Frederica Helmiere
Frederica Helmiere is an eco-theologian, ethicist, and scholar of contemplative and transformative practice. She served as Director of Psychedelic Practitioner Training at the Synthesis Institute, and is currently a trustee of Ligare Christian Psychedelics Society. She is a member of the Ethics Committee at Gather Well Psychedelics, and is in candidacy for ordination with Sacred Garden Community, an interfaith psychedelic church.
As a consultant and facilitator, Frederica focuses on preparing practitioners for the spiritual dimensions of psychedelic experience, and building robust, ethical institutional containers to hold meaningful transformation. She advises Sabba on the competency framework for its training ecosystem for psychedelic-assisted therapies, and is one of 60 expert contributors to the EPEE Project, a consensus study developing guidelines for clinicians who encounter spiritual and mystical experience in their patients. With LightEn Center for Consciousness and Action, her work includes leading the religious leaders track at its 2026 gathering, co-hosted with the Council on Spiritual Practices.
Frederica's path into the field runs through two decades of education and leadership in spiritual and contemplative settings, including as Director of Education at Spiritual Directors International and Head of Workshops and Programs at Esalen Institute. Earlier, she worked in global interfaith peacebuilding with the United Religions Initiative and taught religion and environmental studies at the University of Washington and Seattle University. She holds master's degrees from Yale Divinity School and the Yale School of the Environment. She lives in Seattle, communing with beloveds, marveling at the mountains, and seeking type 2 fun.