Exploring Frontiers in Mental Health & Well-being: Empowering Extraordinary Experiencers
When: May 16 – May 18, 2025
Are you a mental health clinician, researcher or scholar who is interested in supporting experiencers?
Join us for an enlightening journey as we delve into the intersection of mental health, well-being, spirituality, and extraordinary experiences. This pioneering virtual conference will feature renowned experts who will illuminate various facets of extraordinary experiences, often described as anomalous, including out-of-body experiences (OBEs), encounters with non-human intelligence, near-death experiences (NDEs), mystical revelations, and psi abilities.
Key topics include holistic approaches to supporting experiencers, integrating spirituality and spiritual emergencies into therapy, insights from indigenous and non-Western healing traditions, and working with non-ordinary states of consciousness. Panel discussions and presentations will cover ethical considerations, best practices, and the impact of personal and cultural beliefs on experiencer integration. This event will provide professionals with insights and tools to support resilience and agency among exceptional experiencers while fostering empowering narratives.
Eligibility
The members of the E³ professional education group is limited to those in clinical practice and currently serving experiencers of anomalous phenomena, have an interest in expanding their practice to include this specialty, or are clinical scholars involved in work to support extraordinary experiencers.
You are invited to register for the E3 Virtual Conference and E3 membership if you meet at least one of the eligibility categories:
- Licensed Mental Health Professional (MD, CNP – mental health specialty, licensed psychologist, LMFT, LPC, LCSW or international equivalent)
- Graduate student and/or Intern preparing for clinical licensure and interested in this specialty
- Clinical scholar or researcher AND have a graduate degree in a mental health field AND your work is focused on advancing care and support for experiencers
Conference Fees
Conference fees are kept low to increase accessibility to high quality professional education.
E3 Member:
$79 – Licensed Professional/Scholar/Researcher
$49 – Graduate Student
Non-Member
$99 – Licensed Professional/Scholar/Researcher
$69 – Graduate Student
Join E3 as a member now and receive two free months of membership and E3 member conference fee rates.
- Professionals who join E3 pay the member conference fee of $79 (save $20) and receive 2 months of E3 membership free (save $30) for a total Savings of $50 over Regular non-member fees and E3 membership for two months.
- Graduate students who join E3 pay the grad student member conference fee of $49 (save $20) and receive 2 months E3 membership free (save $30) for a total Savings of $50 over Regular Graduate Student conference fees and E3 membership for 2 months.
If you would like to join the E3 Alliance community to receive the special offer:
- First, register for the conference, click non-member; click Yes, I want to become a member, click your member type, complete registration
- Your conference registration will pend until membership is complete
- Second, Complete your Membership application HERE
- Registration will auto complete when membership is final
Your conference fee includes access to:
- Two days of presentations, panel discussions, chat rooms during breaks
- Conference Resource Book in digital form distributed after the conference
- Evening documentary watch parties and panel discussions.
- Recordings of all presentations and conference panel discussions for sixty (60) days after the live conference.
Conference Schedule (Central US Time Zone)
Friday, May 16, 2025
5:00 – 7:30 Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion
Panel Moderator: Doug Ronning, MA, LMFT
Cosmosis: Hidden Realms (Season 1, Episode 3)
Panel Discussion and Q & A with producers and guests from this documentary
Panel Members: Kelly Chase, Producer, Jay Christopher King, Producer,
Whitley Strieber, Courtney Leffall
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Morning
8:45 Welcome & Announcements – Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT
9:00 Keynote Presentation
Ethically Scaling Global Support for Emergent Phenomena, Experiences and Effects
Daniel Ingram, M.D.
9:45 Q & A with Daniel Ingram, M.D.
10:00 Power and Exceptional Experiences
Jacob W. Glazier, PhD, LPC, NCC
10:30 Bridging Worlds: Ethics & Integration for Extraordinary Experiences
Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT
11:00 Q & A with Jacob W. Glazier, PhD, LPC, NCC and Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT
11:15 Lunch Break – Chat Room open
Afternoon
12:15 Announcements – Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT
12:30 Panel Discussion
Panel Moderator: Emily Rademan, Psy.D.
