Testimonials
S. Social Worker from England
“ I definetely want to say a massive thank you to Cecile, Suze, Pedro and Juli. You were all so selflessly there for us, and were amazing. And also J. and K. for opening up their beautiful home.
Before I arrived I had some apprehension about doing such a potentially vulnerable thing in a group setting, sharing a room with an unknown person, and sharing circles – I came to love them all.
I was sceptical of the need for healing and of the week being magical – It was exactly both. I was worried I would be hungry with two vegetarian meals a day – I felt nourished and that I had a nutritional reset. I thought I might be sitting around trying to fill time. I left feeling I had lived how people are meant to, with lots of time on the ground in bare feet, in a beautiful place, with the dogs, swimming in the lake, spending time with and sharing meals with the whole group.
I felt some discomfort at drawing and singing in the mindfulness sessions. By the end I had rediscovered a simple calm and joy in these things that I hadn’t done since I was a child.
I arrived unsure of the need for ceremony and ritual. I came away feeling that I have rediscovered something powerful and nourishing that’s in us all.
The ceremonies were beautiful, magical, connecting, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes funny, glowing, safe, respectful, and something I’ll never forget. At the start of the retreat I told you that I didn’t want this to just be about hedonism. You calmy and confidently said ‘you’ll see’.
I did. I learnt some new things, and remembered some old. I’m refreshed, reenergised and positive about the future. The tracks I was on have opened into lots of directions. I’m so thankful to have had this experience, and I’m committed to weaving as much of this into my life as possible.”
K. Computer Engineer from Scottland
As soon as I saw the Nature Quest retreat on the website I knew it was something I wanted to do. I had been on a retreat with Cecile and the team a few years before and it was a truly memorable experience.
But I craved time alone in nature and the chance to take the mushroom medicine in an outdoor setting. The land in the mountains was awesome and a real privilege to spend time on. Suze, Cecile and Tiff provided a real caring and laid back environment. The highlight for me was the music.
The drums and singing were so moving and evocative especially when heard from afar across the land as I sat alone in the forest. The time I spent alone in the forest, fasting, was less challenging than I thought it would be and getting a chance to slow down and watch nature move was eye opening. We had one sharing circle during the whole week which was just the right amount for me. And the food was brilliant as usual. Thank you everyone!
J.d.P, Engineer from Portugal
“I feel blessed that the universe led me to meet Cecile. My desire to dive into plant medicine has start some years ago and I’m glad that I had the chance to by guided in a private retreat by such a beautiful human being.
Cecile made sure we had an initial meet to meet each other, ask question, level expectations, and have an open communication channel for any doubt that I may had until the retreat.
My ceremonies took place in a cosy tent in B.’s land in the beautiful Serra da Estrela. B.’s place is a nature-wrapped place where you can find calmness and peace. You can easily reach a river by walk. I went a couple of times to simply enjoy the natures sound: water, birds and wind moving through the trees.
Not only B. provided the land, but she would cook every day some incredibly delicious food that for sure enhanced the overall experience. I’m glad I had two ceremonies at my retreat. Both were special. For the first one I started with a lower dose to see how my body would react. I still got nice insights about my childhood. The second ceremony, for the lack of better words to describe, was simply beautiful. I experienced love, unity and compassion for some deceased relatives and an overall feeling of need to connect more with my family.
Oh, the drums sound and the beautiful voice of Cecile singing! If I’m on the right mindset, it still gives me chills.
The intention that I brought to the retreat was different from the insights I got, but the mushrooms had something else to teach me and I’m blissful with what they showed me.
For the whole time the lovely presence of Cecile made me feel completely safe and taken care of, I just needed to be present and show up to myself.
I left the retreat feeling more in touch with myself, hopefully knowing a little bit more about myself. The journey is just starting 😊 Those days are in a special place in my heart. My most sincere heartfelt thank you to Cecile.”
E. Psychotherapist from Austria
It is beyond words to describe what I experienced at the Coração Medicina retreats. When I arrived at the retreat without much expectation, Cecile and the team made me feel comfortable, sang with confidence and knowledge, and answered all my questions and concerns.
In this atmosphere, I was able to let go and immerse myself in the process, and at the first ceremony I experienced a very meaningful and emotional experience. Following the ceremony, I found the guidance and support I needed, as well as activities for integration that helped me to process my experience.
At the second ceremony, we also had the chance to experience live music, which was remarkable and had a profound healing impact on me. Thank you so much for creating this special space, I feel blessed and grateful for this experience
H.,Osteopath from France.
