Justin Townsend
CEO & Head Facilitator
With experience as an advisor to start-ups, most recently in the health care space, Justin brings a blend of business acumen, leadership skills and a nose for futuristic health models to the MycoMeditations team.
Throughout his career Justin has worked as a business leader across a range of industries, helping innovative companies identify opportunities, communicate their vision and deliver profitable products. But he has also been on a personal quest to explore alternative healing therapies to combat his own anxiety and depression.
Over the past 20 years Justin has delved into both transpersonal and Jungian depth psychology, explored psychedelic modes of healing and developed meditation and breath work techniques, which he taught in Germany.
After attending a private retreat with MycoMeditations in 2017, he saw the opportunity to combine his unique business skills with his interest in alternative healing methods. Justin joined the MycoMeditations team soon afterwards, becoming partner and CEO in 2019.
As a retreat facilitator, Justin draws inspiration from the profound healing he is privileged to witness and believes that psychedelics offer an exciting path forward for mental health.
Mike Ljubsa
Business Director & Facilitator
Throughout his time in University, Mike suffered from depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Conventional treatments he tried didn't help, which was when he discovered psilocybin mushrooms and began to explore his mind in a quest for healing. After his first experiences, psychedelics became his primary interest. He realized these compounds were completely misunderstood by society and offered something far greater than he ever imagined. Looking to take his exploration further, Mike discovered MycoMeditations through a Google search and over the course of a week in Jamaica, undertaking three of the biggest psilocybin experiences of his life, everything changed for him. This transformative week allowed him to leave with a completely different perspective on life. The experience completely reframed his understanding of personal issues, the human mind, and reality. Mike immediately dropped any future career plans in order to join MycoMeditations full-time. He often works at the retreat as a facilitator. He also coordinates the marketing and management of MycoMeditations from his home in Edmonton, Canada.
Denise Rue
Facilitator, LCSW
A licensed clinical social worker and hypnotherapist, Denise joined the MycoMeditations team in 2019. She has since worked with hundreds of guests, both as staff therapist and as a retreat leader. Highly intuitive and compassionate, Denise recognizes the profound privilege and responsibility of working with this healing medicine. After attending a MycoMeditations retreat as a guest in 2018, Denise was asked to return as a facilitator. Her therapeutic expertise includes nearly a decade working with survivors of complex trauma and childhood sexual abuse, as well as years working in hospice. Her trainings include Fluence’s “Psychedelics for Clinicians,” EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing,) Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and Internal Family Systems work. Besides holding master’s degrees in speech-language pathology and social work, Denise has an MFA in poetry and has taught poetry in schools, nursing homes and a women’s prison. In her spare time, she travels, writes, cooks, swims, and takes long walks with MycoMeditation’s retreat dog, Lolo.
Emilia Sabatowska
Facilitator, LMHC
Emilia is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in psychedelic integration and trauma-focused therapy. She uses mindfulness meditation and body-based approaches, to help clients access their healing potential. She has completed training in clinical hypnotherapy, ketamine assisted psychotherapy and various forms of meditation.
Emilia’s own experiences with psychedelics have fueled her commitment to supporting individuals who are exploring them for healing and personal growth. The transformation observed, both personally and in others, has been a big motivation for Emilia to do this work.
As an integration specialist, Emilia supports guests in processing any emotions and insights from the psilocybin sessions, to help facilitate lasting changes.
When not in Jamaica, Emilia manages a counseling practice focused on psychedelic education and support. She also enjoys travel and dance, as ways of nurturing her own personal growth.
Jonas Rosen
Facilitator, LMSW
Jonas is a licensed social worker who specializes in mindfulness-based therapies.
Ever since his first psilocybin experience, Jonas has been deeply passionate about the intersection of psychedelics and mental health. Over the past decade, psilocybin has helped him overcome anxiety, realize a profound sense of interconnection, and discover new life meaning and purpose.
Jonas has worked as a facilitator at MycoMeditations for over two years. Having repeatedly witnessed psychedelic healing in-action, Jonas is continually inspired by the power of psilocybin to help us self-actualize and grow to our fullest potential.
In 2020, Jonas founded a company named Inner Vision to provide education and compassionate support around the psychedelic experience. He is also creator of the YouTube channel, “Cosmic Consciousness with Jonas,” where he shares educational content around psychedelics, consciousness, and the mysteries of life.
Nickesha Strachan
Nurse & Facilitator
Graduating from Hospicare Nursing Academy in Mandeville, Jamaica, Nickesha holds a Certificate in Practical Nursing. Nickesha has five-year experience as an Ambulance Emergency Nurse, has worked in nursing homes, clinics, daycares, and functions as the onsite nurse at football, cricket and other sporting events at the Breds Treasure Beach Sports Park. She is also the leader of the Treasure Beach Community Response Team, (CDRT) and is always among the first on hand for hurricane and storm emergencies. Her warm personality, calming presence and personal experiences of healing with psilocybin help her fit her role as our nurse on site perfectly, and she now also helps on retreat as a facilitator.
Shanika Sancroft
Facilitator
Shanika, a Treasure Beach local, is a trained social worker and a former employee of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security in Jamaica. Shanika worked closely with the most vulnerable Jamaican populations, where she provided assessments, counseling and helped families cope with the challenges of living in a developing country.
Shanika also served as the Administrative Assistant at the Treasure Beach Destination Management Organization (DMO) a non-profit organization aiming to support the Treasure Beach community through the development of a sustainable and unique brand of ‘Community Tourism”. Through her training and passion for communal and personal wellness, Shanika is a cornerstone in our local outreach efforts in Treasure Beach and all of Jamaica.
Dr. Janique Baldwin-Miller
Psychiatrist
Dr. Baldwin-Miller is a graduate of the University of the West Indies. She earned the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB,BS) Degree and Doctor of Medicine in Psychiatry in 2011 and 2019 respectively. She has been employed by the Ministry of Health in Jamaica since 2011, which has led her to practice medicine in the primary and secondary care settings all across the island. Her special interests are in emergency psychiatry and psychiatry in the primary care setting.