Meet our team
FOUNDER, Co-Clinical Investigator, CO-THERAPIST
Dr. Liz Esalen
Dr Liz Esalen is the Founder and CEO of Luminous Healing Center and The Lotus Collaborative, trauma & eating disorder recovery centers in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, California.
Dr. Liz has dedicated her career to creating quality, heart-centered healing organizations that foster mind-body-soul reconnection and profound transformation. She is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and a licensed psychologist with 15 years of organizational leadership and over 25 years of empowering holistic care.
At Luminous Healing Center, Esalen's work is at the forefront of her field, offering new and progressive evidence-based treatments for psychological trauma, PTSD, and mind-body anxiety. As a clinician, she has found traditional treatments for PTSD to be expensive and lacking. The continued suffering of her patients led her to keep seeking innovative approaches for radical trauma healing. This search led her to Internal Family Systems, Somatic Therapy, Shamanic Energy Medicine, Health Coaching, Ketamine and MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy.
In 2019, Esalen's new endeavor Luminous Healing Center, was selected to be one of a ten centers in the nation that can provide this cutting-edge treatment. She was in the first cohort with MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) to become trained in MDMA-Assisted therapy. In 2020, responded to the pandemic by launching a trauma, anxiety, and depression mental health intensive outpatient program (IOP) offered virtually and in person at The Lotus Collaborative.
Dr. Liz has a passion for leading transformative dance journeys and feminine leadership around the world. Esalen has done her own heroine's journey over the past decade to overcoming trauma and autoimmune illness. She found medicine in nature, ecstatic dance, embodiment practices, meditation, Internal Family Systems, the enneagram and shamanic energy medicine. She works closely with functional medicine practitioners and supports clients needing health coaching to decrease inflammation and increase body wellness. She integrates these mind-body-spirit practices into her clinical work to support others in holistic paths of healing.
Esalen's mission is to support others awakening and reconnecting to their inner light. This light can be dimmed or lost with suffering, trauma and pain, but with support, can be rediscovered again. This luminosity is our life force. She believes remembering our luminous nature connects us to our inner healer, teacher and guide. The relationship with our luminosity can help overcome trauma, sickness, and broken hearts. She is committed to empowering others to reconnect with their light.
"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
M. Williamson
Dr. Liz has dedicated her career to creating quality, heart-centered healing organizations that foster mind-body-soul reconnection and profound transformation. She is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and a licensed psychologist with 15 years of organizational leadership and over 25 years of empowering holistic care.
At Luminous Healing Center, Esalen's work is at the forefront of her field, offering new and progressive evidence-based treatments for psychological trauma, PTSD, and mind-body anxiety. As a clinician, she has found traditional treatments for PTSD to be expensive and lacking. The continued suffering of her patients led her to keep seeking innovative approaches for radical trauma healing. This search led her to Internal Family Systems, Somatic Therapy, Shamanic Energy Medicine, Health Coaching, Ketamine and MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy.
In 2019, Esalen's new endeavor Luminous Healing Center, was selected to be one of a ten centers in the nation that can provide this cutting-edge treatment. She was in the first cohort with MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) to become trained in MDMA-Assisted therapy. In 2020, responded to the pandemic by launching a trauma, anxiety, and depression mental health intensive outpatient program (IOP) offered virtually and in person at The Lotus Collaborative.
Dr. Liz has a passion for leading transformative dance journeys and feminine leadership around the world. Esalen has done her own heroine's journey over the past decade to overcoming trauma and autoimmune illness. She found medicine in nature, ecstatic dance, embodiment practices, meditation, Internal Family Systems, the enneagram and shamanic energy medicine. She works closely with functional medicine practitioners and supports clients needing health coaching to decrease inflammation and increase body wellness. She integrates these mind-body-spirit practices into her clinical work to support others in holistic paths of healing.
Esalen's mission is to support others awakening and reconnecting to their inner light. This light can be dimmed or lost with suffering, trauma and pain, but with support, can be rediscovered again. This luminosity is our life force. She believes remembering our luminous nature connects us to our inner healer, teacher and guide. The relationship with our luminosity can help overcome trauma, sickness, and broken hearts. She is committed to empowering others to reconnect with their light.
"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
M. Williamson
PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND Research Assistant
YEVGENIYA (JANE) ZAIKO, BA
Yevgeniya is the Program Coordinator and the Research Assistant for the Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) program and the MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for treatment-resistant PTSD program at the Luminous Healing Center. Early interest in psychology led Yevgeniya to get involved in neuroscience research labs, at the Palo Alto VA and the Stanford Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department, studying the psychological and biological foundations of mental health.
Through various research roles, Yevgeniya has supported interdisciplinary labs run clinical trials investigating treatments for PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Exposure to multiple mental health treatments and neuroimaging tools allowed her to study the neural basis of trauma, and to work with veterans and civilians alike, many of whom repeatedly shared histories of complex traumas and multiple failed treatment attempts. Studying the brain’s structure and function after trauma encouraged Yevgeniya to turn to research of alternative modalities suggesting long-lasting neuroplasticity.
Yevgeniya strongly believes in the profound healing power of psychedelic medicine, the science behind the plasticity-promoting compounds, and the unique opportunity psychedelic medicine offers our world to (re)connect to ourselves, to others, to our culture, and the greater universe. Personal experience with alternative medicine has granted Yevgeniya a new relationship with her own lived experience of trauma and depression, solidifying her duty and commitment to support those living with trauma through careful investigation, scientific research, and advocacy.