Breaking the Stigma: Challenges and Solutions for Professionals Working with Anomalous, Extraordinary and Spiritual Experiences in Mental Health
1:30 Playing in Multiple Realms at Once: Lessons from Surplus Reality
Doug Ronning, MA, LMFT
2:00 Exceptional Human Experiences: Homin Entity Encounters and their Psychological Significance
David S.B. Mitchell, M.S., Ph.D.
2:30 Q & A with Doug Ronning, MA, LMFT and David S.B. Mitchell, M.S., Ph.D.
2:45 Afternoon Break – chat room open
3:00 Keynote Presentation
Varieties of Entity Encounters: Serving Clients in Sensemaking Extraordinary Experiences
Sean Esbjorn-Hargens, Ph.D.
3:45 Q & A with Sean Esbjorn-Hargens, Ph.D.
Evening
5:30 – 7:30 Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion
Panel Moderator: David S.B. Mitchell, M.S., Ph.D.
A Flash of Beauty: Bigfoot Revealed (Director’s Cut additional footage)
Panel discussion and Q & A with guests from the documentary
Panel Members: Arla Collett Williams, Amy Bue, Mel Skahan
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Morning
8:45 Welcome & Announcements – Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT
9:00 Keynote Presentation
Porosity of Mind and Exceptional Experiences
Robert Falconer
9:45 Q & A with Robert Falconer
10:00 Making the World Your Own: Extraordinary Experience as an Avenue to Dreamerhood
Nick Bustos, Ph.D., LMFT
10:30 IFS as a Gateway to the Collective Unconscious and Spirit: A Therapeutic Approach
Kim Burkland-Ward, LICSW
11:00 Q & A with Nick Bustos, Ph.D., LMFT and Kim Burkland-Ward, LICSW
11:15 Lunch Break – chat room open
Afternoon
12:15 Announcements – Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT
12:30 Panel Discussion
Panel Moderator: Emily Rademan, Psy.D.
Guiding the Extraordinary: Best Practices and Resources for Professionals Supporting Experiencers of Anomalous and Spiritual Experiences
1:30 Integrating the Extraordinary: Rebirthing-Breathwork as a Non-Clinical Approach to Processing UAP/UFO Experiences of Pilots
Iya Whiteley, Ph.D.
2:00 Evaluating Mental Health Symptoms versus Extraordinary Experience
Emily Rademan, Psy.D.
2:30 Q & A with Iya Whiteley, Ph.D. and Emily Rademan, Psy.D.
2:45 Afternoon Break – chat room open
3:00 Keynote Presentation
Beyond the Unconscious: Altered Realities and the Path to Transformation
Caroline Fernandes, LPC, NCC
3:45 Q & A with Caroline Fernandes, LPC, NCC
4:00 Closing Remarks – Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT
Learn about becoming an E³ professional member!
Speaker Biographies
Keynote Presentations
Daniel Ingram, M.D.
Ethically Scaling Global Support for Emergent Phenomena, Experiences and Effects
Meditation, psychedelics, and related modalities that can create powerful effects that many would call spiritual, mystical, magical, energetic, and psychedelic phenomena, and we would term “Emergent Phenomena, Experiences, and Effects (EPEEs)” are scaling rapidly, but the global clinical mainstream’s understanding of them are not. We will discuss the range of possible effects, including benefits, challenging experiences, and lasting transformations, the research and projects of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium on this field, the medical ethical mandate for increased attention to this vital aspect of human experience and potential, and some ideas on how to assess, conceptualize, relate to, and support what can sometimes be a very confusing, challenging, and surprising process.
Dr. Daniel M. Ingram, MD MSPH, is the CEO and Board Chair of Emergence Benefactors 501(c)(3), a charity dedicated to supporting the work of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium, of which Dr. Ingram is also the main organizer and co-founded. He has published, participated in, and helped design and support numerous neurophenomenology papers on meditation with the Meditation Research Center at Harvard/MGH, as well as with other universities. He is the author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, and co-author of The Fire Kasina. He has been helping thousands of people with their meditative, psychedelic, energetic, and other related experiences since 1996. He is the co-founder of the Dharma Overground, one of the longest-running and largest sites dedicated to creating community around supporting the deep end of human experience and practice. He is also a philanthropist and supports numerous projects related to health and healing globally.
