Elena hails from Mexico City and has meandered through different continents in the pursuit of knowledge in different fields. Today, she spends most of her working time growing a plant-dye garden and thinking of joyful ways to engage children and adults in outdoor learning and nature-connection. She also works with Siddiq in the lab growing the mushrooms utilized in the sessions. She is fascinated by self-directed learning and fostering autonomy in everyday life.When she isn't working, she pursues long hikes as a form of self-guided therapy and loves foraging for food, medicine, and crafts.
She has extensive personal experience working with psychedelics and brings an earthy comforting feminine energy, appreciated by many, to our sessions.
Siddiq, founding director of the association, grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. He has been exploring the intersections of nature connection, meditation, and psychedelic medicine for the last 15 years.
He is a scholarship winner of the Somatic Plant Medicine Integration certification and and Trauma-informed Plant Medicine Masterclass offered by Atira Tan. As signatory of the North Star ethics pledge for psychedelic practitioners, he is guided by integrity and sincerity as foundational principles in his work.
His approach to psychedelic assisted therapy is grounded in an ongoing intensive study of the latest clinical research from the leading universities in the world. Influenced by the pioneering work of Dr Gabor Mate and Dr Basel van der Kolk in uncovering the somatic dimensions of trauma, his toolkit is based in psychosomatic therapy and incorporates elements of Dr Peter Levine's Somatic Experiencing, Dr David Bercelli's Trauma Release Exercises, emotional release exercises from the Reichian tradition of body-based psychoanalysis, and breathwork-based methods of nervous-system autoregulation.
He has spent months on intensive silent retreat, focusing particularly on nature-based practices of embodied contemplation such as pilgrimage and wilderness rites of passage. He has developed relationships with many species of fungi, building bioreactors and countless compost piles to produce inoculum for feeding soil fertility, foraging for wild edible and medicinal mushrooms, fermenting food and drink with wild and cultivated aerobic and anaerobic fungi, and setting up a laboratory for cloning and growing wild and cultivated species for mycoprotien, mycogardening, and mycotherapy. He has grown intimate with the life-cycles of mushrooms, from spores to mycelium to fruit. His investigation of psychedelic fungi has led him to study the ethnomycological traditions of the world, from modern curanderos to precolonial Native Americans, Siberian shamans, ancient Greek Mysteries, all the way back to the ceremonial practices of our paleolithic ancestors.
Details of this retreat
We are a nonprofit association offering legal, individual 1:1 psychedelic-assisted therapy sessions with magic mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis) to those in need. We are graduates of Somatic Plant Medicine Integration certification and have completed professional training in the Trauma-informed Plant Medicine Masterclass offered by Atira Tan. We are signatories of the North Star ethics pledge for psychedelic practitioners, guided by integrity and sincerity as foundational principles in our work.
Based on the standard protocol for clinical practice developed by Johns Hopkins University, Imperial College London, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies and others, our sessions are conducted individually, in comfortable, quiet, cosy indoor environments, close to nature, with one or more monitors present at all times to offer non-intrusive, non-directive care and support. We invite individuals to embark on a long-term, multi-stage journey with us, in which the session itself is merely one phase.
Our approach is grounded in psychosomatic therapy and incorporates elements of Dr Peter Levine´s Somatic Experiencing, Dr David Bercelli´s Trauma Release Exercises, emotional release exercises from the Reichian tradition of body-based psychoanalysis, and breathwork-based methods of nervous-system autoregulation.
Schedule
To ensure the experience of everyone is as beneficial as possible, we do not host group retreats but invite individuals to embark on a long-term, multi-stage journey with us, in which the session itself is merely one phase. During the intake phase, we conduct a thorough medical and psychological pre-screening process to ensure the safety of the experience for all candidates.
Once applications are accepted and dates arranged, the preparation phase includes the presentation of introductory educational content, and an introductory video interview to get to know each other and to discuss intentions and upcoming steps.
We meet you at the site around 11am. The session begins with a preparatory discussion, during which we set and record intentions, work through doubts and fears, advise how to respond to challenging experiences, and quieten the mind with a "mindful eating" meditation. The mushrooms are served in a tea ceremony including an infusion of herbal extracts shown in several clinical trials to reduce anxiety significantly in patients awaiting surgery. This is particularly apt as a high dose psychedelic session is comparable to performing a deep surgical operation on your own mind.
Once the effects subside, around 5 hours later, we provide opportunities for you to record the experience in writing or through audio. We close the session around 6pm.
El Gastor is 1hr 40min from Malaga and 1hr1 5mins from Seville by car. For public transport, there is the option to arrive via taxi (the fastest option), rideshare (Blabla car), bus, or train (the most scenic, comfortable and slow option). Should you request it, we can arrange an airport pickup with a taxi which you may pay directly to the driver.
Accommodation
Reservation Fee for a session in El Gastor excludes accomodation
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Our settings are natural, private locations surrounded by the picturesque beauty of rural Spain.
Meals
Not provided
What's Included
Introductory discovery call
Full medical and psychological prescreening to ensure safety of applicants
Educational content to assist with preparation
Private 1:1 psychedelic session
Snacks during session
Educational content to assist with integration
Access to voluntary participation in scientific research
What's Not Included
Travel to and from site
Meals
Accomodation
Customer Reviews
4.91 out of 5.0 average rating
5.0
Verified
Difficult but very valuable experience
It was my first experience with mushroom and I am overall very happy with the session. Good preparation, organization and overall profesionalism. The session was handled very well by Malwina and I would definitely recommend her. I had a challenging but valuable experience. Thank you!
5.0
Verified
One of the most amazing healing experiences of my life!
I never thought I would one day try psychedelics. I don’t even smoke or drink alcohol.
