Hello
My name is Isabel Santis. I am a psychedelic educator, facilitator, content developer, and consultant. I help individuals make the most out of their psychedelic journeys, and work in partnership with values-aligned organizations seeking to develop a psychedelic area of practice. I bring 20 years of experience in psychedelic harm reduction, preparation, and integration, 5 years of experience in facilitating expanded states of consciousness, and 30 years of expertise in program management and operations.
My Story
My journey along the path of expanded states started in 1995 when I had a dream that changed my life. When I woke up, covered in sweat and shaking, I knew this was no ordinary dream. It was an invitation to a journey of self-discovery. This experience catalyzed a process of self-exploration and learning. I began studying shamanism, dreamwork, somatic embodiment, expressive art therapy, and other subjects that helped me gain skills to navigate expanded states of awareness. I also became a certified coach and completed an MA in Transformative Leadership. All this time I was working on my "real job" as a program manager for corporations and non-profits.
in 2018, after a string of amazing synchronicities, I decided to commit to the medicine path. I enrolled in the East-West Psychology Ph.D. program at CIIS, where I was able to pursue my passion, studying expanded states of consciousness, shamanic practices, and eco-psychology full time. In 2019, I launched Spiral Journey, where I am able to apply everything I have learned to support my clients. I have been deeply honored to learn from many distinguished and generous teachers. Everything I know I owe to them, and to my ancestors who have passed down their knowledge to me.
My Approach
My process is a non-clinical approach grounded in shamanic practices and Mayan spirituality. It also draws from my training in positive psychology, coaching, eco-psychology, somatic therapy, depth psychology, and expressive arts, as well as my personal practice in the Maya K'iche' spiritual lineage. I've developed my approach after holding over 500 group and individual preparation, navigation, and integration sessions.
I tailor each private session to the specific needs of my client. This can mean choosing and vetting the right retreat center, preparing for a solo journey, developing the skills to engage with inner parts during a session, or learning somatic techniques to work with difficult experiences. Above all, I help my clients transform insights from their journeys into positive, sustainable changes in their lives.
The way I hold groups is based on years of experimenting with different approaches. After holding hundreds of group sessions, I've developed an approach that is a combination of self-inquiry, group process, and mastermind groups. This provides my clients a safe space for inner inquiry and connection and allows them to implement practical changes in their lives that lead to sustainabel transformation.