He currently has a particular interest in how the global clinical mainstream can better understand Emergent Phenomena, Experiences and Effects (EPEEs) and in implementing strategic plans to accomplish this. He is also the founder of EmergeWiki.org, a project dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap between the world’s religious and spiritual traditions and the clinical and mental health mainstreams through dialogue, information sharing, and actionable clinical recommendations that improve outcomes. He ultimately hopes to facilitate the creation of global post-doctoral boarded specialties to support EPEEs and emergent processes and modalities.
Sean Esbjorn-Hargens, Ph.D.
Varieties of Entity Encounters: Serving Clients in Sensemaking Extraordinary Experiences
Many psychologically well-adjusted individuals have extraordinary encounters with a wide range of entities that are either non-human intelligences (NHIs) or non-physical human intelligences (NPHIs). These experiences tend to be very confusing, intense, and transformative. This talk presents a comprehensive overview of the top ten types of entities reported by people. Dr. Esbjorn-Hargens will also provide guidelines on how to support clients who have had these encounters in their sensemaking process. In addition, guidelines will be provided that support clinicians and mental health professionals with their own process of working with individuals reporting these extraordinary encounters.
Sean Esbjorn-Hargens is a global leader in integral theory—a framework that integrates multiple perspectives to foster whole-system growth applying integrative principles to business and organizational culture. Sean has been on the leadership team or advisory board of ten companies, NGOs, and foundations across multiple sectors, including international development, fast-moving consumer goods, sustainability, education, and community health. He has lived in the USA, Chad, Kenya, Bhutan, and England and worked in nine countries. He does extensive executive coaching working with CEOs around the world as well as working with clients who have extraordinary experiences. He has published numerous academic articles and books and is the Program Director of Integral Noetic Sciences at the California Institute for Human Science where he teaches graduate courses on anomalous and noetic experiences.
Robert Falconer
The Porosity of Mind and Exceptional Experiences
IFS provides a unique lens through which to look at exceptional experiences. The parts model of mind and the concept of Self make room to de-pathologize a vast range of experiences.
Bob has extended the IFS model to include the idea of porosity of mind. A person is not only multiple, but their mind is also porous. Bob will describe the models of Self put forth by Tanya Luhrmann, Charles Taylor and Isbel Clarke to demonstrate the importance of a porous model of mind. Bob will also explore spirit possession from this point of view.
Once a porous conception of mind has been accepted, it provides an over-arching theoretical framework, which can explain a vast array of anomalous experiences.
For the early decades of his career, Bob focused on working with men who had histories of major sexual and physical abuse as Bob had. He used various forms of parts work (Ego State Therapy, Gestalt, and Pia Mellody’s work among others) but some 15 years ago he discovered Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) and is now focused exclusively on IFS which he finds to be the most respectful and powerful modality. His own recovery is the deep basis for all his work.
Bob has taught IFS extensively and internationally online has led classes and trainings in Pakistan, China, South Korea, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Canada, the UK, Australia, and for the Fort Belknap Sioux and Northern Cheyenne reservations. He has also been on the staff of over 20 of the official IFS institute trainings. Bob has also been actively involved with psychedelics since 1967 and continues to view them as a powerful pathway.
Bob has published three books relating to IFS: Many Minds, One Self, co-authored with Richard C. Schwartz – the founder of IFS, The Others Within Us, and When Going Through Hell …Keep Going.
Now at age 76, Bob mostly teaches and leads supervision classes, only occasionally seeing individuals, often with their therapist.
