You

feel that the interrelation and interdependence of body, mind and spirit are crucial for your well-being

feel that spirituality can make you happier and live a fuller life

understand that in terms of spiritual wellness, the journey is more important than the destination

want to explore the deep sources of your own creative potential

want to live a more authentic life that honors your uniqueness 

know that nature helps you get in touch with what is essential to your heart

Psychospiritual Therapy

ABOUT

We have a body and we try to eat healthy, we exercise and try not to use too many drugs. We take care of our bodies. We each have a mind and we feed it with new knowledge, we go to school, we become professionals and we try not to spend too much time in front of the TV or the internet. We take care of our minds.

But, who is this I? 

To whom does this body belong?

Whose mind is it that thinks?

Who feels sadness, joy, hope, despair?

Some of us can live our lives without intentionally exploring these questions. For others, it is no longer an option. We are all, sooner or later, presented with circumstances that give us the opportunity to look within:

• Stress

• Trauma

• Grief/Loss

• Psychological/psychiatric diagnoses

• Illness

• Other life-changing events (marriage, divorce, graduation, loss of a job, being promoted)

In your therapy session, we utilize techniques and approaches that help us better relate to life's challenges and co-create a container of self-love, compassion, and groundedness for a safe exploration of our inner worlds. These include: embodiment practices, mindfulness, meditation, reiki, bioenergetics, depth psychology and transpersonal psychology. 

Preparation/Integration for spiritual tourism and entheogenic work

ABOUT

Have our “modern” ways robbed us of our capacity to see the magic upon which our concrete jungles stand? 

So that we have to go to places where the miracle of life evidently bursts and dances in front of our eyes? 

Where the lives of those living in harmony with the simple ways of nature remind us of what is essential to our hearts? 

Where majestic landscapes become mirrors of our own inner worlds? 

Is the magic only in those places where our eyes can clearly see it, our skin feel it, and our ears hear it?

WHY?

Spiritual vacations "have seen a 164 percent increase in the last five years". (Marcus, 2015, para. 10)

"Now there is an emerging trend on the horizon that is being cited at the fastest growing sector in the whole travel business. They call it 'spiritual tourism' and it is starting to be taken very seriously by governments, state tourism authorities, even the United Nations agency responsible for global tourism - the UNWTO". (Bowler, 2014, para. 1)

Perú is becoming one of the most popular destinations for spiritual tourism. A land where hundreds of years of colonization have not been able to bury the relentless longing of the human spirit for a connection with the ways of mother nature. Its cultural richness —  a result of the mixing of peoples, flavors and faiths — is only matched by its natural beauty. Having most of the ecosystems and climates found on our planet, Perú is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. This makes for all the variety, excitement and contrast anyone could dream of, in a relatively small country. 

City life, with its busy routines and its materialistic philosophies, can very effectively trick us into falling into a wide variety of assumptions about who we are and what we are here for. Clearly, these assumptions aren't hitting the mark (and are actually limiting us to say the least), which is why so many westerners are embarking on journeys to remote jungle and andean villages in search of spiritual insights and psychological and physical healing. 

In Perú, like in many places around the world, traditional ways of understanding and dealing with a variety of ailments are still very much alive and are broadly practiced. Different types of plant dietas and shamanic practices can be found across the country. Curanderos working with huachuma (San Pedro) in the coastal regions, maestros using coca for 'pagos a la pachamama' in the Andes, and shamans taking ayahuasca in the Amazonian jungles; all are examples of how different peoples have - over thousands of years - developed cosmologies that start from a sacred and very particular relationship with the natural world. 

The influx of westerners seeking to benefit from these ancient practices is changing the local dynamics in ways that are actually jeopardizing that which makes them so powerful in the first place. What drives me to do the work of preparation (before the journey) and integration (upon returning), is that, as potentially powerful and mutually beneficial as spiritual tourism can be for participants and local communities, it is also having a series of negative impacts:

• Perpetuation of a colonialist model of relationship between cultures

• Different forms of disrespectful and irresponsible cultural appropriation

• Commodification of traditional cultural practices and heritage (e.g. ayahuasca and other plant medicine rituals, the use of sacred symbols in clothing, etc.)

• Lack of social support for travelers upon returning home, which impedes a proper integration of new insights into daily life

• Avoidable traumatic events or circumstances, due to a lack of preparation and/or research

• Sacrifice of personal or cultural values in the name of spiritual growth and/or economic gain (e.g. participating in practices that go against one's values, or offering services to tourists which are contrary to local traditions because there is a demand and money to be made)

My personal path has led me to embrace my bi-cultural identity and serve as a bridge between cultures. As a Peruvian native, and honoring my American heritage, I am called to facilitate a healthier cultural exchange so that travelers can make the most out of their journeys while encouraging local communities in Perú to authentically live and share their traditions. 

For more resources around spiritual tourism, entheogenic shamanism and Peruvian traditions, I recommend the following references.

Your feedback is important. Thank you for taking the time to fill out this survey and sharing it with others who might be interested in Spiritual Tourism. The more awareness we can generate about this (and other pressing issues) the better.