Meet the teaching community

Susan holds the tent corners of the PaTGC program with over 15 years of experience in supporting academic and non-profit administration. Susan also serves as a participant navigator for the Roots to Thrive program. Her passions include painting, singing, gardening and playing with her children and grandchildren.

I'm honored to support the collective weaving of wisdom and science in the delivery of psychedelic medicine.

As a woman and a second and third-generation immigrant to Canada, I represent a blend of European ancestry.  I am a proud mother of two tweens and have been in a life partnership for over 20 years. My aim is to maintain harmonious relations with both science and spirituality, while walking in humility and allyship with those from diverse lands and cultures. My post secondary educational pathway includes VIU's Psychedelic-assisted Therapy Graduate Certificate, a Doctorate in Adult Education with a focus on resilience development, a Master’s in public health, and a Bachelor's in Nursing.  

Serving as a registered nurse and developmental lead of Roots to Thrive and as a Health Professional Investigator for Michael Smith & Health Research BC, I focus on innovation, education, and leadership in resilience programming, psychedelic-assisted therapy and culturally responsive approaches. 

As we reconnect with the pilot light within, we help light the way for others.

Elder Geraldine Manson serves as a mentor for the Psychedelic-assisted Therapy program, and with students and Faculty in Health and Human Services and the Shq’apthut/Gathering Place. 

It's a pleasure to join this talented community as we cross this historical threshold in mental healthcare.

Dr. Pamela Kryskow comes with many years of experience as a first responder and researching physician in psychedelic medicine. She serves as a Medical Director for Roots to Thrive.

Jimena Garcia Paniagua is a MA Global Leadership graduate student and serves as a guest instructor in the PATGC program.  She has focused her research and professional skills on the recovery, revitalization and practice of Indigenous Health Systems and Planetary Health. Her most extensive research has been on the traditional knowledge, philosophy and practices of entheogenic medicine and land-based healing practices among Indigenous Peoples of Mexico and Peru. She has delved into the knowledge that the Wixarika’ peoples’ hold about Hikuri (Lophophora williamsii); the Mazatec peoples have of the Ndi xi tjo (Psilocybe caerulescens) and the Shipibo peoples have of the brew known as Oni (concentrate decoction of Vanisteriosa Caapi and Psychotria viridis). She is experienced working in multicultural contexts, bridging intercultural partnerships, developing recovery projects, and knowledge translation."

Wes Taylor comes to the table with decades of experience incorporating nonviolent communication and restorative justice in psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy frameworks. He currently serves as a Director for AVI and shares his talents with First Nations Health Authority, and Roots to Thrive.