Caroline Fernandes, LPC, NCC, CCHT, ACMHP, CEP-II
Beyond the Unconscious: Altered Realities and the Path to Transformation
“Beyond the Unconscious: Altered Realities and the Path to Transformation” explores the powerful intersection between spiritual emergence, psychotherapy, sacred practices, and altered states of consciousness. This keynote highlights how experiences such as psychedelic journeys, mystical states, and deep meditation can access the unconscious mind, igniting profound personal and collective transformation. This keynote examines the interplay between science and sacred traditions, revealing the often overlooked discourse in academia and mental health: the role of altered realities in promoting deep healing and post-traumatic growth, while unlocking the hidden potential for connection and healing attachment wounds.
Caroline Fernandes is a Licensed Professional Counselor, private practice owner, and adjunct professor who mentors both national and international counseling students and leads workshops on multicultural sensitivity in counseling and supervision. She has held several leadership roles, including President of the Mu Upsilon Alpha-Chi Sigma Iota Chapter at Mercer University, and served as Executive Director for ACISTE, a non-profit organization supporting spiritually transformative experiences. Passionate about integrating multicultural spirituality into counselor education, Caroline is committed to reducing global mental health disparities through inclusive, culturally sensitive assessments for marginalized minorities. Her dissertation examines the intersection of psychedelics, spiritual emergence, trauma, and mental health.
As an experiencer, she challenges traditional medical diagnoses by promoting awareness of paranormal experiences and indigenous spirituality to prevent misdiagnosis. Caroline is the 2023 NBCC Minority Fellowship Award recipient and the 2023-2024 Mu Upsilon Alpha–Chi Sigma Iota International Doctoral Student of Excellence. She also serves on the NBCC Examination Sensitivity and Bias Review Board, the Subject Matter Expert Committee, and the Georgia DEIE Sub-Committee for the National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative.
Individual Presentations
Jacob W. Glazier, PhD, LPC, NCC
Power and Exceptional Experiences
Having an exceptional experience often also means having a stigma associated with this very experience. Why is this the case and what can we do to change this? This presentation will explore the social and cultural dynamics of power that go into creating this stigma. Drawing from critical theory, the presentation will identify normative and dominant discourses that perpetuate this stigmatization. These narratives are often linked with other dominant discourses in order to perpetuate this power. To give one example, psychiatry tends to pathologize exceptional experiences, which should be understood in relation to the financial power of pharmaceutical companies. Moreover, psychiatric power has exerted its influence globally with little regard for cultural nuance. Tools and techniques will be offered for how clinicians, researchers, and others can work to advocate for the validity and cultural context of these exceptional experiences.
Jacob W. Glazier, PhD, LPC, NCC, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the School of Social Sciences at the University of West Georgia. His research revolves around critical theory, subjectivity, and exceptional experiences. He also practices psychotherapy. Dr. Glazier’s work has been published in academic journals that include Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society, Subjectivity, Mortality, Critical Horizons, Rhizomes, Journal for Cultural Research, and others. He is the author of Arts of Subjectivity (2020) and editor of the PA Book Award-winning Paranormal Ruptures (2023).
Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT
Bridging Worlds: Ethics & Integration for Extraordinary Experiences
Psychotherapy is evolving as more clinicians recognize the need to integrate extraordinary, spiritual, and anomalous experiences into clinical work. Whether emerging through meditation, psychedelics, or alternative healing, or occurring spontaneously due to trauma, stress, or unexplained events, these experiences are gaining visibility in media, research, and public discourse. However, psychology has often dismissed or pathologized phenomena such as near-death experiences (NDEs), encounters with non-human intelligences (NHIs), past-life memories, after-death communications, cryptid encounters, UAP sightings, mystical states, and out-of-body experiences, leaving experiencers without adequate support and reinforcing stigma, isolation, and missed opportunities for healing.
This presentation introduces two frameworks to help therapists navigate this emerging field while maintaining ethical integrity. The Bridge Compass supports self-reflection and professional discernment, while the BRIDGES Model provides a structured, trauma-informed approach to integration. A key concept is the Imaginal, a participatory space where anomalous experiences unfold, and therapeutic work occurs. These tools offer a practical, adaptable approach for supporting experiencers, bridging psychology with transpersonal insights, and fostering the field’s evolution with both scientific rigor and openness to the extraordinary.
