My Story

Hi! I’m Rachel.  Before becoming a credentialed Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Guide, I spent 20 years supporting health and wellness for both people and the planet within the fields of health psychology, behavioral health, public health, substance abuse treatment, regenerative agriculture, herbalism and nature connection. 

During this time I also became more experienced with illness. My sister died in her early forties from brain cancer, a few years later I was seriously disabled from chronic Lyme disease, and a few years after my recovery, my mother developed dementia and I became her primary caregiver. A year later, when I was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, I began to understand more deeply the opportunity illness provides for personal transformation, and much of it required me to surrender the ‘fight against’ and move into a slower, more compassionate ‘being with’. This was an uncomfortable yet profound paradigm shift for my own healing.

After the grace of surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis, I could feel my own resistance to returning back to my ‘regular’ life as it was, and I turned towards psychedelic assisted therapy with an experienced guide.  This process supported my reclamation of life through learning and letting go of old, stressful patterns that interfered with my wellness and vitality, and a remembering of my own, more authentic ways of being that bring joy and purpose.   The quality of my life radically changed from these experiences, and I began exploring how I might support others in facing their own physical and emotional challenges.

After years of therapeutic experiences with more traditional psychedelics, I was introduced to Cannabis Assisted Psychedelic Therapy (CAPT), a legal, powerful, yet gentle means to support healing in expanded states. CAPT is an incredible tool for psychedelic healing, particularly when combined with breathwork.  When used with intention and guidance, it can offer deep insights and support in emotional and physical healing with less risk posed by other psychedelics.

In my work, I integrate my passion for herbalism, mindfulness, nature connection and embodiment practices to support others in their own healing. I trust that we each hold own wisdom, and my role is to support others in finding their own path.  I also believe when we cultivate our connection to something bigger – nature, spirit, God, Goddess, community – our capacity for healing grows, and when we our healing grows, so do our gifts and capacity to give back.

I welcome those into my practice who are seeking greater personal insight in health and healing, and those looking to deepen their sense of connection to something larger than themselves. Learn more about CAPT and my services, and contact me if you’d like to learn more.

Outside of this practice, I am often tromping in the woods and local rivers in and around my home in Nevada City, raising a teenager at home, making herbal potions, deepening my own embodiment and my connection with spirit and nature. I also work to support more access to psychedelic and somatic therapy through Vision Walkers Collective.