Beckley Academy, a leading training organization that prepares and trains practitioners with a focus on preparing mental health professionals to use ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA to treat patients, announced today that Sara Gael Beauregard and Mary Sanders have joined the team as facilitators. Both Sara and Mary are psychedelic therapists with clinical experience working with training organizations to meet the increasing demand for experienced and credentialed therapists able to train practitioners in the administration and facilitation of psychedelic therapies.
Mary Sanders, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and social justice advocate exploring transgenerational trauma with BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, veterans, immigrants, refugees, and foster youth. Mary has completed training at CIIS CPTR, MAPS, and the Ketamine Training Center and is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She is also a founding board member of the People of Color Psychedelic Collective. She is passionate about exploring collective healing through an intersectional lens and facilitates conversations around community-oriented infrastructures that center accessibility and culturally attuned care.
Sara Gael Beauregard, MA, LPC, is a psychedelic therapist, educator, and mentor with expertise in MDMA-Assisted Therapy, ketamine-assisted therapy, and psychedelic risk reduction. She has operated as an Investigator for MAPS Public Benefit Corporation Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials researching the safety and efficacy of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD. Currently serving as a MAPS PBC Lead Educator and Associate Supervisor, she is also the Lead Facilitator and former Course Director for the Integrative Psychiatry Institute Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Training.
“Learning and growth happen in relationships. At Beckley Academy, we foster the relationship between learners and faculty by approaching the online classroom as a time for rich discussion, reflection, and embodied skills practice. Mary and Sara join faculty Karina Sergi and Danielle Herrera, who together represent diverse PAT experience drawing from clinical trials with MAPS and Beckley PsyTech, and ketamine-assisted therapy.”
Beckley Academy, co-founded by Beckley Waves and guided by Amanda Feilding, stems from the research and contributions of the Beckley Foundation, which is at the forefront of shaping global drug policy. Beckley Academy received its first investment from Beckley Waves, Amanda Feilding’s catalytic venture studio, to become the leading training organization with a focus on preparing mental health professionals to use ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA to treat patients.
“Course content and instructional design are important components to a training program, but the program is only as good as the instructors who bring the course material to life,” said John Yoo, CEO of Beckley Academy. “We’re thrilled and honored to have Sara and Mary join our team, giving voice to women and women of color in this emerging space.”
About Beckley Academy
Beckley Academy, co-founded by Beckley Waves and guided by Amanda Feilding, stems from the pioneering research and contributions of the Beckley Foundation and trains practitioners to provide psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) with Ketamine, Psilocybin and MDMA. With its trainers, contributors, and leadership team, Beckley Academy brings expertise and experience in online education, behavioral health training, mental health, and psychedelic research from renowned organizations such as MAPS, Johns Hopkins, Imperial College, and others.