Are you interested in healing the mind and body with psychedelics? Do you want to rediscover your spirituality? Whatever your motivation is, this article covers everything you need to know about psychedelic therapy centers and the types of experiences that are offered. Today we’ll go over the steps involved in joining a psychedelic therapy center as well as important considerations to take before you sign up.
What Is Psychedelic Therapy?
Psychedelic therapy is an emerging approach to treating mental illness and somatic diseases. It involves the use of psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, or MDMA. In a therapeutic setting, these substances are administered by a psychedelic therapist or facilitator who ideally, has a high level of personal journey experience with these substances.
A therapeutic psychedelic experience involves thorough preparation procedures before the ingestion of your chosen psychedelic substance. A psychedelic journey produces different effects on each individual, which is why intention setting is paramount for anchoring us to a desired outcome.
The intentions that we choose for our journey are highly dependent on the current circumstances of our day-to-day lives. Psychedelics allow us to address traumas, repressed memories, internal conflicts, and life transitions with enhanced psychological openness.
During the session, journeyers are encouraged to reflect on the issues they have discussed during preparation sessions and explore any ideas that come to him or her without prompting. Psychotherapy sessions are also conducted after the experience to assess how this growth could be integrated into our daily lives.
What Is The Primary Use of Psychedelics?
Though regulations for psychedelic therapy are still under review, psychedelics are already beginning to be used outside of clinical trials, in therapeutic settings. The most common types of psychedelics used in psychedelic-assisted therapy are serotonergic psychedelics like LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin.
By producing a hallucinogenic experience that is often coupled with feelings of euphoria and catharsis, researchers have found this to be an extremely viable treatment for disorders like anxiety and depression. A major advantage of using psychedelics to treat mental health disorders is the absence of negative withdrawal symptoms and medication side effects, typically associated with use of pharmaceutical drugs and their discontinuation.
MDMA, specifically, has been targeted by researchers to study its effects on PTSD and eating disorders. Because the drug increases oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of empathy and love, MDMA can help individuals come to a more accepting and actualized sense of self.
How Do I Join A Psychedelic Therapy Center?
Although psychedelics have been traditionally associated with music festivals and teenage curiosities, there are now dedicated sanctuaries that offer this treatment. Though the legality of psychedelics in your state might limit your options, there are a few options for embarking on a therapeutic psychedelic experience.
Joining a clinical trial is one way to experience psychedelic therapy. Unfortunately, becoming accepted as a participant isn’t always easy due to sample size limitations. Other options would include ketamine clinics and therapeutic psychedelic experiences with us, Psychedelic Passage.
There are also psychedelic retreat centers located around the world. If you’re willing to travel internationally for the experience, a retreat offers the beautiful opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture of shamanism with traditional and long-established ceremonies and rituals.
What to Consider Before Joining Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
It’s useful to note that certain requirements must be met before you can undergo psychedelic-assisted therapy in a clinical trial or at some therapy centers. Most therapists and facilitators will not accept clients if their medical history includes psychosis or bipolar disorder due to the potential of exasperating symptoms or triggering a manic episode. Some take clients with bipolar disorder on a case-by-case basis.
Some psychedelic therapy centers and most retreats offer group sessions to help clients get through their experiences with communal support. Though individual therapy may be more beneficial than group therapy for some, since they offer more individualized programs.
Individual sessions can prove to be especially useful if the intention for the experience is to understand and work through very personal, traumatic memories. These sessions allow patients to process memories and the emotions associated with them, without sharing them with others.
Another consideration to take before joining a psychedelic therapy center regards the kind of training and experience of the staff. Therapists and facilitators should have extensive experience working with psychedelics. Some specialize in certain disorders so it may be helpful to look into these options for a more tailored experience.
The differences between a psychedelic therapist and a psychedelic facilitator may involve variances in licensure and location options. However, both should bring a personal connection to the broader psychedelic community, which can serve to enhance the experience for both the therapists and the participants. You and your facilitator should always have the same goal: to help you heal.
We understand that it can be tricky to verify if the person administering the psychedelic medicine is qualified to do so. We suggest taking a peek at our article on what to look for in a psychedelic facilitator!
Closing Off
Psychedelic-assisted therapy offers a structured program that facilitates a meaningful inwardly-guided experience. Here, at Psychedelic Passage, we provide therapeutic psychedelic experiences, complete with preparation and integration processes.
Our income-based pricing system and financial assistance plans allow us to offer these treatments to as many people as possible. If you’d like to learn more about our program, we empower you to book a consultation with us.
We understand that the space of psychedelic-assisted therapy can be difficult to navigate on your own. Whether or not you choose to have a ceremony with us, we’re here to be a resource to you. We invite you to check out our blog page for more information on healing using the tools of psychedelic medicine. Safe journeying, our fellow psychonaut friends!