Alexandra Tyler, M.S., LMFT is the founder of the Extraordinary Experiences Empowerment (E³) Alliance, a network dedicated to ethical, trauma-informed care for individuals navigating spiritual emergence and anomalous experiences. She has over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, supervision, and providing training. She has served a clinician and director in several community mental health organizations and as a project director for the Iowa Supreme Court to improve the experiences of children and families going through permanency, termination, and child abuse and neglect litigation.
Alex currently provides psychotherapy at Tyler Institute in Minnesota, specializing in supporting high-potential and twice-exceptional individuals and families across the lifespan. She developed the MindQuest curriculum and games, a social-emotional learning program for children and adolescents. Alex specializes in therapy for individuals who report anomalous or extraordinary experiences.
Alex’s journey to founding the E³ Alliance was shaped by her spiritually transformative experiences and encounters with anomalous phenomena. As she integrated these experiences, she recognized a critical gap in resources available to experiencers. Often, they reported negative experiences and fear of being pathologized as reasons to avoid mental health care. This realization led her to bring together other mental health professionals who are dedicated to support clients navigating anomalous, spiritual, and extraordinary experiences.
Doug Ronning, MA, LMFT, RDT-BCT
Playing in Multiple Realms at Once: Lessons from Surplus Reality
Surplus reality, a term coined by Psychodrama Founder Dr. Jacob Levy Moreno, is a key concept and technique utilized in Psychodrama and Drama Therapy. This postulation offers a frame for how to layer and engage the physical, mental, emotional, imaginal, and spiritual realms simultaneously during an embodied enactment in therapeutic dramatic play to facilitate insight and a path to integration. This presentation will explore the value of surplus reality, and related techniques, inside and outside of the therapeutic container, to symbolically navigate seemingly inexpressible experiences related to trauma and the anomalous.
Doug Ronning is an Assistant Professor and Core Faculty in the Counseling Psychology M.A. Drama Therapy Program at California Institute of Integral Studies and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Drama Therapist-Board Certified Trainer (RDT-BCT) in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has written articles and co-authored textbook chapters on drama therapy. He is the Founder and Lead Facilitator of Gamescape Center for Creativity and Growth (https://www.gamescapecenter.org), which produces and hosts Role-Play Games and Live Action Role Play events that focus on pro-social interaction and social justice concerns. Additionally, Doug is the creator of the event series Monster Movie Salon (https://monstermoviesalon.com) which integrates drama therapy with film appreciation toward exploring the intersections between pop culture, high strangeness, and the cultural and personal shadow. Doug previously worked in the entertainment industry, including as a screenwriter on the classic HBO series Tales from the Crypt.
David S.B. Mitchell, M.S., Ph.D.
Exceptional Human Experiences: Homin Entity Encounters and their Psychological Significance
This presentation provides an overview of the homin phenomenon, which is defined by six categories borrowed from UFOlogy (Vallee & Davis, 2005) and concerns the extent to which homins (i.e., Sasquatch, yeti, yowies, etc.; Bayanov, 2014) directly and indirectly impact the human psyche. A brief summary of the evidence in support of these beings’ existence is discussed, in addition to their classification as entities that fall within the entity encounter rubric of Rhea White’s (1994) exceptional human experience (EHE) taxonomy. The potential psychological impact of encounters with these entities can engender PTSD, death anxiety, ontological shock, ontological ambiguity, the numinous. Current supports for experiencers and gaps therein are also discussed.
