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Our Staff
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Amber Richards
Director / Co-Founder
Native to Canada’s Sunshine Coast, Richards’ vision to open a centre began forming three and a half years ago, after a life-changing Iboga journey. Since that pivotal moment, she has completed her training under a Bwiti shaman, traveling between Canada and Costa Rica to facilitate treatment for others. The importance of providing treatment in the true Bwiti way, according to Richards, is non-negotiable in her practice. She views the merging of medicine and traditional Bwiti knowledge as a sacred marriage in healing. In 2013, Richards journeyed to Gabon, Africa and underwent a full initiation into the Bwiti tradition. During her time in there, she was blessed to meet and learn from the Pygmy people, known as the first inhabitants of the jungle. In 2015, she was part of the second group of Western women in the world to ever complete a Bwiti Rites of Passage in Gabon. These experiences brought Richards to a new level of understanding in the medicine, revealing more tools to access spirit, thus deepening her relationship with Iboga and with herself.
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Corey Gauthier
Operations / Co-Founder
Iboga found Gauthier at a time when he needed it most in life. An entrepreneur and investor in small businesses throughout Canada, his true calling emerged after this experience, as a vision to facilitate Iboga healing for others. Calgary-born Gauthier has since dedicated his life to spreading Iboga’s transformative message, as a plant with a multitude of healing properties—physical, spiritual and mental—to free others on their healing paths. He completed a Full Initiation and men’s Rites of Passage in Gabon, Africa in 2015.
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Scotty Smith
Admissions Director
Scott lives and works in New York State. He found his way to Iboga in 2012 and has since been dedicated in helping others discover the healing it brought to his life. He is under apprenticeship with a tenth generation Bwiti Shaman, completed a Full Bwiti Initiation in 2014 has worked in several centers offering Iboga in the traditional Bwiti way.
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Beverley Rice
Chef
Of Northern Alberta, Rice spent the past 10 years working special events between Calgary and Vancouver, involving the natural health food industry. Her culinary passion is set alight when highlighting seasonal, natural and local foods. Her method is to showcase foods as they are, in whole form, accentuating their true flavors. Since age 18, Rice has used natural foods as a healing modality. Essentially, she believes food and healing are one in the same.
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Pete Hetfleis
Paramedic
In the province of British Columbia, Hetfleis is a licensed PCP (Primary Care Paramedic) who additionally went through the ALS (Advanced Life Support) program. He has worked in the emergency medical field for the past 17 years, and currently works as a full-time paramedic stationed in North Vancouver. His certifications include extensive medical endorsements for administration.
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Kristin Nuttall
Thai Massage / Craniosacral Therapist
While in Northern Thailand, Nuttall studied Advanced Therapeutic Applications at the Ancient Thai Massage school of Chiang Mai, with mastery in therapeutic Thai, prenatal and foot massage, tok sen, cupping and scraping, meditation and Ruesi. Her expertise spans to other healing modalities, including Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Somato Emotional Release, spa hydrotherapy, raindrop therapy, Hakomi counseling, reiki, and soft tissue release, among others.
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Anita Weimann
Yoga Instructor
With a practice spanning 10 years, Weimann’s unique perspective of asana is reflected in her classes. Focus is placed on aligning the body to create a balance of strength, movement and flexibility to achieve freedom of mind and inner stillness. At Sacred Soul, Weimann has tailored post-ceremony integrative classes to meet the needs of those coming out of an Iboga journey. Guests are led through deep stretch and meditation to gently restore them into grounded being. A full Mesa carrier of Cree Dene First Nations descent, Weimann’s mountain shamanism practice and Earth-based indigenous wisdom is incorporated into sessions.
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Amber Richards Director / Co-FounderNative to Canada’s Sunshine Coast, Richards’ vision to open a centre began forming three and a half years ago, after a life-changing Iboga journey. Since that pivotal moment, she has completed her training under a Bwiti shaman, traveling between Canada and Costa Rica to facilitate treatment for others. The importance of providing treatment in the true Bwiti way, according to Richards, is non-negotiable in her practice. She views the merging of medicine and traditional Bwiti knowledge as a sacred marriage in healing. In 2013, Richards journeyed to Gabon, Africa and underwent a full initiation into the Bwiti tradition. During her time in there, she was blessed to meet and learn from the Pygmy people, known as the first inhabitants of the jungle. In 2015, she was part of the second group of Western women in the world to ever complete a Bwiti Rites of Passage in Gabon. These experiences brought Richards to a new level of understanding in the medicine, revealing more tools to access spirit, thus deepening her relationship with Iboga and with herself.
Corey Gauthier Operations / Co-FounderIboga found Gauthier at a time when he needed it most in life. An entrepreneur and investor in small businesses throughout Canada, his true calling emerged after this experience, as a vision to facilitate Iboga healing for others. Calgary-born Gauthier has since dedicated his life to spreading Iboga’s transformative message, as a plant with a multitude of healing properties—physical, spiritual and mental—to free others on their healing paths. He completed a Full Initiation and men’s Rites of Passage in Gabon, Africa in 2015.
Scotty Smith Admissions DirectorScott lives and works in New York State. He found his way to Iboga in 2012 and has since been dedicated in helping others discover the healing it brought to his life. He is under apprenticeship with a tenth generation Bwiti Shaman, completed a Full Bwiti Initiation in 2014 has worked in several centers offering Iboga in the traditional Bwiti way.
Beverley Rice ChefOf Northern Alberta, Rice spent the past 10 years working special events between Calgary and Vancouver, involving the natural health food industry. Her culinary passion is set alight when highlighting seasonal, natural and local foods. Her method is to showcase foods as they are, in whole form, accentuating their true flavors. Since age 18, Rice has used natural foods as a healing modality. Essentially, she believes food and healing are one in the same.
Pete Hetfleis ParamedicIn the province of British Columbia, Hetfleis is a licensed PCP (Primary Care Paramedic) who additionally went through the ALS (Advanced Life Support) program. He has worked in the emergency medical field for the past 17 years, and currently works as a full-time paramedic stationed in North Vancouver. His certifications include extensive medical endorsements for administration.
Kristin Nuttall Thai Massage / Craniosacral TherapistWhile in Northern Thailand, Nuttall studied Advanced Therapeutic Applications at the Ancient Thai Massage school of Chiang Mai, with mastery in therapeutic Thai, prenatal and foot massage, tok sen, cupping and scraping, meditation and Ruesi. Her expertise spans to other healing modalities, including Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Somato Emotional Release, spa hydrotherapy, raindrop therapy, Hakomi counseling, reiki, and soft tissue release, among others.
Anita Weimann Yoga InstructorWith a practice spanning 10 years, Weimann’s unique perspective of asana is reflected in her classes. Focus is placed on aligning the body to create a balance of strength, movement and flexibility to achieve freedom of mind and inner stillness. At Sacred Soul, Weimann has tailored post-ceremony integrative classes to meet the needs of those coming out of an Iboga journey. Guests are led through deep stretch and meditation to gently restore them into grounded being. A full Mesa carrier of Cree Dene First Nations descent, Weimann’s mountain shamanism practice and Earth-based indigenous wisdom is incorporated into sessions.