We come together as a unified force— passionate and dedicated to empower and guide as you navigate your journey to move into an enlightened state of being.
All of us have years of experience in traditional models of care. We recognize that these models are failing so many. We also recognize that optimal states of mind, spirit and wellbeing are much more achievable and sustainable when traditional models are deeply integrated with ‘non-traditional- models.
Each one of us have come to ShaMynds from different walks of life, different perspectives, unique experiences and varied training and education. This collective experience and passion adds richness to your experience with us on your healing journey. Click below and get to know each one of us and our stories.
Co-Founder
My past is my story. My future is a possibility. The only thing that is real is my present. To be truly present with whatever comes before me.
I am a physician, mother, professor, educator, researcher, and learner (for life). My journey as a healer and medical doctor is focused on treating the most needful populations. I witness the effects of complexity and social disparate conditions has on illness in the US and even while practicing medicine overseas.
I realize our health care system even with its “technological” advances has great barriers to true healing. People’s health is more digitized and dehumanized than it has ever been.
Yet throughout my medical career, I continue to pursue better ways to help children and families in their most needful states. My career as Clinical faculty at Baylor College of Medicine to Univ. of California, San Francisco, ranges in implementing and teaching better ways to caring for children and their families. I founded programs for children with special needs, Down syndrome, obesity, complex care consultations services, and narrative medicine, only to emphasize “whole” person care. More importantly, it is a provider’s presence and connection that is mandated to help people in their struggle.
I am galvanized to prove, be it by academic pursuits or the art of medicine to demonstrate thriving health can be achieved, holistically. I harness the methodologies of my master’s training in Narrative Medicine from Columbia Univ. to teach caring with compassionate-based inquiry to illness and peoples’ lives.
With Narrative Medicine, the arts and creative explorations are the fountainhead to connect to people in their illness, community, and social constructs.
Even greater means to healing, naturally and holistically are possible with integrative and psychedelic medicines and therapies. I have obtained accreditation and certification in psychedelic assisted therapies, Ketamine therapy and fellowship trained in Integrative psychiatry from IPI, (Integrative Psychiatry Institute). I aspire to enrich my learning and practice from the Guru’s in the field of psychedelic medicines and integrative medicine.
My mantra is healing the self and others with empathy and with the respectful fusion of self-wisdom, ancient, and novel therapies.
Co-Founder
I feel immensely privileged to be a physician. I value how patients generously open their hearts, their lives and entrust me with their health and vitality.
This is what I love and cherish most as a doctor-that portal of entry based on trust, truth and unwavering compassion. However, my 27 years of experience in healthcare in the US and abroad has taught me that the current modes of care and our ecosystem are fragmented and limit the possibilities of individual or population level change in outcomes. Mental health conditions are plaguing the world at an alarming rate of rise. This propagates widening gaps in health inequities, a parallel pandemic of mental health crisis and poor health outcomes. I have witnessed the continued breakdown of a healthcare system that once commanded world respect and now is unable to meet the capacity of our needs. In the last few years, I have had the fortune to experience alternative approaches to healing— based on being compassionate, scientifically backed although, still not well understood or respected and difficult for patients to access easily. At ShaMynds, we want to change that. I commit my practice to ‘Holism’— seeing the parts and how they interrelate and their importance to the whole state- a practice embedded within a scientific and safe approach.
I am on a quest to continue to keep my mind open, learn and heal. I respect science, I respect my patients, I respect change and I respect innovation and the sacred sciences.
I attended medical school and residency training at the University of Texas in Houston and became a Family Physician- a specialty that appealed to me because it embodies a whole person family centered approach of care. I was fortunate to work with many passionate and selfless mentors then and throughout my career. I also migrated into the administrative realm of medicine, becoming a career health care executive with the goals of improving care at the individual and population level. From 2009 -2011 I attended Harvard University’s Masters of Science in Health Care Management program with a strong focus on policy and reducing disparities in health. I have received training in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Ketamine Assisted Therapy from the Institute of Integrative Psychiatry.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me.
Psychiatrist / Addiction Medicine
Dr Smith is a UCLA trained California native with over 40 years of experience in psychiatry and addiction psychiatry in the US and Canada. He has spearheaded the initiation of ketamine in a local clinic for treatment of resistant depression.
