You don't go to ayahuasca to skip the hard part. You go to walk straight into it.

What if the scariest thing in ceremony isn't the darkness — it's the light? And what if the real work doesn't begin when you drink — but the moment you get home?

Kat Courtney is one of the rarest voices in plant medicine. One of the very few Western women to be traditionally and indigenously trained as an Ayahuasca shaman, she carries over 20 years of experience, thousands of ceremonies held, and a personal story that began not with curiosity — but with survival.

In a world where plant medicine retreats are popping up everywhere, Kat represents something increasingly rare — someone who didn't take a weekend course, but who sat at the feet of true indigenous wisdom keepers and earned her place behind the altar the old way.

In This Episode We Cover:

• What Ayahuasca Actually Is — And Where She Really Comes FromKat gives her definition of ayahuasca after 20 years of working with her, and shares where she believes this ancient intelligence truly originates from. The answer might surprise you.
• Why Choosing the Right Facilitator Could Be the Most Important Decision You MakeIn a space that's growing faster than its wisdom, Kat gets honest about what separates integrity from danger. What she says next is something every first-timer needs to hear before they book a retreat.
• The Shaman's Basic Integration KitKat breaks down the foundational daily practices that determine whether a ceremony changes your life or fades into a memory. This is the part most people skip — and exactly why they keep drinking without moving forward.
• Shadow Work, Karma & the Lessons That Take Years to UnderstandKat shares the personal homework ayahuasca gave her that took years to complete. Some of it she fought. Some of it broke her open. All of it changed everything.
• Why We Fear the Light More Than the DarknessOne of the most unexpected turns in this entire conversation. What Kat reveals about our deepest resistance in ceremony will stay with you long after you finish listening.

About The Ayahuasca Integration Podcast:

The Ayahuasca Integration Podcast with David Vox is a weekly show dedicated to the real work that happens after the ceremony ends. While plant medicine like ayahuasca can be one of the most profound experiences of a person's life, the transformation it opens up only becomes real through integration — the ongoing process of bringing what was revealed in ceremony into everyday life, relationships, and identity.

Whether you are preparing for your first ceremony, processing a recent experience, or years into your healing journey, this podcast offers real tools, honest conversations, and the kind of depth that most plant medicine content never reaches.

Ready to hold space for others?

The world of plant medicine and deep transformation is growing fast — but most people who go through it are left without real support to integrate what they experienced.

The Sacred Integration Facilitator Training is a 6-month live program where you learn 12 mirrors to see yourself clearly, discover your own medicine, and develop the skills to hold space for individuals and groups through real transformation.

Over 24 weeks you'll walk away with a complete integration framework, embodied facilitation practices, and a community that stays with you long after the training ends.

Cohort 2 starts May 20th.

Visit www.davidvox.com for more information.