Founded in 1871 as a resort town by Civil War hero, General William J. Palmer, Colorado Springs has kept up with its pioneering spirit. Just 70 miles south of Denver, Colorado Springs offers stunning natural scenery and an array of exciting outdoor activities.
Whether you’re whitewater rafting in the Arkansas River, or spending time out on the miles of trails that surround the city, Colorado Springs has something for everyone. Since the turn of the century, Colorado Springs has grown to be the second-largest city in Colorado. During this time, it’s taken on a second name, the ‘Olympic City’, after the US Olympic training center opened in the 1970s.
From then on, Colorado Springs has drawn in professional athletes of all types who are constantly improving their physical prowess. Soon, due to new laws on natural psychedelics, Colorado residents will be joined by a throng of psychonauts striving to improve their spiritual connection.
With the passing of Colorado’s Proposition 122, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ibogaine, mescaline, and psilocybin will now be decriminalized throughout the whole state. With this general decriminalization, licensed healing centers will be allowed to administer natural psychedelic medicine.
Before you become one of the many pilgrims voyaging this new psychedelic mecca, there are a few things to consider in order to get the most out of your healing journey. First, are psychedelics right for you? Although psychedelics are extremely safe from a biological standpoint, they are still extremely powerful and like any medicine, may not be suitable for everyone.
With all the buzz and excitement surrounding psychedelics, it’s understandable why many would drop everything to be one of the first journeys in legal psychedelic therapy. Indeed, psychedelics have the ability to help those who struggle with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. But as with all major decisions in life, you must first consider the gravity of the journey.
Psychedelics have the ability to produce life-changing experiences, and that’s not something to take lightly. It requires thorough preparation to experience the most benefits from these medicines. We recommend setting an intention before you begin your travels to Colorado Springs.
Not only will this aid in finding the right facilitator or therapist, but it will also set you up to get the most from your experience. Having this in mind will allow you to clearly navigate the process of finding a qualified service provider.
So, how would someone get started on their psychedelic journey? Do you really need a therapist, guide, or facilitator? There seem to be so many options. What is available near you? Let’s jump right in to find out.
What Qualifies a Psychedelic Therapist?
Although we have a great article discussing the qualities you should look for in a psychedelic therapist, it’s important that we briefly help untangle three terms that are sure to come up when looking into psychedelic-assisted therapy: Psychedelic ‘Therapists’, ‘guides’, and ‘facilitators’.
Although these titles are mostly interchangeable, there is one major difference. A psychedelic therapist holds a mental health license and is usually a psychologist or counselor. A facilitator and a guide offer the same services, though they don’t always hold a mental health license since most of their expertise comes from hands-on facilitation experience and personal psychedelic use.
Despite sounding very similar to traditional talk therapy, psychedelic therapy is actually quite different. Although the goals are similar, such as working through past issues or traumas, the methodologies differ.
In psychedelic-assisted therapy, you will work closely with a psychedelic guide or therapist. Up until recently, therapists were only legally permitted to help guide clients through the process of preparation and integration. Now, with the passage of Proposition 122, they’ll also be able to procure your chosen substance and to attend your actual psychedelic journey.
When looking for a facilitator, it’s imperative that you must feel comfortable with them. This is the beginning of an intimate relationship between you, the therapist, and your chosen psychedelic medicine. If you are uncomfortable sharing your truth during preparation, the same will likely occur during your journey,
If that happens, you may find it difficult to achieve the goals or meet the intentions you set prior to the psychedelic journey. Their therapeutic style and healing philosophy should resonate with you. After all, this is your journey, thus the experience should always be adapted to your needs.
What is The Role of a Psychedelic Guide?
Despite Colorado decriminalizing psychedelic therapy, state-wide, psychedelic therapy is still in its infancy. Due to this, many therapists are still trying to find their footing and are in the process of combining psychedelics with their pre-existing practices.
This is where the psychedelic guides and facilitators come into play, by helping bridge this experiential gap. Their goal is to make your psychedelic journey as clear and productive as possible, in order for you to get the most out of your experience.