David is eager to assist in complimenting the unique services of ShaMynds as our consulting Psychiatrist.
Background
Education
Medical Degree David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Residency San Jose Medical Center
Stanford University Hospital
Faculty
University of Auckland, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science Center
University of California-Davis
Sutter Hospital
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
I’ve been a registered nurse since 2013, working primarily in psychiatric care and supporting individuals through complex emotional transitions. In 2023, I earned my Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.
I approach mental health through a trauma-informed lens, recognizing that many symptoms are adaptive responses to lived experience. My work centers on creating a space where patients feel safe, understood, and empowered.
At ShaMynds, I support patients through ketamine-assisted treatment with a grounded and intentional approach. I see my role as a bridge between modern psychiatry and the deeper inner work that healing often involves.
Practice Manager
Business development and community liaison are the perfect roles for me. I am a connector, as described by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point. I put people together, which is especially rewarding when I can work with innovative women in an integrated, caring, and healing environment.
After living abroad for 27 years, ShaMynds is the perfect place to land. Dr Khan, Dr Ahmad and I have known each other since we all worked together 16 years ago in Dubai. They continue to amaze me with their genuine kind and heartfelt treatment of people. It’s sounds cliché but I feel blessed to work in this team of healers who help others to make positive transformations.
While I am fortunate to have worked in pharma sales and healthcare marketing for most of my career, this work is by far the most professionally and personally rewarding.
Lead Therapist
“Psychology” is “psyche”+”soul” in Latin or “the study of the soul”. As a depth oriented psychotherapist specializing in trauma, I feel therapy is a collaborative, relational and soul centered experience that empowers the client as the expert of themselves and their innate capacity to heal and evolve. Being a yoga and meditation teacher since 2000 helps me to bring a wholeistic approach to therapy that integrates the development and embodiment of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
Some of my formal trainings include a Masters in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, Ca., EMDR certification through the Institute for Creative Mindfulness, and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Certification through Integrative Psychiatry Institute.
But beyond any training, my best clinical tool is each patients own healing system and It’s always such a deep honor and privilege to witness an individuals courageous and beautiful journey of healing and becoming more whole.
Therapist
I am a queer Chicana mother, storyteller and somatic psychotherapist offering KAP with over fourteen years of clinical experience in the field of depth psychology. I am a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Pacifica Graduate Institute and the Hakomi Institute of California.
I am also a certified Ancestral Lineage Healing practitioner and initiated medicine keeper, a ritualist trained in sacred arts. I am steeped in my traditions, mythology, cultura and roots from Mexico (detribalized Caxcan/Iberian colonial mestiza) and my identity is also shaped by formative years in Tongva land, Los Angeles.
I specialize in intergenerational trauma, healing the family soul for personal and cultural transformation, and psychedelic/entheogen integration with decolonial praxis. My approach is holistic to connect to collective wisdom and soul care through imagination, intuition, mindfulness, embodiment, dreamwork and creative expression. My treatment focus is on relationship, cultural wounds, trauma resolution, ancestral lineage repair, earth reconnection, and animist parenting.
My style is warm, affirming and wholesome, inviting and nurturing growth. I hold the medicine of dignity and sweetness among many lineage gifts. It is my honor to guide hearts in a circle of care and kinship towards their liberation. I currently reside on Nisenan lands, Sacramento and love food, earth magic and my people.
Therapist
As a trauma therapist serving veterans and first responders, I have learned that we need a variety of tools to help our people of service heal from their deep mental, physical, and emotional wounds. I discovered ShaMynds as I was searching for ways to support my clients with complex post-traumatic stress and treatment-resistant depression. As soon as I walked in the door here at ShaMynds, I felt the warm and welcoming energy and I am honored to now be a part of this team of compassionate, caring, and devoted people who have created such a beautiful healing space.
