Our Team Offers MEDICINEHEALINGCONNECTIONRESILIENCEGROWTH

"I believe we heal and grow best when we are connected to a small group of people where we can be accepted fully, and feel seen and known. Throughout all of my different jobs I have been fascinated with resiliency - with how people find hope in the midst of suffering. My time as an ordained minister and pastor helped me learn how to sit with people who were suffering, rather than try to fix them. My time as a Philosophy and Religion professor taught me to ask the deepest questions: the questions of purpose, meaning, longing, and that which some call God, or Source, or Divine Love.

Recently I am resonating with what author Susan Cain calls the Bittersweet. In an interview with Tim Ferris, she says: "Bittersweetness, itself, I define as the state in which you know, you accept, and you truly inhabit the idea that life is always simultaneously joy and sorrow. It’s light and dark. There’s an amazing Arabic expression, “Days of honey, days of onions.”

Over the last 15 years I have been taught by some of the most resilient people I have ever met. The rural communities of Ethiopia are filled with people who, despite overwhelming challenges such as a 6-hour daily walk to find water for their family, still manage to find a way to experience joy, contentment and connection. That feeling, that despite the bitter you can still experience the sweet because you are connected to a small community of people that allow you to feel held, seen, and known, this is the key. I designed this course as a tool to help all of us build this kind of resilience."

"I come to this work as an elementary school teacher for the past 25 years learning to teach children how to regulate together so that the classroom is a safe space for children to thrive.....I am a counsellor and trained in group work.

I’m also a doula and life coach. A doula is an ancient greek word for a "female who comes alongside and offers emotional and physical comfort for a mother before, during, and after the birth of a child". Although I am not currently practicing as a doula I am realizing that my work as a group facilitator requires the same spiritual skills. Holding space with groups of people while we all simultaneously work on our own resilience is like being a doula. The privilege of offering emotional, and sometimes physical support is at the heart of what a skilled facilitator does. Creating a safe nurturing space for connection and growth is at the heart of what I love to do.

With a background in operations and mindfulness, Cally Bailey (BBA, CHC) has worked with children, grade K-5 educators, and organizations to share the proven mindfulness based strategies and tools she has learned over the years. After building her own start-up company based in mental health for children, she went through her own childbirth experience where she realized that there is something integral missing in our system that goes far beyond mindfulness practice: a sense of community and belonging. In addition to her role as Head of Operations, she also provides an online mindfulness-based preparation and integration course for those who intend to enter into a plant medicine therapy session as a way to optimize their experience.

As a woman and mother to Leo, she now trusts and relies upon the power of her community to support and hold one another through life’s challenges and times of celebration. She is honoured to support this work and serve in this way for others to experience.

Dana combines all her passions and strengths in her roles with Gathering Groups. She leverages her extensive business background and experience in the corporate psychedelics sector to support the leadership team with strategic communications and partnership initiatives. Additionally, she harnesses 20+ years of coaching and mentoring experience along with training in psychedelic guiding, microdosing coaching, somatic integration, mindfulness, and more to support participants both through the Gathering Group experience and beyond, with Gathering’s newly launched ‘Microdosing for Psychedelic Integration’. Through her organization, The Flourish Academy, Dana provides weekly free psychedelic and microdosing education and community on the Clubhouse app.

I’m a husband, a father of 3, and a therapist in private practice specializing in adult individuals wounded by trauma or complex trauma. I enjoy running, reading, being out in the woods, and Fall weather. And I absolutely love doing group work - it has been some of the most transformational and meaningful work I’ve done both personally and professionally. I’m a laid back, gentle, tender, and heart-forward kind of person.

I'm Laura Anctil (she/they) and I'm a mother, community partner, dancer and medicine womxn. I currently reside on Stó:lō unceded land, the traditional territory of the Sema:th and Mathekwi First Nations and I identify as a white, queer, thin-bodied and neurodiverse immigrant with Italian and Celtic ancestry. I've been a Certified Birth and Labour Doula since 2008 and I also hold an MA in Social, Cultural and Political Thought from the University of Victoria since 2013. As I combined my learning around critical thinking, ethical practice and social justice with my skills of compassionately supporting bodies through altered, embodied birth spaces, I've landed on an energetic practice called Somatic Reiki, which I offer as a holistic and trauma-informed space for people to connect and relate to their whole selves. I currently work at my business SOMA Ritual Room as a trauma-informed Somatic Reiki Master and Ritual Practitioner, and I also assist Registered Clinical Counsellors in psychedelic group work (as a Gathering Facilitators) and as a second sitter for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.
My learning over the years through mindfulness practice, sacred, somatic grief work, miscarriage and death doula experience, feminine shamanic and intuitive practices and Jungian Psychology all weave together to inform my life-long soul work of companioning others through embodied altered states, liminal transitions, interstitial energetic zones, and any journey inward towards the "edge" between worlds. In my personal life, I've discovered the rich relational beauty of incorporating ritual practice into my life that connects me with plants, animals, and non-human others in my world. This deep reconnection with the earth has been the foundation of my learning around how we can companion others through life's journeys and I seek to bring this interconnected presence into all the work that I do.
On my days off, I like magikal adventures in the woods with family, friends and familiars; singing loudly while driving, playing in different bands, poring over ancient and contemporary texts, and tending to my outdoor garden sanctuary.

