Hi, I’m Mária Nguyễn.
a psychedelic mental health facilitator, Clinical Psychology PhD student, and founder of Ancestra, an all-BIPOC-women-owned nonprofit working to expand access to plant medicine and mental health care. As a queer and disabled woman of color from a diasporic family, I feel especially passionate about working alongside historically marginalized communities and people living at the intersections of multiple identities.
My work is rooted in decolonial, liberation-centered, and trauma-attuned care that challenges the pathologizing and individualizing traditions of Western psychology, honors the ways oppression and colonization live within our bodies and lineages, and seeks to reconnect us with our bodies, ancestors, communities, lands, and inherent ways of knowing.
The path that brought me here.
My name is Mária, a name passed down from my grandmother, and Őserő, meaning ancestral strength in our language. I’m a queer, disabled, biracial woman and a first-generation American, raised by families shaped by war, displacement, and genocide.
The resilience of my ancestors has deeply impacted who I am and how I show up in this work. Over the past decade, I’ve worked across medicine, mental health, education, coaching, and community care.
My background includes clinical healthcare experience, graduate-level training in counseling and psychology, and years of work supporting people through trauma, personal transformation, and major life transitions. I am currently pursuing my PhD in Clinical Psychology, with particular interest in intergenerational trauma and psychedelic therapies.
My work in psychedelics includes professional facilitation training in Oregon and Jamaica, continued training in psychedelic-assisted therapy and trauma-informed care, and experience supporting individuals and groups through preparation, psychedelic experiences, and integration.
I am a Colorado Licensed Natural Medicine Facilitator and the founder of Ancestra, a nonprofit where we facilitate legal psychedelic experiences, lead retreats, provide education and integration support, and work to expand access to psychedelic and mental health care for historically marginalized communities.
I’m especially devoted to supporting women, BIPOC and People of the Global Majority, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, immigrants and people of diaspora, disabled and chronically ill people, survivors, neurodivergent people, and others whose identities or experiences have too often been pushed to the margins of healing spaces.
At the heart of my work is a simple belief: every person carries an innate intelligence and capacity to heal. My role is to help create the conditions where that wisdom can emerge.
It would be an honor to walk alongside you.
“You are the medicine. The medicine is within you.”
María Sabina
See whether working together feels right.
If you’re curious about working together or simply want to learn more, I'd love to connect. By booking a call below, we can have a relaxed, no-pressure conversation where we get to know each other, talk about what you’re seeking, and see whether moving forward together feels aligned.
No commitment. Just conversation.
Bring your questions, your uncertainty, or simply your curiosity. We can talk through what you’re looking for and whether my work feels like the right fit for where you are now.