About Us

Janet Nielsen, M.Ed., CCC, C.Hyp  

Brittany Bannerman, M.Ed., CCC, C.Hyp

Our story began early 2016, when we were briefly introduced to each other by our professor outside of a nondual conference at the University of Lethbridge. We both live in Lethbridge, AB. We completed the same Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology program at different times and  researched and wrote our master's theses on psychedelics. Our paths would synchronistically cross again later in 2016, when we bumped into each other at the Psychedelic Psychotherapy Forum in Victoria, BC. We scheduled our first medicine journey together a few months later, dipping our toes into a space we would come to frequent together often in the subsequent years. We attended the same conference again in 2018, this time together, and our passion for psychedelic psychotherapy was reignited. 

We had the chance to explore different psychedelic landscapes together – and explore we did!! We have been blessed to be able to engage in deep healing work together during our own psychedelic medicine sessions. We are not just therapists, but psychonaut researchers who explore and map psychedelic territories and heal deep wounds, traumas, and patterns together! 

Together we have worked with plant medicines with our mutual clients. We have realized that psychedelics allow for connection to the innate healing intelligence of one’s body, mind, and spirit. We work together as a team with our clients, helping them prepare, navigate, and integrate their psychedelic experiences. We have witnessed our clients heal at the root cause of their ailments, whether that be physical, cognitive, spiritual, emotional, or a combination of these.

We studied and wrote our master’s theses on the healing and transformative capacities of psychedelics in different contexts:

Click to view Brittany’s master’s thesis:

Transformative, Exceptional Human Experiences at Music Festivals: A Transpersonal Phenomenological Exploration  

Click to view Janet’s master’s thesis:

 Transforming the Fear of Death Through Near-Death Experiences and Experiential Psychedelics: A Transpersonal Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry.

Janet has a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology (specialization in Addictions and Mental Health) from the University of Lethbridge and is a Canadian Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. She graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a BA double major in Psychology and Religion, and an M.Ed. In addition, Janet is currently completing a Trauma and Transcendence coaching certification which includes levels 1 and 2 Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapy Certification, sound therapy, and trauma and transcendence coaching. 

Janet believes that we are a combination of body, mind, and spirit and that these elements need to be considered for holistic healing. She practices an integrative approach to counselling, which combines existential, cognitive-behavioural, trauma-informed, and transpersonal therapy amongst others. Within this integrative framework, her central goal is to promote wholeness for her clients in all aspects of their lives. She counsels from a client-centered focus and believes in individual services and interventions that meet the unique needs and personalities of each client. She believes in facilitating the integration of body, mind, and soul by promoting growth and compassion for her clients that can lead to long-lasting, transformational change. 

Janet is passionate about exceptional human experiences (near-death experiences and mystical/transcendent experiences) and has researched these extensively. She has completed a master's thesis, Transforming The Fear Of Death Through Near-Death Experiences And Experiential Psychedelics: A Transpersonal Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry. 

She has been doing her own personal work with plant medicine for over twenty years and works with clients in plant medicine to allow for healing from the inside out. She has worked with many clients in relation to grief and loss, death and dying, and completed her death doula certification in October 2019. She considers this work to be sacred, allowing her to support clients and their families as their lives come to a close. 

Professional Development

The Way of the Shaman® Shamanic Journeying, Power, and Healing: The Basic Workshop in Core Shamanism - The Foundation for Shamanic Studies 

End of Life Doula - Douglas College

DB 101: Using Psychedelics for Growth - Double Blind 

Sound Therapy - Toronto Sound Therapy

Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapy 

Certification - Daybreak Therapy and Training: Liberate Your Potential 

Mastery Level Hypnotherapist Training: Quantum Trauma Treatment - Daybreak Therapy and Training: Liberate Your Potential  (In Progress)

Trauma and Transcendence Coaching Certification - Daybreak Therapy and Training: Liberate Your Potential  (In Progress)

Brittany has a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology (with a specialization in Addictions and Mental Health) from the University of Lethbridge and is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). She graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a B.A. (Honours) in Psychology and an M.Ed. Brittany is also a certified Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (C.Hyp), offering hypnotherapy sessions that allow for the exploration and processing of deep seated patterns and trauma in order to facilitate deeper, lasting change. Brittany offers support and integration for those who have experienced spiritual emergence/emergencies and exceptional human experiences (e.g., awakening, mystical and transcendent, near-death, and post-psychedelic experiences). She has extensive lived experience with chronic illness and pain (i.e., endometriosis & adenomyosis), which has inspired her to walk others through similar journeys.

