Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Up to 6 in group
Open Dates
About this Retreat
Kate is the creator of Sacred Heart Sonora, a plant medicine guide, and an integration specialist dedicated to the living medicine of Bufo Alvarius. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona and is currently completing a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. Her work bridges modern psychology, shamanic wisdom, and psychedelic therapy, offering compassionate intake and integration support for clients on transformational journeys.
Since 2018, Kate has held ceremonial space in over 1,400 Bufo Alvarius ceremonies, developing profound expertise through direct, embodied experience. Her path has been shaped by years of dedicated personal practice and by training alongside respected pioneers of this medicine, including both physicians and traditional carriers. She was previously married to Dr. Gerardo Sandoval Isaac—widely known as Dr. Gerry—with whom she shares a son. Dr. Gerry was among the first to introduce Kate to the medicine, serving as her mentor for seven years while she worked closely as his assistant. Kate’s journey—profoundly shaped by love, mentorship, and transformation—continues to inspire her unwavering dedication to holding space with integrity, reverence, and deep compassion.
Kate is also a devoted advocate for Sonoran Desert Toad Conservation and the ethical collection of medicine. For the past five summers, she has led conservation efforts at her ranch in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora (co-owned with Dr. Gerry), helping to raise awareness and protect the sacred toad population. Her work has been featured in documentaries by VICE, Channel 4, and Strg_F.
Kate’s approach is rooted in reverence, service, and the belief that healing is most profound when guided by both heart and integrity.
Details of this retreat
Discover the transformative power of Bufo Alvarius in a private, guided ceremony set amidst the serene beauty of Tulum, Mexico. This intimate experience includes a personalized introduction call and dedicated integration support before and after the ceremony—ensuring a safe, meaningful, and deeply connected journey of healing and self-discovery. More than just a ceremony, this is an invitation to return to your true self—to shed old layers, reconnect with your essence, and finally feel the sense of peace that comes with the words: welcome home.
What is the Bufo Experience like?
" The last time I sat with Bufo was pure surrender—surrendering even the idea of surrender. Every thought, every self-reference slipped away like water, leaving nothing to hold on to. In that letting go, there was a sweet freedom: life exactly as it is, without judgment, comparison, or even the faintest urge to change.
Bufo has dissolved me before—sometimes painfully, sometimes into the bliss of absolute oneness. I know what it means, experientially, to be the Eternal Now. But the real work begins when that sublime state fades, when life returns to the ordinary. Perhaps Bufo shows us the truth—presence, completion, infinite wholeness—but it is up to me to recognize it in the mundane as well as the ecstatic.
For me, Bufo is a powerful pointer, a cosmic embrace, an acceptance so deep it erases the need to know or want anything more. I will sit with Bufo again, out of love for the medicine and the relationship. But the greater medicine lies in living what it reveals—integrating what already is, into what already is." - Sacred Heart Sonora Client.
As providers, it is our commitment to hold a safe, sacred space for you, where every part of your experience—both during the ceremony and in the days of integration that follow—is treated with the utmost care and respect. We are here to fully support you as you open to the wisdom of your journey.
After registration, the guest will be sent preparation instructions on how to prepare for the ceremony.
We host ceremonies in the yoga shala next to Taquería La Eufemia in the hotel zone of Tulum, Mexico.
If you would like to sign up for a ceremony or retreat, please visit us at www.sacredheartsonora.com and use the Wetravel links to book. All reservations are pending the approval of a medical intake.