HOPE
holistic
Aligning
Sacred Healing Practices with the
Art & Science
of Nursing Care
My mission is to nurture, embody, and carry forward the sacred art of caring within the profession of nursing. While technology, evidence-based practice, and critical thinking are important aspects of nursing care, they are not its core. The heart of nursing is connection. It is through connection - with oneself, with Spirit, with nature, and with each other - that healing and transformation are possible.
I seek to serve human and systems transformation through the practices of health coaching, reverence for life's stages, and the power of sacred plants.
@nursingsacredmedicine
Dr. Stephanie Van Hope, DNP, RN
Nurse
I am a Registered Nurse who has practiced since 2011 in the areas of acute care oncology, hospice, and health coaching. In my current work as a coach I am inspired by Florence Nightingale's example of merging the highest values of the spirit with the practical realities of the world. I support clients in deep self-exploration and assist them in translating their discoveries into small and meaningful changes in daily life. It has been the privilege of my life to be a nurse - to be part of a lineage of service to humanity in ways mundane and transcendent.
Healer
I have also studied sacred healing ways for the last twelve years under the guidance of a traditional teacher and within spiritual community. These practices include honoring the four elements (air, fire, water, earth), and the cycles of time (sunrise and sunset, moon phases, equinoxes and solstices, planetary alignments), caring for the natural world practically and spiritually, working with plant and animal medicine, living in multi-generational community, celebrating life with sacred music, art, and dance, and studying religious, spiritual, and indigenous wisdom traditions from around the world.
Leader
These two worlds merged for me in my Doctor of Nursing Practice program. I graduated from the University of Minnesota's DNP program in the specialty of Integrative Health and Healing in 2019. This program, affiliated with the Center for Spirituality and Healing, trains students in healing modalities (Reiki, aromatherapy, acupressure, guided imagery, meditation), systems level thinking and skills (research, leadership, nursing theory, quality improvement, systems design), and provides clinical opportunities to incorporate integrative care both at the patient and systems levels, in order to realign our healthcare system with the core value of caring.
Advocate
One developing area of nursing practice that I am particularly passionate about is sacred medicine work. Traditional cultures have used sacred plants for millennia (such as ayahuasca, peyote, huachuma, iboga, psilocybin mushrooms and many others) to connect with Spirit and for personal and communal healing. Western medicine is rediscovering the power of sacred medicine practices and the last decade has seen a resurgence in research on psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine for treatment of depression, PTSD, addiction, and existential anxiety related to serious illness. I have contributed to this research as a study guide for NYU’s Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety trials, holding space for participants' healing journeys with psilocybin, including preparation and integration, and have published articles in the American Journal of Nursing and the Journal of Holistic Nursing. I believe that nursing is uniquely positioned to bridge the worlds of traditional wisdom and modern medicine in order to safely and effectively bring these powerful healing allies to the people that they can serve, for the betterment of humanity. I am currently a learning facilitator for Synthesis Institute's Psychedelic Practitioner Training Program, I have written and spoken about psychedelics in nursing and am currently offering a continuing education granting, introductory course for nurses - Nursing & Sacred Medicine: Introduction to Psychedelic Therapy - learn more at nursingsacredmedicine.thinkific.com.
Publications & Media
Van Hope, S., Booth, J., & Rosa, W. E. (2023). Bearing witness to suffering at end of life. In W. E. Rosa, B. R. Ferrell, & N. Coyle (Eds.), The nature of suffering and the goals of nursing (2nd edition). Oxford.
Stein, C. A., Penn, A., Van Hope, S., Dorsen, C. G., Mangini, M. (2022). The pharmacology and clinical applications of psychedelic medicines within midwifery practice. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (published online ahead of print, 6 May). http://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13371
Penn, A., Dorsen, C. G., Hope, S., & Rosa, W. E. (2021). CE: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. The American Journal of Nursing, 121(6), 34-40, doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000753464.35523.29.
Clark, C. S., Hope, S., & Rosa, W. E. (2021). Current trends in sacred medicine. In M. A. Blaszko Helming, D. A. Shileds, K. M. Avino, & W. E. Rosa (Eds.), Dossey & Keegan's Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice: A Handbook for Practice (8th ed). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Rosa, W., Hope, S., & Matzo, M. (2019). Palliative Nursing and Sacred Medicine: A Holistic Stance on Entheogens, Healing, and Spiritual Care. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 37(1), 100-106. http://journals.sagepub.com.ezp3.lib.umn.edu/doi/abs/10.1177/0898010118770302
Rosa, W., Estes, T., Hope, S., & Watson, J. (2018). Conscious dying: Human caring amid pain and suffering. In W. Rosa, S. Horton-Deutsch, & J. Watson (Eds.), A Handbook for Caring Science: Expanding the Paradigm (pp. 145 – 162). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Hope, S., & Rosa, W. (2018). Holistic care of the spirit: The use of entheogens in patients with advanced serious illness. Beginnings, 38(4), 18-21.