“I felt safe and welcomed in that retreat with Cecile and her team. I loved to do microdosing first and then two ceremonies. My journeys were deep and special, I can highly recomend that retreat for every person, who is on the self-awareness-journey.
Cecile and the team at Coracao Medicine offered all the elements to enable meaningful psychological growth. The warmth and care I experienced at the retreat will always stay with me.
Thank you ❤
I feel blessed and extremely lucky to have been part of this retreat. So much care and attention goes into every detail, including in giving everyone space and down-time, and in allowing a group process to emerge. A highlight was live music during one of the ceremonies, and the way the ceremony itself became a kind of group ritual, starting with light and ending in candle-lit
darkness. Really magical.
Merci ! Merci ! Merci !
Cécile, Elie, Sam & Pedro vous nous avez accueillis et entourés de tant d’amour et de générosité ! Vous m’avez donné accès à une expérience que je n’oublierai sûrement jamais. Cette expérience de groupe m’inquiétait un peu, mais en fait la dynamique globale, l’égrégore, potentialise l’expérience. Mes voyages ultérieurs, sans vous, ont été teintés d’un certain “manque” de vous, les facilitateurs, mais aussi chacun des autres voyageurs.
Quelle expérience riche ! L’écoute attentive de chacun, le lieu magnifique et simple, et ses hôtes sympathiques, l’abord spirituel de Cécile, la cuisine saine et réconfortante de Sam et Ellie, l’accompagnement bienveillant de Pedro, l’odeur des eucalyptus environnants, le brame du cerf au loin, le ciel extraordinaire… Que de souvenirs ! Cette semaine à vos côtés m’a permis d’avancer, de poursuivre le chemin amorcé il y a quelques années. Et de le faire de la meilleure manière qui soit : dans un environnement chaleureux et rassurant. La sécurité est assurée, chacun est écouté, le besoin de chacun de parler ou de se taire est respecté. Et les cérémonies sont tellement magiques ! Je pourrais raconter pendant des heures. Mais ça ne se raconte pas. Ça se vit. Merci à vous.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you ! Cécile, Elie, Sam & Pedro you welcomed us and surrounded us with so much love and generosity ! You gave me access to an experience that I will surely never forget. This group experience worried me a bit, but in fact the overall dynamic, the egregore, potentiates the experience.
My subsequent trips, without you, have been tainted with a certain “lack” of you, the facilitators, but also each of the other travelers. But in fact, every time you now travel with me … What a rich experience! The attentive listening to each one, the magnificent and simple place and its friendly hosts, the spiritual approach of Cécile, the healthy and comforting cuisine of Sam and Ellie, the benevolent support of Pedro, the smell of the surrounding eucalyptus trees, the deer roaring in the distance, the extraordinary sky … So much memories !
This week at your side has allowed me to move forward, to continue the path I started a few years ago. And to do it in the best possible way : in a warm and reassuring environment. Safety is guaranteed, everyone is listened to, everyone’s need to speak or be silent is respected. And the ceremonies are so magical! I could relate for hours. But it can’t be told, it has to be lived. Thanks to you.”
E., 26 years old Doula from Belgium
“In November 2020, I asked Cecile for guidance in a private retreat since I was struggling with certain pieces within myself. Since my dad tried to kill himself one year ago, and I was still struggling with it, I wanted to dive deeper in it, but not alone because it felt a bit scary. So Cecile and I worked together for three days and two nights.
The first night we ate dinner together around the fire, shared our stories and talked about the ceremony. The day after we started the preparations. I sat on my own and sunk into myself while Cecile was preparing the space, blessing it with all the love she carries inside her. Blessing me, blessing her, blessing all. It was beautiful. I felt held and safe, ready for whatever to come up and to give space to it so it could find its place in my life, I felt ready to take in the mushrooms. With a good guidance from Cecile for the dose that would be good for me, I felt the confidence to have myself guided into my own feeling. As this was my first individual ceremony, I wanted to take in enough mushrooms so I could be able to go deeper into certain subjects of my life who made it hard to move on.
As the mushrooms started to work, I felt that I wanted loads of physical things immediately. I got the advice to first feel myself and take some time to let the mushroom do its work. So I did, and it felt good. As I could feel myself and allow everything to come up whatever wanted to come up from emotions, grief, feelings, while feeling held and safe with someone as Cecile was a wonderful experience. On the exact right moments, Cecile sang a song, touched my feet while singing, looked at me in a raw, pure and loving way. Really, on the exact right moments where I felt I bumped into something, not knowing what to do with it or what to feel with it. She could help me to take the thinking about it away so I could step more easily into my feeling to experience it more in my body, in my whole being, allowing me to see truth and to feel a universal connection. Stepping into a feeling that all is one and one is all. Clear as glass about certain things in life.
