Join Stephen Gray and Marc Caron for this pre-conference, event as they speak with Mary Sanders, Dr. Anja Loizaga-Velder and Soi Kene. We look forward to this panel of SPMC 2024 presenters as they share their  about their vision for the future of sacred plant medicines.

We invite you to be part of our online Zoom audience. Come, Join the conversation as part of our live “studio” audience and participate in the Q&A to get your questions answered, and it’s free!

Register Here

About Mary Sanders

Mary Sanders, LCSW, is a dynamic psychotherapist and fervent social justice advocate, infusing passion into both her clinical endeavors and community initiatives. With over a decade of experience in community mental health, she’s provided transformative psychotherapy and clinical case management to BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, veterans, immigrants, refugees, foster youth and families grappling with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, developmental trauma, and various forms of oppression. Her journey took a distinctive turn while working with Iraqi and Syrian refugees, igniting a quest to explore the frontiers of psychedelic medicine as a catalyst for healing. Trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy at CIIS CPTR, MAPS, and the Ketamine Training Center, Mary is also equipped with certifications in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems. She’s a founding member of the People of Color Psychedelic Collective, championing inclusivity and accessibility in healing spaces.

As an esteemed instructor at UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics Facilitation Certificate program, Mary delves into the historical roots of oppression, advocates for collective healing through an intersectional approach, and sparks dialogues on community-centric infrastructures rooted in accessibility and cultural sensitivity.  Mary’s inquiries delve deep into cultivating ecosystems where psychedelic medicine finds firm grounding within community care.

About Dr. Anja Loizaga-Velder

Dr. Anja Loizaga-Velder is a German-Mexican clinical psychologist whose research into the therapeutic potential of ritual psychedelic plant use spans more than two decades.

She serves as Director of Research and Psychotherapy at the Nierika Institute for Intercultural Medicine and is currently collaborating on the Ayahuasca Treatment Outcome Project, which aims to validate the effectiveness of Ayahuasca and traditional Amazonian medicine for the treatment of addictions.

Loizaga-Velder is also an adjunct professor of Humanities in Health at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where she works to implement clinical research in evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of sacred plants in intercultural therapeutic settings. Her work aims to preserve and amplify the wisdom of precolonial Amazonian and Mesoamerican traditions while cultivating a respectful and productive dialogue between western medicine and indigenous healers.

About Soi Pimi

Soi Pimi grew up in the farm country of Western New York. He studied film at NYU after which he spent several years traveling the world. He subsequently returned to North America to work as a filmmaker in the US and Jamaica. Since 2012, Chaikuni has apprenticed under Peruvian indigenous shamans in the Shipibo tradition, and is currently a student of Ricardo Amaringo at Nihue Rao Centro Esprititual He has been running Shipibo Plant Medicine retreats since 2014. He also works as a transformational coach and runs Men’s Retreats.