Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
About Vital Explorations
Welcome to vital explorations
Where healing becomes a sacred journey back to your true self.
I created Vital Explorations after walking my own deeply transformative path through Bipolar 2, ADHD, PTSD, and the layered complexities of chronic emotional and nervous system dysregulation. For many years, I relied on pharmaceuticals to survive—but I longed for something more than symptom management. I craved wholeness.
Through breathwork, somatic healing, plant medicine, ancestral reconnection, and trauma-informed care, I experienced a profound shift—one that reignited my vitality and liberated me from the confines of clinical labels.
That personal reclamation became the heartbeat of my mission: to help others reconnect with their own inner power, regulate their nervous systems, and transform the root causes of suffering through intentional, embodied healing.
At the core of Vital Explorations is breathwork—a science-supported, soul-activating practice that opens the doorway to trauma release, nervous system regulation, and expanded self-awareness.
Whether you're moving through burnout, chronic pain, emotional overwhelm, or simply yearning for a deeper connection to yourself, these practices offer a grounded, compassionate path to renewal.
Through virtual or in-person sessions, immersive retreats, and my signature Catabolic Method™, I offer a multidimensional approach to healing that integrates ancient wisdom, modern neuroscience, somatic therapy, and energetic medicine.
The Catabolic Method helps gently dismantle what no longer serves you—mental, emotional, and physical blockages—so that your truth, joy, and vitality can fully emerge.
This is more than a wellness practice.
It’s a revolution of care.
A reclamation of wholeness.
A sacred remembering of who you really are.
Your transformation begins here.
Welcome to Vital Explorations—where healing is intentional, embodied, and deeply empowering.
Meet Cameron Pellegrino, BSN, RN, PMHNP-S
I am a Holistic Nurse Healer, Breathwork Therapist, and Integrative Mental Health Guide.
I’m Cameron Pellegrino—visionary healer, registered nurse, and soon-to-be board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), with over 20 years of experience in healthcare. I founded Vital Explorations as a sacred offering—one born from my own transformative journey through Bipolar 2, ADHD, PTSD, and years of chronic emotional distress.
For a long time, I leaned on conventional treatments and multiple medications, doing my best to stay afloat while navigating the invisible weight of nervous system dysregulation and mental overload. True healing began when I stepped outside the purely clinical box and immersed myself in holistic practices—breathwork, somatic therapy, plant medicine, ancestral healing, and trauma-informed care. What emerged was not only relief, but liberation—and with it, a deeper calling to help others reconnect to their own innate capacity to heal.
My approach to healing is both clinical and spiritual. As a holistic nurse healer, I bridge science and soul—offering evidence-based care infused with compassion, cultural humility, and sacred presence. I believe that healing is not simply the absence of symptoms, but the return to wholeness: nervous system balance, self-remembrance, and deep-rooted vitality.
Through virtual therapeutic sessions, immersive retreats, and my signature Catabolic Method™, I guide clients through a powerful process of deconstruction—releasing what no longer serves so they can make space for alignment, embodiment, and soul-led transformation.
My work is especially devoted to first responders, healthcare workers, highly sensitive individuals, and anyone navigating the shadows of trauma, burnout, or chronic mental health challenges.
My integrative care model weaves together:
- Advanced clinical psychiatric training
- Evidence-based psychopharmacology
- Somatic breathwork and trauma-informed yoga
- Energy medicine, plant wisdom, and spiritual guidance
I’m passionate about revolutionizing mental health care—dismantling reductionistic, symptom-focused approaches and instead offering something deeper: a return to the sacred, to the body, to the truth of who we are.
At Vital Explorations, I invite you to remember:
You are not broken—you are becoming.
Healing is your birthright. Your journey home to yourself starts here.
Personal Philosophy of Nursing
To me, nursing is sacred work—a calling to hold space for healing on every level: physical, emotional, mental, energetic, and spiritual. It is both a science and an art form rooted in presence, compassion, and deep listening.
My philosophy of nursing is grounded in the belief that everyone is inherently whole, even in moments of illness or imbalance. As nurses, we do not fix; we remember, reconnect, and restore.
As a holistic nurse healer and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in training, I approach care as a partnership. I strive to co-create healing environments that are culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, and affirming of each person’s unique lived experience. I believe in honoring the wisdom of the body, the narratives of the soul, and the guidance of the nervous system. Healing is not linear, and nursing must allow space for integration, embodiment, and transformation.
My philosophy aligns with the principles of Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), which emphasize intentional presence, relational care, and the connection between mind, body, and spirit. I draw inspiration from Indigenous wisdom, energy medicine, somatic psychology, and ancestral ways of knowing, alongside evidence-based psychiatric and medical practices.
I view nursing as an act of advocacy and liberation. It is our responsibility to dismantle systemic barriers to care, stand for equity and justice, and ensure that those most marginalized feel seen, respected, and supported. As a nurse, I hold sacred stories, struggles, and sovereignty of those I serve.
Ultimately, nursing is love in action. It is the alchemy of science, intuition, and heart-centered care. Through this lens, I walk beside others not only as a clinician but as a witness, teacher, and guide—trusting in each person’s innate capacity to heal and evolve.
