Our Team
Our first priority is safety. Very few ibogaine providers operate in a truly medicalised setting. In contrast, at Tabula Rasa, we have a fully qualified consulting medical doctor and fully qualified nurses. All our medical team are Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certified. Our head provider and nurse, Neal, used to work for the NHS in the UK and has treated hundreds of clients at Tabula Rasa Retreat. Our screening and exclusion criteria ensure that only those deemed healthy enough for ibogaine go forward for treatment. In addition, our clients are monitored during treatment 24/7, with continuous ECG measurement.
Also of critical importance is to provide a supportive environment. We have a deep compassion and understanding for even the most difficult and challenging situations. We offer a safe, supportive and non-judgemental environment for you to recover from your addiction, or for your spiritual journey and healing through our psycho-spiritual programme.
We try to listen more than talk, as each person needs an individual approach and a bespoke treatment. We use a combination of different therapies along with the ibogaine treatment as well as a rigorous pre-care & after-care programme that offers much better results than simply providing ibogaine on its own.
Alvaro de Ferranti
Founder
Graduated in 1991, with a BA (Hons) in Business Studies at the University of East London, Álvaro is the chairman of three eponymous brands, and successful businesses, operating in the interiors and architectural sectors in the very heart of London. Álvaro de Ferranti, born in London, United Kingdom, in the early 70’s, spent much his childhood in Portugal and his adult working life in the UK since the late 80’s, having recently emigrated to Portugal with his wife and two children.
Having learned of Iboga in 2013, and discovered its benefits, Álvaro has embarked on the arduous task of organising clinical trials with Ibogaine HCL in Portugal. The whole team, from a reputable manufacturer with a solid protocol, Principal Investigator, CRO, Project Managers and a first class clinic, have all been assembled.
In addition, Álvaro presented Iboga and Ibogaine to Dr. João Goulão, the national drug coordinator for Portugal and the head of SICAD (The General Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependancies).
Álvaro has a keen interest in the therapeutic benefits of Iboga, and other entheogens. Especially, the part they play with arresting addiction to harmful substances and behaviours. More importantly, his focus is on holistic, consistent and compassionate aftercare.
Listen to Alvaro present at the European Ibogaine Forum 2017 below
Jade Ziani de Ferranti
Co-Founder
Jade initially found out about Iboga and planted the metaphorical seeds for what has now become Tabula Rasa Retreat Centre.
Jade is a qualified EFT level 1 & 2 practitioner and ABNLP/NLP Practitioner. She has always been interested in energy techniques, psychology/psycho-spiritual healing and guiding people to heal themselves naturally. At Tabula Rasa, Jade works alongside other natural therapies that we offer to our clients.
Rafaela Salvador
Client Manager
Graduated with a degree in Sociology from the University of Evora, Rafaela has had extensive experience working in the rehab and addiction sector. Rafaela saw the Tabula Rasa project as innovative, forward thinking, and believed it was the right project for her as she felt it was the project that would change the way we treat addictions.
Rafaela was a support worker and administrative assistant at the Monte Wellness Centre (Portugal), also worked for Seasons Portugal Wellness Centre in client services, and trained at Western Counselling Residential Treatment for Addictions in the United Kingdom.
Alongside Alvaro, Rafaela is the first point of contact for all enquiries with regards to treatment at Tabula Rasa Retreat. She provides support to prospective clients, their families and next of kin, and also is the conduit between the client and our extensive referral network. Rafaela helps the client through our rigorous vetting and intake process, liaises with the medical team and management, and helps the client with all logistical arrangements prior to arriving at our centre. Rafaela is our lifeline.
Neal Clayton
Head nurse
Neal Clayton is a registered nurse who trained and worked for many years in the UK’s National Health Service. He holds an English Nursing Board specialty in cardiothoracic intensive care and was a valued member of the team in the world famous Royal Brompton National Heart and Lung Hospital in London. His breadth of experience includes working in several other countries as well as volunteering in humanitarian heart clinics and surgeries in Fiji.
Having experienced family addiction, Neal is highly motivated to help those who come to Tabula Rasa to change their lives. His experience, knowledge and calm manner assure the safety of everyone.
