Mbalia was born in Sierra Leone and spent part of her childhood in The Gambia before immigrating to Canada as a teenager. Experiences of displacement, adaptation, and navigating complex life transitions would later shape her relationship to healing, identity, and the search for deeper meaning and connection.

Her path into this work deepened through her healing journey navigating childhood trauma, alongside years spent supporting a loved one through periods of mental health crisis. Through plant medicines, somatic practices, and depth-oriented inner work, she came to understand healing as a return to the body, to presence, and to a more authentic relationship with oneself.

Her work with plant medicines began in 2022 and eventually led her into dedicated practice with Ayahuasca within both Mestizo and Shipibo traditions.

With a background in trauma-informed coaching, breathwork facilitation, and healthcare leadership, Mbalia brings a grounded and compassionate presence to the retreat space. She is passionate about creating environments where guests feel safe to soften, explore, and meet themselves with honesty, curiosity, and care.

Her work is informed by studies in Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic practices, psychedelic integration, and relational approaches to healing. She also completed the year-long VITAL program through Psychedelics Today, deepening her training in psychedelic facilitation, ethics, and transformational care.

Before stepping into this field, Mbalia spent over a decade in healthcare leadership supporting individuals and communities through crisis, transition, and care-centered work. These experiences continue to inform the way she holds space today — balancing empathy, nervous system attunement, and grounded presence with steadiness and compassion.

Mbalia joined the Soltara Healing Center team in June 2024 and feels deeply honored to support others in the medicine space. She holds profound respect for the wisdom of the plants, the Shipibo tradition, and each person’s unique path.

Outside of retreat work, Mbalia facilitates coaching and embodiment-based integration spaces centered around self-inquiry and personal transformation. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, building 3D miniature puzzles, spending time in nature, being a devoted dog mom, and earning the occasional approval of her cat.