I am an Associate Mental Health Clinical Counselor with a focus on trauma, post-traumatic growth, and moral injury. There is no one type of therapy that is for everyone; I have trained in different healing modalities so that as I get to know my clients, I can offer a treatment approach that is best-suited for them and their individual needs. With the goal of always treating the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – some of the tools I use are EMDR, somatic therapy, Internal Family Systems, and mindfulness practices. This year I completed my training in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy, and I am grateful to now be able to facilitate healing with Ketamine as a power tool.
I have been working with veterans and first responders for the past 6 years in a variety of roles, and I am passionate about serving those who have sacrificed for our communities and our country. I also work as a therapist at the Center for Post Traumatic Growth under the supervision of Dr. Melinda Keenan, who has taught me that relationship lies at the heart of healing, regardless of what your treatment approach is. I carry this into my role as a therapist at ShaMynds, holding the connection with my clients as the most important thing I can offer as I walk alongside them in their journey.
Therapist
We’re all handed stories about who we’re supposed to be. Some we inherit. Some we survive. Some we outgrow without realizing we’ve outgrown them.
Before I became a therapist, I spent years chasing meaning across industries and cities: editing soundtracks in NYC, mucking stalls on a Montana ranch, shaping brand narratives in the Bay Area. But it wasn’t until I stepped into the analytic room – and later, into the altered space of psychedelic medicine – that I started to understand the psyche as a landscape unto itself.
I practice psychodynamic therapy, which means I listen for what’s unspoken. For the need beneath the coping. For the patterns that repeat until we’re ready to trace them back to origin. With individuals, my work is paced and deep. With couples, I draw on a style called Relational Life Therapy to bring clarity, accountability, and fiercely honest warmth to places that feel stuck or shut down. We name what’s not working, and work towards being in the Truth together.
I don’t believe in fixing people. As a writer and lifelong student of myth, I bring a reverence for complexity into every session. I believe in curiosity, in courage, and in making space for the parts of us that have never been welcomed to speak.
Psychedelics can crack that space wide open. They can drop you (sometimes very quickly) into the Truth. I’ve experienced their beauty and their brute force. Their gifts arrive unexpectedly, and integration is how we make those gifts livable.
Whether you’re coming undone or coming alive (or both), I meet you at the edge, without judgment, without pretense. Here. Human, like you. Weaving meaning. Living our stories.
I earned my master’s degree at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California; and am an American Psychological Association Division 39 (psychoanalytic) scholar.
“If you have a deep scar, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Therapist
I served in the United States Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005, followed by a 14-year career in law enforcement. As a combat veteran, I have a deep understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress and know what it takes to heal and grow from that experience. My current mission is to provide the type of support that I received when I needed it most. My passion has always been to serve others, and now I am leveraging my compassion, professional training, and life experience to make a meaningful impact.
I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, working with individuals, couples, and families. My greatest passion is serving military veterans and first responders as they navigate the impact of the high-stress demands of these professions and the life transitions that come after service has concluded.
I can assist with personal challenges arising from an array of issues such as overcoming struggles within interpersonal relationships, recovering from loss, healing from the impact of traumatic events, and overcoming difficult life transitions. I am astounded by the tremendous resilience and strength an individual can discover once their true selves are revealed. It is my sincerest desire to be of service to all who are walking on a path of recovery.
Lead Nurse
Since graduating vocational nursing school in 2018, my career as a nurse has been a challenging, yet extremely rewarding, experience. My time working in a mental health/addiction rehab facility in Malibu and then moving to an outpatient surgery and oncology center in northern California, has allowed me to learn so much about nursing and about myself; more than I could have ever imagined.
One of my favorite things about being a nurse is the relationship I build with my patients. Being a part of their journey/transformation in life is an honor that I cherish every day. My favorite parts from each position I’ve held, including support for mental health, direct patient care, and administrative responsibilities, have led me to current employment with ShaMynds. My capacity for empathetic, compassionate, and accepting behavior toward others made it clear to me that I want to improve the lives of those who want or need support.
Outside of my career as a nurse, I enjoy making macrame plant hangers, crocheting, acrylic painting, interior designing, and taking care of the jungle of plants in my house. I also enjoy spending time with my 2 kitties Callie and Kiki, going to the farmers market with friends, and visiting my family/hometown in Southern California.