Any guide or facilitator will normally begin by giving you a health screening. They want to make sure that you are physically, emotionally and mentally fit for what is sure to be a multi-dimensional healing experience.
Due to the sheer magnitude of a psychedelic experience, it can sometimes be difficult to surrender to the journey. An experienced guide or facilitator is able to help you overcome internal resistance by helping you ground into the journey with ease and trust.
They will approach anything that arises during your session with non-judgment and loving acceptance. By taking this stance, they allow you to explore your most personal truths. Keep in mind, this experience is a process of self-actualization, personal growth, and self-improvement. Thus, a qualified psychedelic guide will always highlight your personal accountability over your healing journey.
Is it Really Necessary to Hire a Psychedelic Guide?
In short, no. This is your personal journey and you should go about your journey as you see best fit. However, a psychedelic guide will contribute massively to your overall experience, especially if this is your first time using psychedelics.
Psychedelics have a way of uncovering repressed fears and traumas, often amplifying the emotions attached to them. If you intend to address such matters, having a professional to help keep you centered is invaluable.
Not only will they be there to help you on the day of your journey, but they will also be instrumental in applying any lessons you learn to your everyday life. This process is known as integration. Here, at Psychedelic Passage, we see integration as one of the most critical parts of your psychedelic healing journey.
This process typically involves in-depth discussion on any issues or important realizations that may have come up during your journey. The goal is to allow you to retain and implement what you’ve learned into everyday life.
As with all parts of the experience, your guide will draw on their knowledge, using everything they’ve learned throughout their own and others’ psychedelic travels, to help personalize every aspect of your journey.
Where To Find Legal Psychedelic Experiences in Colorado Springs
With the passage of Proposition 122, Colorado residents will have more choices than ever regarding psychedelic journeys. Options include ketamine clinics, guided psychedelic journeys with Psychedelic Passage, or working with one of the many qualified therapists in the greater Colorado area.
1. Ketamine Clinics
Ketamine clinics specialize in treating PTSD, depression, and chronic pain through the use of the dissociative anesthetic, ketamine. Up until recently, these clinics have been the only legal option for psychedelic therapy.
In fact, many of our clients begin their psychedelic journey with ketamine therapy. These clinics act as a comfortable stepping stone for certain people and help bridge the current perceived gap between psychedelics and medicine.
As mentioned earlier, many of our clients start their journey here, but eventually find their way to us. The reason for this is simple. Ketamine often only provides temporary relief because sessions are usually not preceded by proper preparation, or followed by any form of integration. If you’d like to learn more about ketamine clinic variations, check out the benefits and pitfalls of ketamine.
2. Guided Psychedelic Experiences with Psychedelic Passage
At Psychedelic Passage, the client’s well being always comes first. With full autonomy over your experience, you set the pace and direction of your journey. We understand just how personal a healing experience is, which is why we’ll meet you exactly where you are.
You have the freedom to choose from a wide range of psychedelics, and our sliding payment scale allows those from any income level to benefit from therapeutic psychedelic experiences. Our goal is to help guide and support our clients in the most constructive and supportive fashion.
Our 5-week program is completely customized to fit every client’s needs. We’ve made it our mission to curate a network of pre-vetted and experienced psychedelic facilitators, so you don’t have to guess who’s qualified and who isn’t. If you’re interested, explore our other Colorado service areas!
Find Your Next Psychedelic Journey in Major Colorado Springs Areas
- Broadgate
- Rockrimmon
- Broadmoor
- Pleasant Valley
- Peregrine
- The Farm
- Black Forest
Getting Started on Your Healing Journey
Take this first step on your psychedelic pilgrimage. After booking a consultation, you’ll connect with one of our psychedelic concierges. They’ll answer any lingering questions on all-things-psychedelics, and connect you with our network of qualified facilitators.
When used with a purpose and intention, psychedelics have been proven time and time again to promote healing and personal growth. If you are interested in what others have gained from working with us, we recommend heading over to our testimonials page.
Hopefully, we’ve given you enough information to get started on your psychedelic journey, but if you still have any questions or just looking to learn more, head over to our resources page. That’s all for now, fellow psychonauts. Safe journeying!