Rosa, B. & Hope, S. (2017). Pain and suffering at end of life: birthing the sacred passage. Beginnings, 37(4), 10-13.
Linares, L., Li, M., Shrout, P., Ramirez-Gaite, M., Hope, S., Albert, A., Castellanos, F. (2010). The course of inattention and hyperactivity symptoms following foster placement. Pediatrics, 125: e489-e498.
OTHER MEDIA
Full film available at https://vimeo.com/505841131
Film
Balktick, K. (Director). (2021). Death, dying & psychedelics [Film]. Horizons Media, Inc. https://vimeo.com/505841131
Conscious Dying Institute (2021). Waking up before we die [Speaker series]. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/may-registrations-2021-speaker-series-waking-up-before-we-die-tickets-145957539931?aff=StephanieH
Virtual Reality
Abrassart, D., Ceballos, P., Ruckman, L. (2017). When We Die, A virtual reality exploration on dying. https://dmabrassart.wixsite.com/whenwedie
Radio
Concra, J., & Murphy, K. (Producers). (2018, February 13). O+ Radio Hour. [Radio broadcast]. Kingston, NY: WKNY. Archived at https://radiokingston.org/en/archive/o-positive-radio-hour/episodes/debut-episode-joe-concra-kathleen-murray-guests-chatter-music
Glickstein, B. (Producer). (2015, March 26). HealthStyles [Radio broadcast]. New York, NY: WBAI. Archived at http://healthmediapolicy.com/2015/03/26/nurses-working-with-people-to-live-full-lives-and-choose-when-to-die/
Blog
Hope, S. (2016, April 12). A preview of coming attractions: field notes from a hospice nurse. [Web blog post]. http://inursecoach.com/blog/a-preview-of-coming-attractions-field-notes-from-a-hospice-nurse/
CONFERENCES AND PRESENTATIONS
2023 Penn Psychedelics Collaborative's Philadelic Conference. "Nursing and Sacred Medicine "The Role of Nursing in Psychedelic Therapy," Philadelphia, PA.
2023 JNESO Annual Nursing Conference. "Sacred Medicine in Healthcare." Atlantic City, NJ.
2021 University of Minnesota – Center for Spirituality and Healing. “Integrative Nursing & Sacred Medicine - The Emerging Field of Psychedelic Therapy,” Minneapolis, MN (online)
2021 Catalyst Summit 2021. “Psychedelics, Death, and Conscious Living - Their Parallels and Intersections,” Calgary, Canada (online)
2020 Integrative Healthcare Symposium. "Conscious Dying: An Integrative Approach at End-of-Life," New York, NY.
2019 American Holistic Nurses Association National Annual Conference pre-conference workshop. “Conscious Dying: An Experiential Immersion,” Tulsa, OK.
2019 American Holistic Nurses Association National Annual Conference workshop presentation. “Sacred Medicine and Holistic Nursing: The Art and Science of Clinical Practice Integrating Entheogen Use,” Tulsa, OK.
2018 American Holistic Nurses Association National Annual Conference workshop presentation. “Conscious Dying: A Human Rite,” Niagara Falls, NY.
2017 International Nurse Coach Association invited panelist: “Coaching Conversations for People Living with Chronic Illness,” New York, NY
2017 Harvard Divinity School, Consciousness Hacking: “When We Die” (virtual reality presentation), Cambridge, MA
Health Coaching
I am currently accepting private health coaching clients for sessions over phone or video chat. My role is midwife to your process of transformation, and my approach is holistic. I can work with you regarding medical issues, especially chronic disease, but I will always partner with you as a whole person, focusing on what is most important to you right now. Some of the issues I commonly work with clients on are:
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stress reduction
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nutrition
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healthy sleep
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movement & activity
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role of substance use
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relationships
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daily patterns & rituals
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connection with spirituality & meaning
With your permission, we can also explore techniques such as guided imagery, meditation, music and art, astrology, and other complementary modalities.
Our first session is 60-90 minutes. Follow up sessions are 45 minutes. A discount is offered when you sign up for a package of six sessions. Please fill out the contact form below and we can setup a free introductory phone call.