Grof Psychedelic Training Academy

Retreat Facilitators and Apprentice(s)

Neil Hanon, MD, FRCPC, is a psychiatrist based in Kelowna. Recognized for his teaching excellence, Dr. Hanon has received the Undergraduate Psychiatry Clinical Teaching Award from the UBC Department of Psychiatry in 2011 and 2023, along with the Clinical Faculty Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching from the Faculty of Medicine at UBC in 2018. Dr.Hanon, Neil, got involved in Holotropic Breathwork first as a participant to help with his grief after the death of his 17 year old son. He discovered that conventional psychology and psychiatry had no coherent strategy to help him in his grief. Through extensive reading he discovered Stan Grof’s writing on novel theories of the human psyche and was able to attend a breathwork retreat led by Stan and Christina Grof. He found the breathwork so beneficial for his grief that he continued on training and in 2015 become certified as a Holotropic Breathwork facilitator. Driven by his own journey, Neil developed a keen interest in treating grief and spiritual emergence. He co-founded Relief for Grief, which evolved into Jamaica Grief Retreats, offering legal psilocybin mushroom journeys to parents who have lost a child. He also served as the medical director for TheraPsil, assisting patients with End of Life Distress to gain legal access to psilocybin mushrooms. During his time with TheraPsil he was one of 19 Canadian clinical professionals who were granted permission by the Federal minister of Health to legally possess and take psilocybin mushrooms for educational purposes. In 2021 Neil was invited by Stan and Brigitte Grof to co-lead the Canadian arm of Grof Legacy Training International. In late 2023 Grof Legacy Training Canada separated into breathwork and psychedelic streams. Neil leads both the Psychedelic Training, and Grof Breathwork Programs in Canada. With his extensive background of curriculum development and teaching skills has developed the coursework with emphasis on its application to psychedelic medicine work, and Grof Breathwork.


Retreat Facilitators and Apprentice(s)

Amy Burrell spent her formative years in Brazil and returned to the United States for her higher education. Her experience of two cultures and languages has shaped her world view giving her an appreciation of other cultures and the diversity they bring. Amy has participated in sacred ceremonies for more than a decade and weaves cultural wisdom from these experiences and ongoing international training and mentorships into her work. She began her professional life as a ballet/modern dancer and costume designer. Her appreciation for aesthetics and deep understanding of the body and movement, instilled early on, continue to inform her work. She created art installations working with themes of suspension, timelessness, healing, death and rebirth where participants could experience their own bodies and achieve more self awareness. These themes integrated well into her interest in Grof studies. Amy has a MFA, a BS Dance/Psychology, is a LMT and has has extensive training in trauma-informed holistic healing modalities. Her additional certifications include Grof® Breathwork, Thriving Relationship Coach™, Authentic Tantra® teacher, Reiki Master and SET (structural energetic therapy). She has taught movement and dance at the Federal University of Goiás in Brazil and at Indiana University. She is pursuing Grof® Psychedelic Therapists training in Spain while continuing as a practicing massage therapist. She facilitates Grof® Breathwork workshops and is a Teacher of Grof Legacy Training® nationally and internationally. Amy’s enthusiasm for learning, traveling, and experiencing cultures continues to inspired and enrich her life and work. It is her greatest honour to hold space for others in their transformational journey.