Leah resides on the traditional and unceded lands of the Semiamhoo and Coast Salish people in the Tatalu watershed (colonially known as Surrey, BC). She approaches life with open-hearted curiosity and respect.

Leah’s greatest joy is traveling with others in the deep waters of their own transformation. As a registered clinical counsellor and a trained spiritual director, she finds delight in helping others come home to their good, authentic, and whole selves.

Leah is privileged to share land and life with six other families on a community farm. She enjoys walks in the woods, deep conversation, and laughing heartily with friends and family.

I'm Nathan Larsen and I find deep fulfillment in the role of a group work facilitator. My passion arises from a sincere care for individuals seeking personal growth and healing. Observing people's transformative journeys is rewarding and resonates profoundly with my own journey of self-discovery. I've come to recognize that my most meaningful insights about myself come forth when I dedicate myself to being genuine and open.
For the past 14 years, I've had the privilege of working closely with an exceptional team in various capacities. As an educational assistant, outreach worker, and a restorative justice facilitator, these experiences have nurtured my belief in the power of collaboration, empathy, and understanding.

In 2020, I proudly earned a degree in Social Work. This significant accomplishment provided me with a comprehensive understanding of my own privileges and the broader impacts of social, political, and economic systems on humanity as well each individual.
I am truly excited about the possibilities that lie ahead as I continue to facilitate group work, creating safe spaces for individuals to explore, heal, and thrive. The opportunity to witness others embrace their true selves and openness while navigating their unique journeys is an honor. I am committed to guiding and supporting others as they embark on their path of personal growth and healing.

Hello, my name is Quentin Steen. I have been a CLAC Labour representative since 2008, working out of our CLAC Kelowna Member Centre. I specialize in the transportation, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors. I am also the Member Education Coordinator and CLAC lead trainer for BC.
I have facilitated numerous workshops from Labour relations to Mental Health for various organizations across the Canada as well as our signatory companies in multiple industries (e.g., Healthcare, Transportation, Mining, Construction, Manufacturing and Service, etc.) throughout the province of BC
I have been married 30+ years to my wife Tracy (therapist and fitness trainer) and together we have three adult children.
I am also a mental health instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
I love… watching football, travel, vacations with adrenaline filled hikes, the beach, scuba diving, riding my street bike, the mountains, resistance training, anything with blue raspberry flavoring, and Lily, my 4 pound tea cup Fox Terrier.
Personally speaking, my journey with mental health has been a long one involving childhood trauma. I have been exposed to many therapeutic modalities, including Psychedelic assisted therapy.
Healing is found in our community. This is the foundation of why I’m involved as a Facilitator at Gathering Groups.
My personal mantra is… I am my own Strength, I am my own healing. I can only heal to the extent that I allow myself to feel. Healing is best done through my intentions and the safety of our community.
My work with the Gathering only reinforces these truths for me. Maybe one day we will meet and journey together.

Sarah describes herself as a Healing HeArts practitioner full time. Practicing Psychic reiki, Facilitating Meditation circles, Conscious Personal Training, Meditative Art classes, Self Empowerment Mentorship, and providing support in various plant medicine circles.

She works as a Post Partum and pregnancy loss Doula to support Mothers, and their families transition into a village minded unit during this precious time.

Sarah is passionate about bringing ceremony, sisterhood, and healing in cognitive, physical, emotional, and spiritual modalities. She has a background in Personal Training, CBT/DBT, anxiety/ depression skills group therapy and uses these skills with her ongoing spiritual practices to embrace the wholeness of being both human, and divine.

Jolene (she/her) is of mixed Northwestern European descent and feels grateful to live, work, and play on the traditional, unceded, and ancestral territories of the Semá:th (Sumas) Nation and Màthexwi (Matsqui) Nations. These two Nations are part of the Stó:lō Nation; colonised as Abbotsford, BC. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and works with Fraser Health on their Chilliwack ICM team. As well she enjoys her work in a private practice in Abbotsford called The Liminal Space Counselling. Jolene has specific psychedelic-assisted training through ATMA Journey and Roots to Thrive. In her practice she works with individuals experiencing a variety of concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, loss, interpersonal conflict, addiction, and gender/sexual identity concerns. Based upon her lived experience as a cancer-survivor, parent, spouse, daughter, sister, and by virtue of walking this Earth she has experience in bouncing back from trauma, loss, and conflict and brings these insights and experiences into therapeutic relationships to empathise with folks wherever they are on their journey. Her approach is experiential, positively directional, and change-focused. As a therapist, Jolene draws upon her unique skills and experience to support the safety, healing, and growth of Gathering participants.

I'm Amanda (she/her), an individual who's embraced diverse roles, all aimed at fostering inclusive and safe environments for all people. I'm deeply attuned to emotions, hyper-sensitive, and feel most alive when I’m navigating life's intricate layers alongside others. My role as a trauma therapist allows me the privilege of supporting both adults and children individually in their journey’s. Beyond that, I've found a sense of belonging in group work, particularly with Gathering. Here, I can authentically be myself, while others courageously do the same. I am a lover of the ocean, and make my way there weekly, finding myself fully entranced by its vastness. If I could end every night, outside, by a fire near the water, stars overhead, I would. Laughter is also integral to my life, and luckily, I find myself quite humorous, which means laughter is never far when I'm around.