Who is Alice?

Alice is the quiet inner knowing that invites you to see the world, and yourself, with wonder.

Thumbnail The way we guide
About Ask Alice

Because beneath every polished adult lives a wilder, untouched self that still knows how to wonder.

Life looks right, yet something feels out of rhythm. Our work is an invitation to move from thinking to feeling, from control to connection, and from performance to wonder. Alice is that inner navigator. The curious child who follows questions instead of rules. The one who doesn’t ask for permission to explore strange lands, inner or outerIn Alice in Wonderland, she crosses thresholds, meets the unexpected, and learns that truth often hides in riddles. In our work, Alice stands for intuition, imagination, and the part of us that already knows what we are here to do. When people feel stuck or lost, the invitation is simple. Ask the one inside who still remembers. Ask Alice.

Wonder is the capacity to look at the world with fresh eyes, as if for the first time, before it was filtered through layers of conditioning. It is the childlike openness that reveals what has quietly been there all along.

We move through our days on an autopilot built by conditioning, by what we were taught, expected, and rewarded for, until habit becomes indistinguishable from choice. Meanwhile, a deeper layer of self remains largely unconsulted, even though it senses when something feels off.

Beneath conditioning lies a steadier orientation. It does not argue or perform. It simply knows. And wonder is what allows you to access it again.

Ask Alice retreats create space to meet that place directly. Not to escape the world, but to see it anew.

When in doubt, return to that inner knowing.
When in doubt, choose wonder.
When in doubt, go and ask Alice.

Core Values

Ask Alice is for people who have built full lives, yet sense that something essential is missing.

Curiosity

We honor the minds that ask questions, explore possibilities, and treat the
unknown as an invitation rather than a threat.

Care

We create a safe and trusting environment through personal attention, medical and
psychological screening, and support before, during, and after the journey.

Integrity

We approach psychedelic work with responsibility and discernment, honoring clear boundaries, informed consent, and professional standards at every step.

Integration

Insights matter only when they take shape in real life, so we support participants in
turning experience into action , perspective, and change.

Refinement

We believe the environment matters. Beauty, comfort, and thoughtful design create the conditions for depth and dignity in transformation.

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Curiosity
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Care
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Integrity
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integration
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Refinement

Carlien Cavens

Supporting courageous, truthful life choices.

Carlien’s path didn’t begin in the world of retreats or inner work.

As a child, she dreamed of becoming a CEO. Ambitious, driven, and deeply curious about what success could look like.

Just before turning thirty, a profound existential crisis shifted her course. Her career as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co and her personal life no longer felt aligned with who she was becoming. Rather than resisting that moment, she chose to listen. To slow down. And to rebuild a life that felt lighter, truer, and more meaningful.

Today, Carlien supports ambitious, thoughtful people who sense they are living a version of life that no longer fits. Her work is rooted in one simple belief: no one is meant to live a B-version of themselves.

How Carlien Guides

Carlien’s guidance is curious, challenging, and forward-moving. She looks beyond surface stories and invites you to question what has quietly shaped your choices. With clarity and warmth, she supports liberation from limiting beliefs and a movement toward courage, agency, and alignment.

People often describe her presence as calm, playful, and grounding — someone who knows when to ask the right question, and when to simply hold space.

Background and experience

Carlien draws from multiple domains, blending inner work, leadership, nature, embodied practice, and societal awareness into a cohesive and grounded approach.

  • ICF-accredited coach
  • Breathwork practitioner (Masterclass Level 1 & 2)
  • Certified Nature Guide (African Guide Academy, Botswana)
  • Former strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co
  • Master’s degree in Commercial Engineering
  • Recognised as Belgium’s 40 under 40

Alessandro Schiavoni

Life guide who helps you dare more

Guide with nearly two decades of lived experience in psychedelic work.

Alessandro’s relationship with psychedelics didn’t emerge from curiosity alone, but from years of lived experience and long-term dedication to the inner path.

For nearly twenty years, he has been working with altered states of consciousness, not as spectacle or shortcut, but as a serious and respectful practice. His approach is rooted in presence, patience, and a deep understanding of how inner experiences unfold over time.

Rather than seeking intensity or peak moments, Alessandro focuses on what happens around the experience: preparation, grounding, and integration. His work is calm, attentive, and steady,  creating a sense of trust that allows people to soften, open, and explore without pressure.

How Alessandro Guides

Alessandro guides from embodied presence rather than theory.
He listens deeply to people, to energy, and to what is unfolding in the moments.

Participants often describe his guidance as reassuring and grounding: a quiet steadiness that brings safety to intense inner landscapes, without drama or dogma.

Background and experience

Alessandro’s work is shaped less by titles and more by time, experience, and responsibility.

  • Nearly 20 years of experience in psychedelic guidance
  • Long-term work with ceremonial and integrative practices
  • Deep focus on safety, containment, and post-experience integration
  • A grounded, non-dogmatic approach rooted in respect for boundaries

Depending on the retreat or journey, Ask Alice works with a wider team of guides and facilitators.

Sarah Cunningham

Spaceholding angel who will keep you safe

Alessandro Schiavoni

Psychedelic guide who sees you

Carlien

Life guide who helps you dare more