Shannon Dames comes is a third-generation immigrant to Canada with mixed European ancestry. She serves as a mom of two, a Health Professional Investigator, a registered nurse for the last 20 years with a doctorate in education (with a focus on resilience development curriculum) and a master's in public health. She is a Professor of Nursing and Chair of VIU's PaT Graduate Certificate education program at Vancouver Island University (VIU), and a curriculum and research and development lead for the Roots to Thrive program (providing resilience development and psychedelic-assisted therapy).

Group-Administered Psychedelic Therapy: Maximizing Healing and Resilience through Communities of Practice

Many individuals have never experienced truly safe and trustworthy relationships, which serve as a primary resilience factor, requirement of human thriving. By creating a peer held trauma- and attachment-informed container, participants can practice relational safety in a structured setting—where authentic, unconditional positive regard is the primary medicine.   Psychedelics serve as secondary mediators, softening rigid ego defenses to enable deeper trust and connection. Formal intentions and agreements establish safety and predictability, while carefully curated playlists (musical alchemy) further enhance relational attunement.   Finally, we discuss the integration of Indigenous (ancient wisdom) and Western (modern science) ways of knowing, cultivating a consensual third space that honors diverse healing traditions while ensuring cultural appreciation does not cross into appropriation.