I feel very honored to be a part of such a heart-forward practice like ShaMynds. I look forward to growing with this center as well as growing in my career and spirituality.
Nurse
After graduating from Loyola University Chicago in 2017 with my BSN, I embarked on a career journey that has had both achievement and adversity. I began my nursing career working on a medical-surgical unit in a Chicago based hospital. A year later, I transitioned to critical care nursing, gaining valuable experience in a surgical trauma ICU on the south side of Chicago. In 2020, during the pandemic, I moved to Sacramento in pursuit of travel nursing. Throughout my time in California, I have worked in various ICU settings and have witnessed the wondrous miracles of modern medicine. I have also experienced the limitations that our health care system has in facilitating true, empathetic healing from within. Throughout my own journey in healing from burnout and finding alignment in my purpose, I’ve strived to find other modalities of wellness. By leaning into my intuition, I have arrived to ShaMynds with the intention of using my compassion and gifts to support and heal others.
Outside of nursing, I was a competitive powerlifter for several years. Currently, I teach Lagree fitness at a studio in Sacramento and run track and field with my club track team. I also enjoy creating art, playing sound bowls, and reading.
I am excited about the mission ShaMynds strives to achieve every day and the impact this group of people has on the community. I am grateful to be a part of a diverse and intelligent team with similar interests in restoring the human soul.
Nurse
My career as an RN has taken me to places far from my imagination. I graduated with my BSN in 2018 from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and since then I have worked in diverse settings from the Pediatric ICU then after the Emergency Room. For a while I loved the fast-paced energy and teamwork that came with working in the ED. The pandemic brought me to California through travel nursing. I worked in Emergency Departments in Los Angeles, Urgent Care in Oregon then Covid vaccine clinics in Vallejo and Napa, California. My last travel nursing contract ended in Kaiser South Sacramento when I found myself in my healing journey. I enjoyed doing my own research about mental health which helped me discover different ways I could fill my cup through exercise and art as well as going out to appreciate the wonderful nature that surrounds us. After my experience with seeing trauma up close in stressful environments I was suffering from burnout, and I yearned for a stable work environment. I worked in an elementary school for special education which I found so rewarding and fulfilling. Seeing children grow in their own way inspired me so much. I am extremely grateful for my journey and the way it led me to working in ShaMynds. My interests in neuroscience and psychology can definitely shine in this unique space. I believe in the resilience of the brain and the grit of the human psyche. Being able to support people taking initiative in their own healing in this creative way really excites me. I am grateful to be working alongside a team with this common goal.
Medical Assistant
I am a Certified Medical Assistant of 8 years and a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach.
My own struggles with chronic health issues pushed me to the medical field, where I thrive in a supportive role and have become a strong patient advocate. I hope to empower and uplift each client I work with. It is an honor to get to know members of my community and learn their stories. I am passionate about Functional Medicine and see each person as a whole, not separated into parts and systems.
In my free time, I enjoy jigsaw puzzles, a good book, and hiking with my dog.
Medical Assistant
Ceremony isn’t the only time you’re supposed to carry yourself in a sacred way, it is supposed to remind you that you are sacred and to carry yourself that way everyday.
I am a California Certified Medical Assistant, Clinical, Basic and Administrative of 10 years. I became a Medical Assistant because it is within my nature to care for others without judgment and with compassion, empathy and integrity. I have spent the last 8 years working in a California Tribal Healthcare System serving the Native American population as well as the underserved community.
I am honored and grateful to be of service in your healing journey.
Gou Rrugulu’s
“I recognize you for what you are”
TMS Technician
In 2019, graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Psychology and am currently pursuing my master’s degree in counseling psychology at the University of San Francisco. My goal is to become a therapist who supports healing through trauma-informed modalities and integrative medicine.
Before beginning graduate school, I worked at a residential mental health facility in Los Angeles, gaining hands-on experience supporting adults living with mental illness. I recently moved to Sacramento to continue my studies and further enhance my experience in mental health by working with adolescents and foster youth. I am excited to use my experience to provide the best care for the patients here at ShaMynds.
In my free time, I enjoy going for walks in nature, listening to music, and wire wrapping crystals.