Gemma Gaquit
Nurse
Gemma is a valued member of our nursing team at Tabula Rasa Retreat. Graduated in 1995, she has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is a Philippine Registered Nurse. She has experience in many different fields of Nursing. Gemma started working as a volunteer nurse in the community hospital of her hometown, giving health teachings and promoting well-being and health. Eventually, she moved to the city and managed an Out Patient Medical Specialist Clinic; organised appointments and follow up check’s for the clients and liaised with the MD’s. In 2002, she was chosen by the Philippine government to work for King Fahad Medical City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the Paediatric Surgical unit where she was strictly monitoring vital signs.
A great opportunity arose when she was offered a position to work as a private nurse in Luanda, Angola in 2011. The prestigious family brought Gemma to Portugal and she has been living here ever since. Gem’s mission is to offer quality nursing care to clients and we are delighted to have her on our team.
Nena Mae Bolivar
Nurse
Nena Mae Polinar is a registered nurse and has been in the health care industry for six years. She had her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Holy Name University in the Philippines. She has a work experience in hospital, clinic nurse and home care nurse. Her job includes monitoring a patient’s treatment , devising care plan and providing medical care during emergencies. She want’s to be a nurse because she has this insatiable need to care for others and wants to use her strength and skills to make the most positive difference in the world, especially in the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of the society. It was clear to her that she found her calling and she believes that every single life matters, so she ensures that every day she handle her job with great careful attention. When you’re a nurse you know every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.
Ruben
Support
Originally from Lisbon, Ruben found his purpose once he moved to the Alentejo. Graduated in the social services sector, he worked at a specialised institution for young people with severe emotional disorders and addiction issues. From a early age, Ruben believed that there can be long lasting change in people, that it is possible to repair trauma and live a happier life. His life path later led him to specialise in the area of addictions, in particular, working directly with people who struggle with substance misuse. Ruben has worked at Quinta da Fé (the home of Tabula Rasa Retreat) since 2019.
Ruben provides compassionate, discrete, attentive and empathetic customer support and is the main connection between our guests and the whole support team. His beliefs grew out of the therapeutic love he too received. He believes without a doubt that believing listening and “accessing” to the inner child is the key to achieving a recovery and a happy life, with absolute control in the ability to decide the course he takes.
Sofia Lopes
Chef and support
We really do have chef-prepared healthy food at Tabula Rasa Retreat, all lovingly prepared and curated by our skilled Chef Sofia.
Sofia is a self-taught chef who is passionate about feel-good food. Feel-good food, for her, is food that not only tastes good, it’s food that nourishes our bodies, food that’s grown with the seasons and with respect for the people who grow it. It’s food to be enjoyed and shared, and it’s food that is used to its full wholesome, nourishing potential with nothing wasted.
Sofia grow up in a traditional family who taught her the value of a good home-cooked meal and the importance of sharing it with the ones we love. When she left home and learned to cook for herself she started reinventing leftovers, raiding her fridge and seeking out in-season foods, which have dictated how she cooks – simple and seasonal. In 2011, after been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, so she looking into other ways of managing her condition and began researching diet and lifestyle.
After seven years working in the social services sector, she decided that what she really liked was cooking, and as soon as an opportunity arose, she decided to grab it. She left Coimbra and start working at Vovó Joaquina Restaurant in Beja (in the pastry section). A few months later, she discovered Tabula Rasa Retreat and decided to take up the challenge that was proposed to her. Every day she tries to learn more, discover more and adapt to the diets of those who visit us, in order to make them as healthy as possible.
During your stay, she will try to share with you the beautiful plant foods available and the different ways to put them together for a sublime taste.
Agnes Tripkou
Nurse
Graduated in 2010 as a Licence Registered Nurse (RN) and in 2014 with a with a specialization in psychiatric care.
Agnes is born and raised in Sweden, worked in Stockholm, with addiction care and has been educated in different forms of therapies such as motivational interviewing, relapse prevention and used NADA acupuncture in her practise. She has worked in both inpatient/outpatient care.
Working in a tapering program she acted as a support for her patients in tapering down different addictive substances, such as opiates and benzodiazepines. She got in touch with Tabula rasa when she noticed there was a huge demand from her patients to get rid addictive substances, where conventional methods had failed and and also an increasing interest in ibogaine.
