My training for this work began with seven years of struggling with opioid dependency, subsequently going through traditional rehabs, opioid maintenance therapy, incarceration, and 12 step programs before finally finding freedom with Ibogaine in 2011. Although the treatment was a success, the clinic did not follow proper safety protocols and I ended up in the hospital. Due to this experience, I have been very focused on ibogaine treatment safety guidelines and have co-authored a guide for finding a safe clinic. After my treatment, I became a certified EMT and trained in three ibogaine clinics in South Africa, Costa Rica, and Mexico, acting as a provider and lay-therapist. I have a Masters in Social Work from NYU, am an Advisor for the Etheridge Foundation, am a member of the board for Alma Institute, and previously was the Psychedelic Program Coordinator at The Center for Optimal Living in New York City. I have presented and been a panelist at multiple Ibogaine, Psychedelic, and Harm Reduction conferences and my story and writing have been featured in Chacruna, Double Blind magazine, and in Psymposia. I have also taught about ibogaine at Charite University in Berlin.
I have been working with individuals and their families for the last five years, helping them to prepare for and integrate their ibogaine experiences, as well as acting as a consultant for those working on ibogaine related projects. I see ibogaine as an amazing door opener to a path of healing that requires a number of other supportive tools and approaches. The focus of my work is supporting people in finding their inner guidance and offering space for them to decide what they want for their lives without outside agenda or pressure. My philosophy is guided by the principles of harm reduction, in which everyone has a valid and unique path that led them to their substance use which requires an individually tailored kind of support and set of techniques that will help them heal. I support people in formulating new healthy life structures and I offer an open compassionate space of listening.