Through various research roles, Yevgeniya has supported interdisciplinary labs run clinical trials investigating treatments for PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Exposure to multiple mental health treatments and neuroimaging tools allowed her to study the neural basis of trauma, and to work with veterans and civilians alike, many of whom repeatedly shared histories of complex traumas and multiple failed treatment attempts. Studying the brain’s structure and function after trauma encouraged Yevgeniya to turn to research of alternative modalities suggesting long-lasting neuroplasticity.
Yevgeniya strongly believes in the profound healing power of psychedelic medicine, the science behind the plasticity-promoting compounds, and the unique opportunity psychedelic medicine offers our world to (re)connect to ourselves, to others, to our culture, and the greater universe. Personal experience with alternative medicine has granted Yevgeniya a new relationship with her own lived experience of trauma and depression, solidifying her duty and commitment to support those living with trauma through careful investigation, scientific research, and advocacy.
Medical Provider, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Program
ANDREW LEWIS, DO, MS
Dr. Lewis is the owner of CruzMedMo, which is a concierge mobile urgent care in Santa Cruz County. Prior to starting CruzMedMo he worked in urgent care for over 20 years. He brings his familiarity with ketamine and knowledge around acute care medicine to our Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) program. He is a passionate supporter of psychedelic assisted therapies and describes his experience with it as: profound, powerful and awe-inspiring tools for healing journeys.
Having practiced for 15 years with PAMF urgent cares, he may be a familiar face to many who have frequented urgent care. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife and two children and is told by his staff that he needs to enjoy making (and bringing into work) gluten-free cinnamon rolls every Friday. It was through our small ketamine network in Santa Cruz that Drs. Lewis and Esalen met and developed this collaboration that would become Luminous's Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Program.
Having practiced for 15 years with PAMF urgent cares, he may be a familiar face to many who have frequented urgent care. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife and two children and is told by his staff that he needs to enjoy making (and bringing into work) gluten-free cinnamon rolls every Friday. It was through our small ketamine network in Santa Cruz that Drs. Lewis and Esalen met and developed this collaboration that would become Luminous's Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Program.
Therapist, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Program
Garret Conway, MA, MFT, PATP
For over 20 years, Garret has been dedicated to the healing potential and power of nature connection experiences and therapy. He has worked extensively with a diverse set of communities all over the world. Garret holds an MA in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology and Wilderness Therapy from Naropa University and has served as an Executive Director, University Lecturer, and Therapist supporting individuals, couples, and families in both workshop settings as well as in his private practice. He is informed by Gestalt, Somatic, Experiential, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness, and Transpersonal philosophies as well as nature-based healing in his work. As a father of two, Garret loves surfing and camping with his family and playing basketball in his free time. Garret currently has a private practice in Santa Cruz, California and completed the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Provider Certification from the Integrative Psychiatry Institute in collaboration with MAPS.
He views therapy as a collaboration where therapist and client work together to connect with an inner healing intelligence and unconditional positive regard within each of us. Client and therapist can then tend to trauma, grief, resentments, and limiting beliefs that are contributing to symptoms. With humility and reverence for the resilience, courage and vulnerability it can take to heal ourselves, he creates a nonjudgmental, kind and compassionate space with room for humor, absurdity and fun. Garret integrates healing modalities from various wisdom traditions that awaken our physiological and emotional connective systems in collaboration with the natural world. This process can help clear historic trauma and family of origin wounding that is reinforced by a mass cultural amnesia. He draws from evidence-based client-centered modalities including Transpersonal Psychology, Ecopsychology, Internal Family Systems, Gestalt, Family Systems and Somatic approaches to healing.
He views therapy as a collaboration where therapist and client work together to connect with an inner healing intelligence and unconditional positive regard within each of us. Client and therapist can then tend to trauma, grief, resentments, and limiting beliefs that are contributing to symptoms. With humility and reverence for the resilience, courage and vulnerability it can take to heal ourselves, he creates a nonjudgmental, kind and compassionate space with room for humor, absurdity and fun. Garret integrates healing modalities from various wisdom traditions that awaken our physiological and emotional connective systems in collaboration with the natural world. This process can help clear historic trauma and family of origin wounding that is reinforced by a mass cultural amnesia. He draws from evidence-based client-centered modalities including Transpersonal Psychology, Ecopsychology, Internal Family Systems, Gestalt, Family Systems and Somatic approaches to healing.
Therapy Intern
tracy korpela
Tracy is currently attending Naropa University for her Masters in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Clinical Counseling. Through her years of experience programmatically serving The Lotus Collaborative, sister center of Luminous, she has come full circle as a Recovery Counselor.
Tracy is deeply interested and committed to the efforts of psychedelic research and MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy. She chose Naropa University's contemplative higher education for their focus on meditation + mindfulness. Tracy firmly believes that cultivating mindfulness helps the whole person develop and actualize. She plans to pursue a psychedelic studies certificate with Naropa and attain licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor to further support MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy.
Tracy is deeply interested and committed to the efforts of psychedelic research and MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy. She chose Naropa University's contemplative higher education for their focus on meditation + mindfulness. Tracy firmly believes that cultivating mindfulness helps the whole person develop and actualize. She plans to pursue a psychedelic studies certificate with Naropa and attain licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor to further support MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy.