What I learned most about this trip, was that I have to start leading my own life, to detach from other people’s thinking patterns or way of living. That I, and only I have the power and control over my own actions and emotions. And mostly, how I deal with them now and how I can deal with them differently in the future. In another way that is more uplifting and exploring, more clarifying and exciting.
So thank you very much Cecile, for the work you do. To anyone who ever reads this, if you are on a search for someone to help you, to guide you through certain struggles or pains in life, ask Cecile for her guidance. She does a great job, in the most gentle loving way you could ever experience. Cecile’s a source of inspiration and knowledge. A keeper of this earth.”
G., Entrepreneur parisien.
“J’ai découvert Cécile par une communication sur un réseau social au sujet d’une future retraite psychédélique. Elle se présentait ainsi que le cadre de la thérapie. Le message tombait bien , car depuis quelque temps je cherchais à refaire une expérience psychédélique mais cette fois encadrée afin de travailler sur moi.
Je m’intéressais aux travaux sur les psychédéliques et leurs impacts sur l’esprit.
Je l’ai donc contacté. Elle a pris le temps au téléphone de tout m’ expliquer. J’ai apprécié son approche rassurante, son expertise, sa double culture en médecine allopathique et chamanique, sa douceur… Bref je me suis lancé et nous avons pris date pour une future retraite.
Le temps venu nous nous sommes retrouvés une dizaine de participants, avec Cécile et son équipe de trip sitters. La semaine fut magique , nous avons fait deux cérémonies, sous la présence bienveillante de l’équipe.Ils veillent à notre sécurité , sont présents en cas de besoin, attentifs et même si le travail se fait seul, c’est bon de savoir qu’on est pas seul dans ce grand voyage.
Chaque séance était suivie le lendemain de partages entre chacuns.
Cécile travaille avec un très grand respect ces plantes, avec passion et amour, générosité, et bienveillance. Une expérience très enrichissante que je recommande hautement.“
M., 49 year old female entrepreneur coach from Amsterdam
“I had the honor and pleasure to meet Cecile twice. The first time for a massage. This meeting gave me a glimpse into her beautiful soul, giving me the courage to have a trip with her by my side. It is only in hindsight that I could know how blessed and lucky I was to have her as my guide. Her presence enable me to let go and have a beautiful experience. Cecile is gentle, loving and caring. I was confident that she would care for me, no matter what. She provided the safe space I needed for my journey.”
G. H., 35 year old business executive from Amsterdam
“From long time ago I wanted to have a experience with a high dose of psychedelic mushrooms. But I was always a little concerned about creating the right set up and finding the right company to make it a success. My intention for this experience was to align myself more with the love of the universe being able to say goodbye to past traumas and open myself more to the abundance of life. I met Cecile by coincidence and when she told me that she could help me in this experience I felt that she was the right person.
Because I could trust her and her intentions were clear and honest. The day of the experience I was a bit nervous, but she showed in my place at the arranged time and she took the lead at all times to create the perfect scenario for the experience. Cecile took care of all details, such us bringing flowers, incense, decoration, and many more. I could relax and let her guide me. The experience itself was very profound and full of insights.
I totally feel the protective energy of Cecile by my side, so I could let myself go deep in it not worrying about anything. Also very important for me personally was to do not feel judged when in the middle of the journey and Cecile totally offered me that kind of support. At the end of it we took the time to get back to reality at my own path without rushing. The impact of the experience is something I will treasure with me my whole life. So I am very grateful to have crossed paths with Cecile and wholeheartedly I recommend her to everybody interested in experimenting deeply and with purpose with the ancient medicines.”
S., 30 year old writer from Amsterdam
“Cecile is a very special soul and certainly has a calling for work with plant medicine. She sat on a magic truffles journey for me and my friends in Amsterdam and I couldn’t imagine a better guide. Along with flowers, music, and pillows, she brought amazing energy into the space. Thanks to her loving care I felt safe to go deep within into the more uncomfortable parts of my psyche. She instinctively knew what to do and when to help and when to simply hold my hand and let me go through the process. After the journey, she stayed and nurtured us with amazing food, tea, talks, and her warm presence. It was a truly magical day. I’m so happy Cecile is out in the world spreading her gift – I only wish it was closer to me so I could see her again soon.”