Dr. David S. B. Mitchell serves as an assistant professor of research psychology in the integral transpersonal psychology doctoral program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Prior to joining the faculty at CIIS, he held a tenure track appointment at the University of West Georgia. Dr. Mitchell holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and an M.S. in psychology from Howard University, as well as a B.A. in human development from UC San Diego. He serves on the leadership team for the Exceptional Experiencer Empowerment Initiative-an international community which is dedicated to education and resource-sharing for mental health practitioners who wish to better support clients who have exceptional experiences. In addition to being a member of the editorial team for Mindfield: Bulletin of the Parapsychological Association, he is also a member of the Parapsychological Association, the Society for Scientific Exploration, and Project Zoobook. Further, especially relevant to the subject of the presentation, he has authored “What goes bump in the psyche: Relict hominoids and reality shifts as existential threats to Western culture,” which was a contribution to the Paranormal Ruptures: Critical Approaches to Exceptional Experiences anthology. The book was a recipient of the 2024 Parapsychological Association Book Award.
Nick Bustos, Ph.D., LMFT
Making the World Your Own: Extraordinary Experience as an Avenue to Dreamerhood
The upshot of extraordinary experiences often results in a profound, shocking, or revelatory insight into the nature of world, mind and self – a reorientation to our status as cosmic dreamers.
While this may be felt as a profound coming home to oneself and the world, there are consequences in terms of the social costumes that we wear. This implies a developmental process, one that may be appropriately viewed from the life as dream point of view, an ontological position appropriately contextualized within the frame of an expansive contemplative and nondual spirituality.
The question we ask ourselves: How do I now wear the costume of me? What role does the costume play? How do our lives reflect the song of truth and unity within which exceptional experiences are pointers par excellence?
This presentation will include sharing and insight drawn from the speaker’s personal experience, academic writing and clinical work.
Nick Bustos is a California licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), with a PhD in Clinical Psychology, emphasis in Integral Psychology. He currently serves as associate professor and program chair in the Integral Counseling Psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and core faculty in the School of Psychology at the California Institute for Human Science. He earned his master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of San Francisco and doctoral degree from the California Institute for Human Science. In addition to his positions in higher education, Dr. Bustos provides program development and psychotherapy services in K-12 special education programs for students and families faced with serious mental health challenges. He likewise maintains a private psychotherapy practice where he works with individuals, couples and families utilizing a psychodynamic, transpersonal and somatic/energetic treatment approach.
Dr. Bustos’ publication history includes scholarly journals related to psychotherapy practice and consciousness studies and is currently working on a manuscript focused on the integration of nondual healing principles in psychotherapy. He regularly conducts trainings, workshops and presentations on a variety of clinical topics, both regionally and nationally. Dr. Bustos’s academic and clinical passion lies in the healing journey of the therapist, incorporating the insight and experiential foundations of nondual spirituality and related contemplative traditions alongside a critical, developmental approach to the person – the person in the family, the person in society, and the person in the cosmos. Dr. Bustos has an extensive background in meditative and contemplative spiritual practices, with additional training in healing and energy medicine. He is a lover of art and music and especially loves spending quality time with his partner and spouse, Heather, and their son, Mason.
Emily Rademan, Psy.D.
Evaluating Mental Health Symptoms versus Extraordinary Experience
Throughout history, many have reported extraordinary experiences with non human intelligent beings, but significant misunderstanding and stigma still exists within the mental health field. This presentation will explore enculturation and its influence on understanding of extraordinary experience along with factors to consider when treating those with experiences. The presentation will also discuss risk management approaches.
Through a series of serendipitous events, I joined the E³ Initiative in order to share my passions of mental health, spirituality, and exceptional experiences. In my career in private practice, I specialize and dedicate my passion to working with those with trauma, dissociation, unexplained medical symptoms and integration of spiritual/exceptional experiences. I am EMDR certified and an EMDRIA Approved Consultant and CE provider. I am also trained in clinical hypnosis, ego state work, and somatic interventions.
As I evolved in my career, I found the mental health field and traditional spiritual belief systems may stigmatize those with anomalous experiences that are unexplained by scientific or religious texts. Because of this, I found that many with spiritual beliefs, gifts, and exceptional experiences are hesitant to share those experiences or seek support from mental health providers due to stigma and concerns of being mislabeled. This has driven my passion and excitement to train other mental health providers to appropriately and ethically evaluate exceptional experiences and spiritual gifts from mental health symptoms, while also helping individuals integrate their experiences and develop new understanding of self and joyful interactions in the world.