She believes that for true transformation to transpire one must move beyond their everyday experience and embrace transcendental experiences. These experiences can be facilitated through: Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapy, breath work, meditation, guided imagery, emotional/somatic processing, body movement, and many other non-invasive techniques. 

Brittany has been working with plant medicines personally for over 11 years and works with clients in plant medicine to allow for deep, transformative healing. She has worked with many clients seeking to access the subconscious through clinical counselling hypnotherapy and provides healing and reprogramming at the deepest levels for total transformation. She considers this work to be fundamental to clearing out, realigning with one’s true self, and moving towards wholeness. Brittany is passionate about the transformational aspects of expanded consciousness and how to integrate such experiences into one’s life, and has researched these extensively. She completed a master’s thesis on Transformative, Exceptional Human Experiences at Music Festivals: A Transpersonal Phenomenological Exploration. 

Professional Development

Introductory Workshop in the Principles, Theory and Technique of the Hakomi Method of Experiential Psychotherapy - The Hakomi Institute of Alberta Canada

The Way of the Shaman® Shamanic Journeying, Power, and Healing: The Basic Workshop in Core Shamanism - The Foundation for Shamanic Studies 

Introduction to Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy - International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy

The Way of the Psychonaut: An Advanced Program for Exploring Transpersonal Realms with Stanislav Grof - The Shift Network

Psychedelic Preparation and Navigation Skills Workshop - Psychedelic Psychotherapy Forum III: State of the Art

Pathways Through the Darkness: Psychedelics & Trauma Healing - Psychoeducational Presentation with Tarzie McLean, James Jesso, and Nicole Bradford

Intention & Integration: Realizing Transformation in Psychedelic Therapy - Psychedelic Psychotherapy Forum 2018: The Unfolding Promise

Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (C.Hyp) Certification - Daybreak Therapy and Training: Liberate Your Potential

Publications

Tzu, G., Bannerman, B., & Hill, N. (2016). From grey nothingness to holistic healing: A non-dual approach to the treatment of burnout. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi: 10.1007/s11469-016-9701-3

Tzu, G. & Bannerman, B. (2016). Transforming trauma into healing and being: A non-dual therapy approach. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi: 10.1007/s11469-016-9659-1

Tzu, G., Bannerman, B., & McCallums, K. (2015). Novices come home to non-dual being: A transpersonal, existential, phenomenological analysis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi: 10.1007/s11469-015-9600-z

Tzu, G., Bannerman, B., & McCallum, K. (2015). Novices’ transition from separation into non-dual being: A transpersonal, existential, phenomenological analysis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi: 10.1007/s11469-015-9595-5

Tzu, G., Bannerman, B., & Griffith, S. (2015). Losing my self in non-dual awakening: A transpersonal phenomenological investigation. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi: 10.1007/s11469-015-9564-z

Dawson, S. J., Bannerman, B. A., & Lalumière, M. L. (2014). Paraphilic  interests: An examination of sex differences in a nonclinical sample. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. doi: 10.1177/1079063214525645

Conference Presentations:

Bannerman, B. (Oct 2016). Transformative, exceptional human experiences at music festivals: A transpersonal, phenomenological exploration. Oral presentation at the Qualitative Health Research Conference, Kelowna, BC. (Peer Reviewed)

Bannerman, B. A., Dawson, S. J., & Lalumière, M. L. (2012). Sex differences in paraphilic interests. Oral presentation at the Meeting of the Minds Multidisciplinary Conference, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB. (Peer Reviewed)

Bannerman, B. A., Dawson, S. J., & Lalumière, M. L. (2011). Paraphilic interests: An examination of prevalence rates and sex differences. Oral presentation (symposium) at the Canadian Sex Research Forum Conference, Vancouver, BC. (Peer Reviewed)

Bannerman, B. A. (2011). Paraphilic interests: An examination of prevalence rates and sex differences. Oral presentation at the 6th Annual Psychology Symposium, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB. (Non-Peer Reviewed)