The Buena Vida Facilitator Training Course has been developed primarily to meet the demand for trained guides, counselors and therapists to provide heart-centered, compassionate care for the treatment of various mental health conditions. We expect the need for trained guides to explode in the coming years.
Our training program follows the most modern best practices combined with the ancient teachings of our indigenous elders and medicine keepers.
This program is for you to undergo a rigorous test of resilience; finding comfort in discomfort.
Learn to regulate your breath, body and nervous system when faced with uncomfortable situations in your life and in the psychedelic space.
Led by The Buena Vida CEO and Founder, Amanda Schendel, this carefully curated training will open the doors for you to become part of the long-term vision for educating ethical, well-trained psychedelic practitioners who will help usher in the modern psychedelic movement.
After submitting your application, you’ll talk 1-on-1 with Amanda and her dedicated team to discuss intentions, goals, and next steps.
You’ve started your path with the medicine and understand: The third-wave of psychedelic healing has arrived.
With the aid of psychedelic medicines like psilocybin, we’ve witnessed over 450 guests have an opportunity to break through lifelong trauma, mood issues and mental health barriers within a holistic container of care and love.
During this intensive training, you’ll learn how to harness the incredible power of psychedelic facilitation & therapy for your own practice.
Join the revolution now.
We are now accepting applications for 2025 Facilitator Training Dates Only.
Ensures a cohesive, highly-focused educational experience by assigning all participants to small groups of 2, each group under the guidance of one of our leaders.
Thrilled to accept licensed therapists, wellness leaders and those with a desire to self-educate.
Inclusive, interdisciplinary approach that includes the study of scientific and indigenous traditions which culminate in the rite of passage that is the “Experience Retreat”.
Connects you to future psychedelic leaders in the field with the ability to facilitate retreats in the future.
Please note that graduation from the Psychedelic Facilitator Training with The Buena Vida does not authorize you to lead or facilitate psychedelic journeys at any particular center or with our center. It is a great chance to get to know our leadership team and to see each of you in your experience as a facilitator but there is no guaranteed work with Buena Vida. However, there are literally hundreds of opportunities at clinics and different retreats throughout the world where the training would be extremely beneficial. We will also be able, with the successful completion of the course, to recommend you to our network based on our professional observation.
The best way to truly embody the leadership experience is by the experience itself. The core of our training will be an 5-day intensive experiential retreat. We will be sitting with psilocybin medicine as well as facilitating others in our group. Our leaders will be providing step-by-step guidance, instruction and feedback so that we’re confident everyone is on their highest path. Each student will also have the opportunity to teach their own creative workshop to the group.
We will be focusing on 3 primary understandings:
EXPERIENTIAL———-SOMATIC———-VOCAL/VIBRATIONAL
Psilocybin Ceremony-EXPERIENCE
Sacred Herbs & Medicines – EXPERIENCE
Ecstatic Dance & Movement-SOMATIC
Singing Circle with Medicine Songs-VOCAL
Breathwork & Breathing Techniques-EXPERIENCE/SOMATIC
Singing Bowl Class-VIBRATIONAL
Medicine dosing & serving-EXPERIENCE
Cacao Ceremony – EXPERIENCE/SOMATIC
Our facilitator training program is designed to immerse participants in the profound experience of leadership through direct engagement. Central to our training is an 5-day intensive experiential retreat where participants will both experience and facilitate psilocybin ceremonies. Under the guidance of our experienced leaders, students will receive comprehensive step-by-step instruction, feedback, and support, ensuring they are equipped to follow their highest path. Each participant will also have the opportunity to lead their own creative workshop, fostering their unique teaching abilities.
Our training focuses on three primary areas: Experiential, Somatic, and Vocal/Vibrational. Each area is integral to developing a holistic approach to facilitation and leadership.
Through this comprehensive and immersive training, participants will emerge as confident, skilled facilitators capable of leading with authenticity, compassion, and deep understanding of themselves.
