Transcendelic Retreats

Amy Milroy, DNP, APRN (she/her): Co-Founder
Michigan State University and Universidad San Francisco de Quito, 2010: Bachelor of Science in History, Philosophy, & Sociology of Science (B.S.)
Michigan State University, 2011: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Rush University, 2018: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Johns Hopkins University, 2021: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
Integrative Psychiatry Institute, 2023: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Provider (PATP)

Amy Milroy is a board-certified psychiatric and family nurse practitioner who is also a certified psychedelic-assisted therapy provider. Amy is a healer by nature and nurture. As a trauma survivor, Amy offers retreat participants the wisdom and expertise of her own healing combined with what she has learned from many patients’ healing journeys. Amy has a unique and sweeping perspective on the art and science of thriving. Years ago when she started benefiting from psychedelic medicine’s powerful healing force, she changed her mind in all the best senses.

When she started her career as a registered nurse, she felt demoralized as she witnessed how often the healthcare system does not make patients healthier. In moving from registered nurse to family nurse practitioner and then to psychiatric nurse practitioner, Amy kept feeling she was getting closer to her true vocation, but not yet reaching it. After having very healing experiences with psychedelics, she realized her deepest calling and dedicated her life to helping people achieve lasting transformation and wellness through psychedelic medicine. In 2023, she completed her certification as a psychedelic-assisted therapy provider through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She and Sal launched Transcendelic™ so they could help people become their best, healthiest, most fulfilled selves.

Amy’s patients, students, and loved ones have frequently told her she is very compassionate, wise, and open-minded. She has a talent for making people feel at home. During her career she has cared for patients of all ages in a variety of settings, including most recently providing ketamine treatment via telehealth. She is committed to equity, and a regular provider of free healthcare for those in need. Amy is grateful for her teachers: those who have traditionally used psychedelics (especially Indigenous peoples), loved ones, colleagues, therapists, authors, students, researchers, and of course her patients. She looks forward to meeting you, hearing your story, and helping you discover your highest self.

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Salil Kalra, MD (he/him): Co-Founder
Northwestern University, 2011: Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences (B.A.)
Chicago Medical School, 2016: Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Rush University, 2019: Internal Medicine Residency
University of Illinois at Chicago, 2022: Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship

Sal is a physician with board certifications in internal medicine, pulmonary and critical care, bringing a unique wealth of medical expertise to his role on the retreats. Known for his calm, laid-back demeanor and open-mindedness, he fosters an environment of trust, compassion and authenticity, inviting others to be vulnerable as they embark on their transformative journeys. He is dedicated to guiding others towards their own paths of healing and fulfillment, offering them the opportunity to rediscover their innate resilience and inner strength. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sal faced personal struggles with burnout and disillusionment within the healthcare system, and similarly saw how it deeply affected his colleagues. He noted a disheartening reality that there exists a silent epidemic of mental health struggles endured by those who dedicate their lives to caring for others, but unfortunately are unable to address their own needs. He hopes that psychedelic medicines will alleviate some of the moral injury and cognitive dissonance in healers, as we regain the sense of purpose that initially brought us to healthcare.

Moreover, his experiences in the ICU revealed the profound impact that prolonged ICU stays can have on patients. Surviving on the brink of death, these individuals often grapple with the aftermath of their traumatic experiences, leading to the emergence of post-ICU syndrome—an intricate web of physical and psychological sequelae. Patients in the ICU are usually sedated using high doses of narcotics for extended periods of time, while they undergo days to weeks of medical testing, procedures and treatment, with some still having acute awareness of their dire situation, but unable to make decisions for themselves or understand what is happening to them. Sal observed the enduring symptoms of PTSD that haunted these patients and their families long after leaving the confines of the hospital, often struggling with physical weakness, depression, chemical dependence and other psychosocial stressors as a result of critical illness. Being confined in the ICU has parallels with other suffering, and is a lens through which to view the challenges that keep people feeling trapped in other ways.

Deeply inspired by the therapeutic potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy for a multitude of uses, Sal envisions a ray of hope for patients, families, healthcare workers, and others struggling with pain and darkness, offering an avenue of healing from their traumas and an alternative path towards recovery. He believes that by integrating a mind-body approach into their recovery journeys, people can traverse a path towards holistic well-being, embracing a renewed sense of vitality and emotional equilibrium.