Peruvian Vegetalismo (Amazonian plant medicine tradition)
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Direct training with master curanderos Enrique Santiago Paredes Melendes and Reyna Luz Edery
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Co-founder & former director of Canto Luz Centre for Research and Cultural Preservation (2012-2017)
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Guided over 1,000 individuals through traditional healing work and ceremony
Contemporary Education
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NARM® Therapist Training Level 2, Complex Trauma Training Center (in progress)
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Postgraduate studies in Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT), CREATE Institute, Toronto
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Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Psychology (Integral Neuroprogramming), Institute of Advanced Psychotechnologies
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Advanced Diploma in Media Arts, Sheridan College
Professional Development & Recognition
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Member of Ontario Expressive Arts Therapists Association (OEATA)
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Clinical practice under supervision
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Speaker and facilitator at major conferences (CATA-OEATA, McKenna Academy)
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Collaboration with Dr. Dennis McKenna on "When the Ceremony Doesn't End" seminar series
Languages
English, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Portuguese