Amanda Schendel
Founder and Retreat Leader
Amanda’s goal as a Psychedelic Leader & Guide is to bring warm, loving service to humanity. She serves unique medicine not only to guests, but also facilitators in their growth and development, education and well-being. Her work includes showing people their true nature, where they’ve lost connections, and giving them the tools to continue the daily work outside of the retreat setting. As an advocate of the safe, responsible use of psychedelics, she strongly supports the use of medicine traditions surrounding their ancient healing.
Amanda plays many roles; retreat producer, leader, facilitator, joke maker and shaman-in-training. She just may provide you with a song or two during ceremony.
She is a highly intuitive guide and has trained, assisted and facilitated in over 500 psychedelic ceremonies using ayahuasca, San Pedro (Huachuma cactus), psilocybin, cannabis, tobacco, and rapé.
Amanda brings a seasoned, varied and light-hearted approach to even deep medicine work.
She spent the past 5 years studying native plant medicine and ceremonial healing with over 500 guests in Ecuador, (Gaia Sagrada), Mexico, Jamaica (MycoMeditations) and around the world. She has been producing retreats, events, parties, and community-centered happenings since 2000 in San Diego, Los Angeles, Madrid, Seattle, New York, Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador.
Sarah Howat
Lead Facilitator and Co-Creator of Facilitator Training
In her time as an Expert Trip Sitter, Sarah’s been involved in over 80 psychedelic experiences and worked with 200+ individuals in a one-on-one or small group setting. She is also a transformational coach, spiritual mentor, and prep and integration coach certified through Being True To You.
Sarah attended the University of Northern Colorado for a Masters in Couples & Family Therapy. She is based between Austin, TX, and Colorado Springs, CO, where she runs her own private practice and sits one-on-one with clients, as well as for three separate retreat companies.
Her guiding principle in this work is that “integrity is everything”.
Rosalind McAlpine, MRes, PhD (pending)
Scientific Advisor
Rosalind completed her BA in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, where she specialized in neuroscience, social psychology, and developmental questions in science and religion. She then completed her MRes in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology at University College London, followed by a year working as a Post-Graduate Research Fellow at Yale University.
Her PhD research focusses on psychedelic mechanisms of action, as well the comparison between the use of psychedelic substances in traditional/ceremonial retreat settings and their place in Western psychiatric models.
She is currently researching effective psychedelic preparation strategies (e.g., meditation, yoga, breathwork etc) as well as investigating the importance of set and setting for personal transformation, within both clinical and retreat settings.
Nestled on a sprawling 5-acre ranch in Joshua Tree, California, this enchanting retreat boasts two spacious houses surrounded by the mesmerizing beauty of the desert. Wander through the expansive space and feel the serenity as you encounter a small herd of alpacas grazing peacefully, adding a touch of whimsy to the natural landscape.
The ranch offers panoramic views of untamed nature, providing a front-row seat to the mystical allure of sacred desert lands. Immerse yourself in the tranquility of the surroundings, where each breath is filled with the essence of the desert breeze. This haven is a sanctuary, inviting you to unwind and connect with Joshua Tree’s unique energy.
You can also find our General FAQs here.
Our retreat is on private, gated and secure land. We will not be interacting with the public or carrying the mushrooms on our person while outside the center. We are working with open-minded, loving individuals and volunteers that are dedicated to healing and health. You can feel 100% confident that our medicine is the freshest and energetically peaceful fungi that our team can find.
For our confidentiality, we take privacy and security extremely seriously. Our venues are quiet, private and usually away from all other potential interactions with non-members of the retreat. All hosts and properties have worked with plant medicine and are 100% clear on our intent and ceremony. Guests sign a waiver that they will not post of images of other guests on any public forum. We have private WhatsApp groups set up for guests to remain in contact. None of our information is shared with any other organization, group, team or person.
In this day and age, it can be hard to truly disconnect and be in the moment. This retreat requires 100% commitment. A digital detox is encouraged, and can help support our holistic approach to this newfound healing journey. While there is Wi-Fi on-site, there will be very little time for work related meetings outside of small check ins here or there. The Buena Vida Team will NOT be able to move meeting/workshops or do them privately to accommodate work schedules. We suggest having friends and family download WhatsApp for easiest communication.