But after experiencing burnout from work and feeling deeply unfulfilled in my personal life, I couldn’t get back on my feet.
I tried everything to reclaim a meaningful life and make progress on my goals: therapy, spiritual retreats... Things started to improve somewhat after attending some family constellation workshops, but nothing truly transformational.
Until one day I thought: What if it’s something biological?
After hearing about and witnessing the changes in someone who had taken mushrooms, I was blown away by their progress. I decided to try them myself, in a safe and legal way, with someone who spoke my language.
Communication with Siddiq was excellent and professional. And I can’t find enough words to thank my facilitator, Elena. She’s a wonderful person, deeply empathetic and talented. Her love for nature and her genuine desire to help others made my experience incredibly safe and effective.
As a bonus, her adorable little dog Cosmo accompanies you during the journey.
A few days after my two sessions, I started noticing positive changes in my personality: my excessive fear in risky situations vanished , it was the first time in my life I’d ever felt that. My appetite regulated itself, and cravings disappeared. The integration process continues, in a positive direction, and I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who wants to reclaim their life.
Forever grateful.
3.0
Verified
Disorganized and terrible communication
Original Review: July 6, 2025
We didn’t hear from this organization after payment was done. We got an email saying “we would receive an intake call” and 9 days later nothing. I booked a one and one session for my 60 yr old mother. It was her first experience ever with mushrooms. I trusted that she would be in safe hands. The day of the session my mother didn’t know where to go, what time the session was, where or what diet she should have. She was unclear about what she was going to experience. It took several phone calls to get an answer. The day of! Not what I would have put my mother through. I don’t recommend Siddiq. The communication day of the therapy was non existent.
Retreat Response: July 29, 2025
While we are sorry that the reviewer experienced such dissatisfaction with the service we offered to her mother, it is important to make clear that this entire review is based on hearsay, as the reviewer never participated in any retreat with us, nor did she have any direct interaction with us. She also made a number of factually incorrect and damaging statements that it is important to clarify. Firstly, the claim that "there was no intake call as advertised" is incorrect. Her mother called me at 10:30 pm at night 3 days before the retreat to enquire about the preparation call. I responded immediately to arrange for a call the next day at an appropriate time. The next morning we had the preparation call, during which I explained to her all the information she needed to know, including the time and place of the retreat, what clothing to wear, what and when to eat before the retreat. I communicated everything she needed to know very clearly during this intake call. The claim that "it took several calls to get an answer" to these questions is therefore incorrect. On the morning of the retreat, her mother messaged me in a state of anxiety, asking about the same questions we had already discussed during the preparation call. It seemed she had forgotten, or was confused -- both of which are common and understandable occurrences for an elderly woman to experience, especially when traveling alone to a foreign place to undergo an unknown and emotionally intense experience for the first time. I called her and patiently explained again what I had said the first time. I then went to her hotel before the retreat and again addressed her questions regarding preparation, before arranging transport for her to get to the site of the retreat. The claim that "communication on the day of the therapy was non existent" is thus incorrect.
We put a lot of care into her mother´s retreat, and this clearly felt by her. In fact, the last message her mother sent me on the day of the retreat, after she had returned to her hotel for the evening, was "Thank you for your care. Blessings for everything".
2.0
Verified
Terrible Communication
Original Review: July 6, 2025
I booked a one and one session for my 60 yr old mother. It was her first experience ever with mushrooms. I trusted that she would be in safe hands. There was no intake call as advertised, the day of the session my mother didn’t know where to go, what time the session was or what diet she should have. She was unclear about what she was going to experience. It took several phone calls to get an answer. Not what I would have put my mother through. I don’t recommend Siddiq. The communication day of the therapy was non existent. This caused so much anxiety and frustration after she had traveled several hours, booked a hotel, organized her schedule to have this experience.
Retreat's Response: July 29, 2025
While we are sorry that the reviewer experienced such dissatisfaction with the service we offered to her mother, it is important to make clear that this entire review is based on hearsay, as the reviewer never participated in any retreat with us, nor did she have any direct interaction with us. She also made a number of factually incorrect and damaging statements that it is important to clarify. Firstly, the claim that "there was no intake call as advertised" is incorrect. Her mother called me at 10:30 pm at night 3 days before the retreat to enquire about the preparation call. I responded immediately to arrange for a call the next day at an appropriate time. The next morning we had the preparation call, during which I explained to her all the information she needed to know, including the time and place of the retreat, what clothing to wear, what and when to eat before the retreat. I communicated everything she needed to know very clearly during this intake call. The claim that "it took several calls to get an answer" to these questions is therefore incorrect. On the morning of the retreat, her mother messaged me in a state of anxiety, asking about the same questions we had already discussed during the preparation call. It seemed she had forgotten, or was confused -- both of which are common and understandable occurrences for an elderly woman to experience, especially when traveling alone to a foreign place to undergo an unknown and emotionally intense experience for the first time. I called her and patiently explained again what I had said the first time. I then went to her hotel before the retreat and again addressed her questions regarding preparation, before arranging transport for her to get to the site of the retreat. The claim that "communication on the day of the therapy was non existent" is thus incorrect.
We put a lot of care into her mother´s retreat, and this clearly felt by her. In fact, the last message her mother sent me on the day of the retreat, after she had returned to her hotel for the evening, was "Thank you for your care. Blessings for everything".
5.0
Verified
Book without thinking
Elana was amazing. She made me feel safe and comfortable from the beginning, like I could fully let go and trust the process. Her presence is super calming, she just gets it without saying too much. During the trip, she knew exactly when to step in and when to give me space. I honestly don’t think the experience would’ve been the same without her. So grateful she was the one guiding me.
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$430.00
Reservation Fee for a session in El Gastor excludes accomodation