The Apothecary Lab — A Sensory Botanical Making Experience
Botanical tincture making
A hands-on sensory experience where participants step into the world of botanical craft and leave with something they made entirely by hand. The session opens with an unhurried exploration of a curated collection of aromatic botanicals — each…
Creative Activity
Digital Detox
Group Activity
Manual Crafting
Scent & Olfactive
Sensory Experience
Workshop
Description
A hands-on sensory experience where participants step into the world of botanical craft and leave with something they made entirely by hand.
The session opens with an unhurried exploration of a curated collection of aromatic botanicals — each one discovered through smell, texture, colour, and benefits.
Each participant then selects the botanical that calls to them and creates their own preparation using traditional apothecary methods — guided step by step through selection, preparation, bottling, and labelling. The result is a small, personal tincture to take home: a real thing, made by their own hands, in the middle of a working day.
The experience is designed as a genuine shift in pace — from cognitive work into sensory attention and making. It moves slowly by intention. That slowness is where the connection happens: informal, unforced, across roles and hierarchies, in the kind of atmosphere that a standard team activity rarely creates.
Maximum 12 participants. All materials provided. Sessions available in English, French, and Spanish.
Benefits
- Creates a rare shared experience that immediately feels different from standard corporate formats
- Engages all senses, drawing participants into a grounded, present state
- Sparks curiosity and creativity through direct interaction with natural materials
- Gives each participant a personal creation they have actively shaped from start to finish
- Encourages natural, unforced connection across teams and roles
- Offers a powerful pause from screen-based, cognitive-heavy work environments
- Shifts group energy from scattered attention to shared focus and calm presence
- Leaves a strong sensory memory that participants associate with the team experience
Additional Experience Info
This has to be booked at least one month in advance to ensure the availability of botanicals. If necessary alcohol-free option can be available but that might entail different costs as it requires different botanicals.
Travel to Lisbon/Ericeira area included. Travel costs to other areas of Portugal to be discussed separately.
Hosted by Stéphanie Ah Tchou
About the Host
I'm a facilitator, counsellor, and somatic practitioner with an unusual background: degrees from Sciences Po Grenoble, Mines ParisTech, and Tsinghua University, followed by a Master in Humanistic Integrative Psychotherapy, certified Kundalini yoga teaching, breathwork facilitation, and, most recently, training in herbalism. That arc isn't accidental. It reflects what I've come to understand through my own experience and through working with people: that intellectual clarity alone rarely creates change. The body, the nervous system, and what happens beneath the surface are just as much part of the picture, often more so. This is what shapes how I work with groups. My sessions are grounded, practical, and free of jargon, but they go deeper than most. Whether I'm running a communication workshop, a breathwork session, or a movement practice, the intention is the same: to give people a real experience, not just a concept to take home. I work in English, French, and Spanish, and I'm based in Lisbon/Ericeira area, Portugal.
Travel Locations
Lisbon
I would consider travel within Portugal and exceptionally across Europe. Additional costs to be discussed then, depending on location and duration.
Certifications & Credentials
Community Herbal Foundations, Collective Wonder Herb School, 2026 (in training)
The Art of Herbalism, Collective Wonder Herb School, 2025
Master of Humanistic Integrative Counselor with full validation of the Humanistic Integrative Psychotherapy cursus, Galene Institute, 2020-22
Kundalini Yoga teacher Level 2 specialisation 'Mind and Meditation', 2018
Kundalini Yoga teacher Level 2 specialisation 'Stress and Vitality', 2017
Certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher, AEKY, Kundalini Research Institute, Shunia Yoga, 2016-2017
Master International Energy Management (MSc) – Mines ParisTech, Paris, France
Master of Power Engineering – Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Master of Political & Social Analyst (M.A)- Science Po Grenoble, France and University of Toronto, Canada, with honors
Past Clients
I've facilitated for project consortiums where participants were from well know companies such as Tata Steel, Bouygues etc. but the direct client is not a big company.
Focus Areas
Creative/CultureWell-being/HealthDevelopment/Coaching
Location
Ericeira, Portugal
Languages
English, Spanish, French
Corporate Experience
Moderate
Session Types Offered
Interactive (eg. improv, group-art, yoga etc.)
Past Experience Doing Sessions
Yes - Interactive
Client Requirements
I have different sessions offer, for each of them the requirements are different
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