She decided to travel to Portugal and ended up partnering up with the team of Tabula Rasa and she is still happily a part of this wonderful team.
Alongside, she is working at an acute inpatient psychiatric care in Stockholm, where she is head nurse supervisor at the clinic with a responsibility for all nurse students.She has a huge interest in natural healing therapies and practices reiki healing (level II) and aromatherapeutic massage.
Pedro Gorman
Blogger/Writer
Pedro, a graduate of University College Dublin, holds a degree in English Literature. His deep-seated fascination with language and storytelling has navigated his path through the world of literature. Before his current role, Pedro served as a translator for various publishing houses, collaborating extensively with many national theatres in Lisbon.
His portfolio also includes the ghostwriting of several novels and biographies.
In October 2022, Pedro courageously decided to tackle a longstanding opioid addiction, embarking on a healing journey with ibogaine treatment at Tabula Rasa Retreat. His recovery journey has since inspired him to join our team.
As our in-house writer and blogger, Pedro vividly narrates inspiring recovery stories, documents the impactful work at our retreat, and authors informative, thought-provoking essays about the intriguing world of ibogaine and ancestral plant medicines.
Pedro’s expression goes beyond words; he establishes direct connections with our clients. Driven by his empathetic nature and passion for holistic healing, he facilitates breathwork sessions and assists clients in assimilating their ibogaine experiences. His multifaceted contributions have greatly enriched the retreat experience, establishing him as an invaluable asset to the Tabula Rasa Retreat team.
Sebastiano de Ferranti
Audio visual manager and support
Sebastiano de Ferranti has been with Tabula Rasa Retreat (TRR) since it’s inception, in the background helping to better the company in all areas. With a BA (Honos) in Industrial Design and technology from the university of Loughborough, he has been involved in all artwork related tasks – Logos, branding, posters, banners, brochures and films.
His passion lies in music and film. He is also our Internet audio and visuals content manager. He’s in charge of filming, audio capturing, video editing, sound branding, sound-tracking and interviewing clients. He’s also a team player, he entertains the clients post treatment and looks after their well-being. He understands the whole process, and is in tune with what our clients want and need.
He’s played in two acclaimed underground bands, Three and a Quarter and Youthless. He has worked in recording studios, recording rock bands, to mixing pop acts. He is currently in the process of composing and recording his solo project.
Software:
- Final Cut Pro
- Pro Tools 12
- Native Instruments Machine 2
- Affinity Photo
- Affinity Designer
- Affinity Publisher
Binod Aryal
Counsellor & Naikan Guide
Since 2019, Binod has been working as a Counsellor and NAIKAN psychotherapist at the Tabula Rasa Retreat Ibogaine Center in Portugal. He has more than 25 years of work experience in the social services and addiction rehabilitation fields. He is an expert in conducting the world renowned residential rehabilitation TC model. He was attracted to our unique way of tackling addiction and has much to contribute to our process.
Binod Aryal is the founder and president of the RIC Rose Co-operation Nepal, which has been working on multiple human welfare programmes. This includes addiction treatment and rehabilitation programmes. He was an addiction counsellor at “Aasara Sudhar Kendra” which is managed by the Nepal Police Wives’ Association, from 2002 to 2015 and is regularly a guest lecturer. He completed training on the universal treatment curriculums for substance use disorders [UTC 12678] organized by The Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program [DAP] and is supported by Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs [INL], US Department of State.
He completed his TC Model training from the “Daytop foundation“ in New York, USA. He is also specialised in 12 Steps based TC and is a professional expert in the Residential course from “Hazelden Foundation” Minnesota, USA. He also undertook courses and received certification in California, USA on ‘Effective working with mental health issues in residential substance abuse treatment” by Free Life enterprises and Alta Mira recovery centre, in Sausalito and went on further to train with the 12 Steps based TC in a London prison organized by RAPT [Rehabilitation for prisoners trust] London, UK. Furthermore, Binod also worked the 12 steps TC Model for “StreetScene“ in Bournemouth UK and a specialised in a 12 Step treatment programme in Hong-Kong. The list goes on…
His first counselling and rehabilitation training was undertaken at the ‘Kripa Foundation’ in Mumbai, India and in Nepal by the Tri chandra psychology department and Home Ministry Drug Control branch. The remaining TC programs and certifications were achieved in Poland, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain and online study on Addiction Psychology from the Ireland ATI institute. Other related symposiums, conferences and short courses were undertaken in the UK, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Netherlands, France, Spain and in Italy.