TMS Lead and Research Assistant
My place at the ShaMynds clinic is a significant step toward my journey in medicine. I am a Marine Corps veteran with a degree in biomedical sciences and a minor in chemistry from CSU, Sacramento. After graduating, I taught high school math, biology, and physics while working as a substance use disorder counselor. I have a strong passion and professional interest in substance use disorders, mental/physical health, integrative medicine, drug- reform, and public policy. I am applying to medical school and hope to embody the same personalized and holistic care our patients receive at this clinic.
In my free time, I enjoy film photography, collecting records, and mycology.
Social Media Manager
Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.” — Henry Ward Beecher
I am a storyteller, a creator, and a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern healing. As the Social Media Marketing Manager and Content Creator at ShaMynds, my journey is deeply woven with art, healing, and transformation. Raised in a community where creativity and holistic wellness intertwined, I found my way going to art school, exploring every medium as a form of self-expression and therapy.
Now, I channel that passion into bringing ShaMynds’ vision to life. Translating the language of healing into digital narratives that reach hearts worldwide. My goal is to expand our reach, illuminating the power of integrative and psychedelic medicine and therapies through content that educates, inspires, and transforms.
This is more than just media, it’s a movement. A movement of creativity, connection, and collective healing. With the wisdom of our founders and the dedication of our team, I strive to share ShaMynds’ message in a way that resonates deeply. May our work continue to amplify outward, touching lives and opening minds, because when we create together, we heal together.
Lead Client Coordinator
I am a seasoned customer service professional with over 20 years of experience delivering exceptional support and fostering strong client relationships. My diverse background includes serving as an officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where I developed a keen ability to manage high-pressure situations with professionalism and precision, as well as working as a Human Services Specialist for Sacramento County, where I honed my skills in case management and client advocacy.
In addition to my professional experience, I am deeply committed to holistic wellness. As a student and practitioner of Curanderismo (the traditional healing arts of Mexico) I have hosted community wellness workshops throughout Sacramento, empowering individuals with tools to enhance their mental, emotional, and physical health. This unique perspective allows me to bring empathy, cultural awareness, and a client-centered approach to every interaction.
I am passionate about creating positive experiences, resolving challenges with care, and ensuring patients feel valued and supported in every step of their journey.
Client Coordinator
After completing my education in pharmacy technology, I entered the healthcare field to build a stable career and support my family. I became interested in how insurance works and wanted to help people who often struggle to get the care they need.
I have experience in office administration and front desk roles, gained from working at a chiropractic office for five years. This job gave me valuable insights into how healthcare businesses are run.
Although I briefly considered studying to become a paralegal, I realized that my passion lies in healthcare. I love learning and working with others, and I’m now a Client Coordinator at ShaMynds Healing Center, focusing on behavioral and mental health.
With over eight years of experience in healthcare, I’ve found my niche in healthcare management. My goal is to use my knowledge to help smaller healthcare providers grow and reach more people by expanding their services.
This little smiley face Blue Nose Pitbull is Pyari (which means “beautiful” or “one who is full of love” in Urdu and Hindi). She was rescued from Bradshaw Animal Shelter in Sacramento in January 2022. Pyari travels around the world now with her human companion, but always loves coming back to ShaMynds when in Sacramento.
My name is Lola, daughter of nurse Lauren. I am a 9 week old frenchie puppy filled with love and a whole lot of sass! I enjoy spending weekdays playing at Nana’s house while my mommy works, chasing around my feline sisters and uncles, wrestling and sassing my daddy, and most of all, CUDDLES! My talent is winning human hearts by giving them forever eyes with my big beautiful blue eyes.
Rescue kitten Juniper Berry found her FURever ❤️ home with me, Nicole Santos, MA, in early June of 2025.
Rescue kitten Sage Baby found her FURever ❤️ home with me, Nicole Santos, MA, in early June of 2025.
Don’t let mental health challenges or uncertainty hold you back from living the life you deserve. At ShaMynds, we’re here to provide you with compassionate care, advanced treatments, and unwavering support every step of the way. Whether you’re ready to start a new chapter or simply want to explore your options, we’re here to guide you.
Take that first step toward balance and well-being today.