Iya Whiteley, Ph.D.
Integrating the Extraordinary: Rebirthing-Breathwork as a Non-Clinical Approach to Processing UAP/UFO Experiences of Pilots
This presentation explores Connected Conscious Breathwork as a non-clinical modality for integrating unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and UFO experiences, particularly for professional aviators facing reporting stigma. Drawing from aviation safety research and breathwork studies, it examines how controlled breathing techniques create a safe container for processing extraordinary experiences while fostering natural spiritual insights without the clinical connotations of traditional therapy. The approach emphasizes individual readiness and client-led exploration, positioned as a wellness practice rather than psychological treatment. This framework offers a potential pathway for pilots, astronauts, and other professionals to integrate transformative UAP/UFO encounters without risking career implications or facing institutional judgment.
Dr. Iya Whiteley is a Space and Aviation Psychologist with 25+ years of experience working with pilots, astronauts and surgeons. Her background in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Engineering informed her advisory role on the AIAA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Integration & Outreach Committee, where she addresses the unique challenges faced by aviation professionals encountering extraordinary phenomena.
With expertise in conscious connected breathing techniques, Dr. Whiteley offers professionals a non-clinical pathway to process transformative experiences without career implications or stigma. Her approach helps pilots and high-performance professionals integrate challenging encounters through breathwork sessions that enhance self-awareness and resilience while maintaining complete confidentiality.
Having served as Director of the Centre for Space Medicine at UCL, design training for astronauts at the European Space Agency and advised the UK Space Agency, Dr. Whiteley brings scientific rigor to her work, which has been featured on BBC, PBS, and National Geographic. Her methods are particularly valuable for professionals who seek to understand profound experiences while preserving their professional standing and wellbeing.
Kim Burkland-Ward, LICSW
IFS as a Gateway to the Collective Unconscious and Spirit: A Therapeutic Approach
This presentation explores Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy as a pathway to accessing and communicating with the collective unconscious and spiritual dimensions of the psyche. Drawing from Jungian psychology, transpersonal therapy, and IFS, this session examines how the Self-led approach of IFS enables clients to engage with deeper wisdom, archetypal patterns, and spiritual experiences. By integrating psychological and spiritual frameworks, therapists can better support clients who experience synchronicities, mystical experiences, or deep internal guidance. The presentation will include theoretical foundations, case examples, and an experiential exercise to illustrate how IFS can be used as a bridge between psychotherapy and transpersonal awareness.
Kim Burkland-Ward is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, and IFS-Approved Clinical Consultant with over a decade of experience in private practice. Specializing in complex trauma, relationship dynamics, mood disorders, and life transitions, she integrates psychotherapy with spiritual development to help clients heal emotional wounds and achieve deep transformation.
She integrates IFS and EMDR to support clients in accessing inner wisdom, transpersonal experiences, and expanded consciousness. Her work acknowledges that spirit guides, archetypal forces, or other entities may emerge in the healing process, offering guidance and insight.
Beyond clinical practice, Kim has over 20 years of experience in corporate training, organizational development, and communications consulting, working with corporations, municipalities, and healthcare organizations. She has also served as Adjunct Faculty at Rivier University, teaching social work and psychology courses. She holds a Master of Arts in Communication from Syracuse University and a Master of Social Work from Boston University.
Documentary Watch Party & Panel Discussions with Producers and Cast Members
Kelly Chase, Producer
Jay Christopher King, Producer
Cosmosis: UFOs & A New Reality explores the startling reality of the UFO phenomenon and its profound implications for every facet of human knowledge. Featuring top experts, bleeding-edge theories, and fresh insights, this docuseries reveals how these discoveries could reshape humanity’s understanding of its place in the cosmos.
Brett Eichenberger, Producer
Jill Remensnyder, Producer
A Flash of Beauty: Bigfoot Revealed presents interviews from researchers and eyewitnesses. The film covers historical accounts of Bigfoot, the significance within the indigenous cultures, and the emotional impact of a Bigfoot experience.
Learn about becoming an E³ professional member!