Transform Your Mental Health with Vital Explorations
Professional Statement
To be a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) is to walk the sacred edge between science and spirit, holding both clinical knowledge and human complexity with reverence. It means standing at the crossroads of trauma and transformation, guiding individuals back to themselves with empathy, evidence, and embodied presence.
As a PMHNP, I am called not just to treat symptoms but to listen deeply—to stories, to silence, to the wisdom of the body and the echoes of generational wounds. My professional role is to integrate psychopharmacology and psychotherapy with the soul of nursing: relationship, advocacy, ritual, and respect for the whole person.
I serve as a bridge between modern psychiatric medicine and timeless healing traditions, using breathwork, somatic tools, plant allies, and cultural humility to co-create new patterns of health.
I believe PMHNPs are uniquely positioned to challenge reductionistic models of mental illness by championing integrated approaches that honor the nervous system, trauma histories, lived experience, and spiritual dimensions of suffering.
My work is grounded in equity, liberation, and interconnection. I am here to help dismantle oppressive systems in healthcare, while rebuilding care models rooted in safety, access, and mutual respect.
To be a PMHNP in alignment with my brand is to be a midwife of the psyche—tending to both the shadow and the light with clinical acumen, heart-centered practice, and unwavering belief in each person’s capacity for healing.
As a soon-to-be board-certified PMHNP licensed in New Mexico, I will practice with full autonomy under New Mexico’s Nurse Practice Act, including prescribing medications, conducting assessments, and integrating psychotherapeutic modalities.
My professional mission
To restore balance and dignity to mental health care through integrative and inclusive approaches. As a PMHNP, I intend to offer trauma-responsive care that recognizes both the complexity and sacredness of the human experience.
My strengths lie in deep listening, somatic attunement, clinical insight, and a lifelong commitment to social justice and healing. In addition to psychopharmacology and evidence-based modalities, I bring knowledge of breathwork, yoga nidra, herbal medicine, energy healing, and ancestral trauma resolution.
My practice centers first responders, healthcare workers, youth, and marginalized communities who seek healing not only from diagnoses but from disconnection.
Practice & Certifications
In addition to my academic preparation, I have pursued several supplemental certifications in alignment with holistic psychiatric care:
- Somatic Breathwork Therapist Certification – Soma Breath
- Kundalini Yoga 500hr YTT - Yogamu
- Usui Ryoho Reiki Master - Lisa Powers, RM
- Meditation Instructor 200 hrs - Yogamu
- Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – CDC Web-Based Training Certification
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training - ASIST
- Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Adolescents - Coursera, University of Buffalo)
- Substance Use Disorder & MAT Training - SAMHSA
- Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment - SBIRT
- Psychedelic Facilitator Certificate - Mindful Integration
- Mental Health First Aid (Adult + Youth) - MHFA.org
These certifications reflect my commitment to lifelong learning and a multimodal toolkit for addressing the root causes of distress.
Teaching Philosophy
As a teacher and guide, I aim to cultivate brave, curious, and embodied spaces where learners feel safe exploring the intersections of mind, heart, and body.
Whether I am teaching clients self-regulation or mentoring future nurses, I believe in education that transforms—not just informs.
Teaching is not about transmitting knowledge but about co-creating meaning. In every educational encounter, I integrate somatic practices, storytelling, experiential learning, and cultural humility.
I hold space for reflection and empower others to claim their voice, wisdom, and inner healer.
For Those Interested in Professional Collaboration:
Cover Letter & Resume
Dear Kindred Collaborator,
I hope this message finds you grounded and inspired. My name is Cameron Pellegrino, and I am a Registered Nurse, holistic healer, breathwork therapist, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner student currently completing my final year of clinical training. I’m reaching out with the intention of building collaborative relationships with visionary practitioners, organizations, and healing spaces aligned with integrative, trauma-informed, and soul-centered care.
As the founder of Vital Explorations, my work is rooted in a deep commitment to restoring dignity and balance to mental healthcare. My personal journey through Bipolar 2, ADHD, PTSD, and chronic emotional distress led me to holistic modalities that changed my life—breathwork, plant medicine, somatic therapy, and energy work. These tools now inform my practice as I prepare to merge clinical psychiatric training with timeless healing traditions in service to individuals and communities who need more than symptom management—they need transformation, embodiment, and care that honors the whole being.
I envision a future of mental healthcare where we co-create containers for healing that are brave, inclusive, culturally attuned, and rooted in both evidence and intuition. Whether in co-facilitating retreats, contributing to community health initiatives, exploring research and teaching opportunities, or integrating advanced practice nursing into interdisciplinary teams, I am open to collaborations that expand the field and serve the collective.
If our paths align, I would love to connect and explore what we might co-create together. Please feel free to visit my website, www.vitalexplorations.com, or contact me directly. I welcome the opportunity to share energy, vision, and support in whatever ways we are called.
In warmth, care, and possibility,
Cameron Pellegrino, BSN, RN, PMHNP-S
Holistic Nurse Healer | Founder of Vital Explorations
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