Trailblazing ideas and research to inspire and create Canada’s psychedelics landscape.
Participate in intimate conversations with psychedelic leaders about the road to legalizing psychedelics.
Building a community to enact change today.
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New speakers are added weekly! To view our speakers from 2022, click here.
Examining the myriad of issues related to psychedelic medicine when it comes to harm reduction, best practices, standards, implementation frameworks, etc.
The rapidly evolving landscape of legal, regulatory and legislative changes and trends in Canada and beyond
Exploring the fast-growing area of commercialization and capitalization of the psychedelic medicine industry
Focusing on the crucial role that appropriate preparation and post-medicine integration play in the efficacy and benefits of psychedelics
An overview of the important elements to consider in the effective delivery of psychedelic-assisted therapy
Stephen Beardwood is a Canadian Forces Veteran Paratrooper and Medic with 17 years of military service. Stephen is also a professional instrumental guitarist, poet, and songwriter. He served in a combat role as a member of the Canadian Airborne Regiment in Somalia and is a co-founder and current chairman of Veterans House Charity (https://veteranshouse.ca) Stephen is actively involved in veterans’ mental health.
Stephen is an experienced professional regarding Veteran’s Affairs and the obvious challenges veterans have faced during and after their service. This would include insufficient equipment on deployments, difficulty reporting mental health problems, sexual assault, medical release issues, improper medical diagnoses, difficulties obtaining medical pensions, family courts, police welfare checks and being forced to fail on pharmaceuticals before being allowed to look at alternatives.
He has successfully used plant-based medicines like cannabis and psilocybin over pharmaceuticals in his mental and physical health recovery.
Extensive experience as a key strategist for research roadmaps, core initiatives and the development of research requirements and management of research projects and the development of IP. Worked as a hub between academia, industry, and governing directorates to ensure research and development objectives meet regulatory compliance at all phases of pipelines from inception to commercialization.
Regulatory expert and policy advisor for restrictive high growth industries. Managed several compliance projects as well as developed requirements for LIMS, GLP, GACP, GMP as well as methods development, vendor qualification, ISO standards and training. Developed several good practices policies and quality management systems and implemented mass change control and overall, all reduction in deviations.
Contributed and consulted on several governing policies, standards, and monographs internationally and contributed to industry by taking on special projects as well as volunteers for several non for-profit organizations and focuses on bridging the gap between science and industry.
Sonia Stringer is a professional speaker, business and life coach who has been immersed in transformational work for over 25 years. She started her career as a National Sales Trainer with peak performance expert Anthony Robbins, during which she delivered workshops and keynotes for over 800 organizations throughout the United States and Canada.
In 2000, Sonia launched her own coaching and training company based in San Diego, California. She has designed and delivered hundreds of live/virtual training programs and events, generating multiple 7-figures in revenue and serving over 100,000 clients in 36 countries.
Sonia is a graduate of the University of Santa Monica, which offers an MA degree in spiritual psychology, and has devoted much of her adult life to studying traditional and innovative approaches to psychology and transformational models. She has been a passionate advocate for psychedelic medicines and therapy for over 25 years, and currently sits on the Board of the Canadian Psychedelic Association.
Sonia is excited to contribute her skills and experience to make ATMA’s Psychedelic Assisted Therapy program an invaluable resource for therapists, MD’s and other health care professionals wanting to create the best possible outcomes for their patients and clients.
Curt graduated from Ryerson in 1983 with a B.A.A. in Radio and Television Arts.
In 1986 he joined the CBC and started working in what was known as Frobisher Bay and later Iqaluit, in the North West Territories. He lived here for nearly seven years.
His career with the CBC then took him to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he became a National Reporter. In Winnipeg Curt’s investigative journalism revealed a scheme hatched in the Premier’s office to create a dummy political party in order to alter the outcome of a provincial election. Curt’s work sparked a public inquiry which confirmed his findings about corruption and election officials who played a role in covering it up. His reporting won the Michener Award for meritorious public service journalism in 1999.
In 2001 he joined the CBC’s parliamentary bureau in Ottawa. Four years later Curt took on the job of National reporter for BC. His investigative work has been recognized by The Jack Webster Foundation, The Radio and Television News Director’s Association, the Canadian Association of Journalists, and The New York Festivals.
Curt has been called on to report on countless critical incidents, catastrophes and humanitarian crises: from the devastating Manitoba flood in 1997, to the seminal Columbine school shooting in Littleton, Colorado, to more recent events including the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, the worst drought in Eastern Africa in a generation that same year, and Typhoon Haiyan’s swath of destruction in the Philippines in 2013. It was following his trip to the Philippines, after some particularly difficult conditions, that he was eventually diagnosed with PTSD.
Ever the journalist, even when he was at his darkest point, Curt collaborated on a documentary which made him the focus of the story.
Since 2007, no story has occupied more of Curt’s time, interest and curiosity than that of the death of Robert Dziekanski and the investigation into what happened. Curt’s credo is to keep asking questions until the answers stand up to scrutiny.
In 2020 Curt began writing a series of pieces for The Tyee about psychedelic psychotherapy and how Canadian medical authorities and governments were responding to the growing demand for access. The stories culminated in an investigation into the death of Amanda Leech, a B.C. woman who’s doctors withdrew life-changing ketamine therapy without explanation or reason.
Throughout his illness and treatment, Curt maintained an interest in the sprawling and complicated story that is the subject of Blamed and Broken. His treating physicians encouraged Curt to use writing as a therapy, even when he was unable to carry out the job which has been his life’s work for more than thirty years. It was good advice.
Curt currently lives in Port Moody, BC.