At The Buena Vida Retreats, we understand the diverse needs of individuals dealing with a range of conditions, from depression and anxiety to chronic pain. Many of our participants rely on serotonin-based medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) to enhance their quality of life and daily functioning. Common examples of these medications include Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Effexor, Cymbalta, Trintellix, and Buspirone.
While our programs are not intended to replace or treat any medical conditions for which you may have been prescribed SSRIs or SNRIs, we aim to make psilocybin ceremonies accessible to a wide range of individuals while fostering a healthy and safe environment for the whole group.
While we do consider prospective guests who are on very low doses of SSRIs/SNRIs on a case-by-case basis, we generally recommend that participants, in consultation with their doctor, remain off all SSRIs/SNRIs /Sleep/Pain meds(as well as other mood-altering compounds) for at least 1-3 months before joining our retreat and successfully completing our medical screening.
Psilocybin’s psychedelic effects are primarily attributed to its interactions with the intricate serotonin neurotransmitter system and the connections between various brain circuits. It’s believed that a significant part of psilocybin’s action occurs at the serotonin receptor known as 5HT2A, which is also affected by SSRI and SNRI medications. Consequently, when combined, it becomes challenging to determine the optimal dosage for a transformative experience, as well as predicting an individual’s reaction to psilocybin.
Just like with the aforementioned medications, we strongly advise participants who are considering our program while taking SSRIs/SNRIs to consult with a trusted healthcare provider, preferably the one who prescribed the medications. Discussing potential drug interactions with your healthcare provider is crucial, and participants should engage in our retreats with a full understanding of the associated risks.
It’s worth noting that individuals who have taken both psilocybin and SSRIs/SNRIs concurrently have reported a less intense psychedelic experience. This is significant because the transformative benefits of our programs are closely tied to the intensity of the psychedelic journey. While we are open to considering individuals on very low doses of serotonin-based medication, we cannot guarantee that their experience will mirror that of those who embark on their psilocybin journey without the influence of such medications.
We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all our participants, and we encourage open communication and informed decisions regarding your mental and physical well-being during our programs.
Ceremony is first and foremost, a vital part in a much larger process of the retreat as a whole. In the west, we’ve lost the rituals and ceremonies that were there to remind us of a greater reality – our connection to life, the cosmos and to our community – ceremonies that were used to honor rites of passage from one stage of life to the next.
A cultural and social inability to make a distinction between outward religious affiliation and a more personal, earth-centred spirituality, has played a part in discarding rituals as valid means of connecting, inspiration and healing; leaving most people with very few means of giving meaning to their life and circumstances
The mystery of life often works deep beneath the surface.
Ceremonies and the rituals that take place within ceremonies, are the place where all of life literally happens before our eyes and becomes deeply embodied through our actions. After recognition and understanding comes re-joining, repositioning, healing and finally releasing.
In many indigenous traditions, the incorporation of psychedelics is a beautiful testament to the power of ceremony. We hold deep respect for these traditions, as they’ve shown us how the use of psychedelics within a ceremonial context can spark profound personal transformation while fostering a sense of community.
It’s important to note that our retreats are not designed as mere recreational experiences, although we do value the social aspect and the sense of community they provide. Our retreat groups come together in a sacred ceremonial space and remain there, or in the surrounding natural area, throughout the ceremony. This immersive experience involves several key elements: creating and maintaining a safe and supportive space together, partaking in mushroom tea thoughtfully dosed by our medicine women, being guided on a sonic journey that includes singing, toning, mantra, crystal sound bowls, flutes, rums, rattle, harmonica and some ligh recorded music as well as silence and the sounds of the jungle.
The ceremony typically spans around 3-4 hours, during which participants will be guided to the restroom, to gaze at the stars or to be helped in any way necessary. This thoughtful and immersive approach allows for a meaningful and transformative journey while ensuring the comfort and well-being of all participants.