Your safety is not an afterthought at Alma Healing Center — it is the foundation everything else is built on. Before any participant joins a retreat, we conduct a careful screening process. This page explains exactly what that involves, what our absolute contraindications are, and what happens if your situation is complex.
We want to be clear: we turn away applications. Not because we enjoy doing so, but because we take seriously the responsibility of working with powerful medicines in a remote location. Saying no to someone whose health situation makes ceremony genuinely dangerous is an act of care, not rejection.
Table of Contents
Our screening process
After you make an initial inquiry, we will send you a health questionnaire. This covers:
- Current and recent medications (prescription and over-the-counter)
- Mental health history, including any history of psychosis, mania, or dissociative disorders
- Cardiovascular health
- History with psychedelics or plant medicine
- Current life circumstances and intention for attending
Paulina and our team reviews every questionnaire personally before confirming a participant’s place. For applicants with complex medical or psychological histories, we may request a direct call to better understand the situation before making a decision.
This is not bureaucracy. It is the same care a responsible surgeon takes before operating — an assessment of whether this intervention, at this time, is appropriate for this person.
Serious contraindications — contact us if:
These conditions make participation unsafe regardless of circumstances. If any of the following apply, please contact us directly, preferably with time, to discuss options:
- You are currently taking SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, or tricyclic antidepressants and have not completed a full washout period (typically 2–4 weeks depending on the medication — see our medication interactions page for specifics)
- You are taking lithium or other mood stabilizers
- You have a history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or any psychotic disorder
- You have experienced a manic or hypomanic episode in the past two years
- You have active, untreated suicidal ideation
- You have severe, uncontrolled cardiovascular disease or have had a recent cardiac event
- You are pregnant (it is possible to participate, Paulina did throughout her pregnancies, however we must discuss on a case by case basis)
Conditions that require a conversation before booking:
These are not disqualifications, but they require direct communication with one of our facilitators before we can confirm your place:
- A history of depression or anxiety (many participants come with these backgrounds and do very well — but we need to understand your specific situation)
- PTSD or a history of complex trauma
- Current or recent use of cannabis, stimulants, or recreational drugs
- Diabetes or thyroid conditions
- Any recent surgery or significant physical health event
- First-time experience with psychedelics combined with a complex personal history
During ceremony
Paulina or Amalia do not work alone. Every retreat includes at least one ceremony assistant whose sole role is to support participants throughout the night or day. We maintain a calm, contained ceremonial space. If someone enters a difficult experience, we have specific protocols for accompaniment — musical, verbal, and physical — developed over decades of ceremony work.
The retreat space in Mindo is remote, which means it is approximately 2.5–3 hours from a hospital. This is one of the reasons our screening process is as thorough as it is — prevention is the priority. We carry a basic first aid kit, and Paulina and Amalia’s training includes crisis accompaniment in ceremony contexts.
Our commitment to you
We will never pressure you to take more medicine than you want. We will never leave you unattended during a difficult experience. We will always be honest with you about whether we think a retreat is appropriate for you at this time in your life — even if that means recommending you wait, seek additional therapeutic support first, or explore a different format.
This is the work we have chosen. We take it seriously.