Binod is a Vipassana meditation practitioner and teacher [Guide] for NAIKAN [Japanese art of self-reflection]. NAIKAN is part of our psychotherapy offering. He has participated in this unique psychotherapy course in Nepal and China.
Binod achieved the NAIKAN assistant teacher [Guide] certificate from a Japanese and German trainer in 2012 and 2017. In addition, He has completed the full NAIKAN certified teacher course and has certifications for Yoga, Breathwork, Meditation other relaxation therapies.
Rodrigo Teixeira
Counsellor
Rodrigo Teixeira is a Counsellor and Psychologist (MSc in Psychology), with three years professional experience and six years of volunteer experience in the drug addiction field. He is an effective active member of the Portuguese Psychologists Order with the professional number 24338. He has extensive academic and experience on addiction prevention, addiction recovery and relapse prevention with addicts and their families.
Rodrigo has worked as a volunteer for six years in a government ambulatory drug prevention and rehab service and also worked in government supported addiction prevention and health care promotion programs for three years. He has a holistic approach sympathetic with Tabula Rasa Retreat’s ibogaine therapy, science based cognitive behavioural therapy, psychological and spiritual counselling, meditation and mindfulness.
He is passionate and committed to his job and more importantly is committed to your recovery pathway. Rodrigo is fluent in English and Portuguese.
Joana Campanico
Operations & financial manager
Operations and financial manager, dealing with the finances of the company and ensures the property is maintained to our exacting standards. Degree in Marketing in the area of management, with work experience in this area, organised and methodical, and has her heart in the right place. Joana is also passionate about Tabula Rasa and what we stand for.
Alentejana, born in Beja, with good knowledge of the local area and people, She is also the owner of a tourist entertainment company, EntreRios Desporto Aventura. This is a big bonus for us as she provides our customers with great off-site activities such as Rafting, Trekking, Paintball to name a few.
Guia Joanne Urbino
Nurse
Joanne is a Registered Nurse from the Philippines with training and volunteer experiences in different fields of Nursing. She trained in a cosmetic surgery center as an operating room nurse, assisting during surgery and cared for clients post operations. After which, she became licensed as an IV Therapist and Dialysis Nurse. Joanne worked as a volunteer-trainee in a Dialysis clinic, overseeing the treatment while monitoring and ensuring clients’ safety.
Eventually, she moved to Norway and registered as a health care worker. While volunteering in home cares whilst learning the language, she worked as a support person for those who have physical and mental illnesses, drug and social problems. Prior moving to Portugal, she worked in a psychiatric hospital ward and in a home-care for the elderly with dementia and impaired functioning.
Joanne has a keen interest in holistic treatments and jumped to the opportunity to work with Tabula Rasa. We are delighted to have her aboard.
Anders Beatty
Pre- and Post- Treatment Counsellor
Anders Beatty has over 25 years experience in the field of addiction. His experience comes first hand, firstly as an “addict”, and later as a qualified Integrative Psychotherapist.
Anders specialises in Pre Ibogaine Recovery Coaching and Counselling offering a support programme that can help people integrate their experience and treatment into an affirming and life changing event. Anders provides one-on-one recovery coaching, family coaching, and preparation and integration before and after treatment. Anders is the founder of Ibogaine Counselling Services, a key partner to Tabula Rasa Retreat.
Anders founded ICS after his own trans-formative treatment with ibogaine. As well as studying for a Masters degree in narrative therapy, Anders is currently the complaints moderator for the Global Ibogaine Therapy Alliance (GITA), and his expert guidance is sought out by ibogaine treatment centres worldwide. His pre-treatment protocol has become recognised as a fundamental component of successful treatment by many of the world’s leading ibogaine providers.