Trip sitters and psychedelic guides are essential players in the psychedelic journey, serving as safety nets and compasses, especially in California. They facilitate the psychedelic therapy process which involves preparation, the psychedelic experience, and integration. Their approach is based on setting intentions, expectation management, surrendering control, and integrating the experience.
Trip sitters and psychedelic guides act as facilitators, setting a comfortable environment, and providing emotional support. They ensure a safe and meaningful psychedelic experience.
Today, we’ll tell you exactly where to find psychedelic therapy in California.
Key Takeaways
- Psychedelic guides and trip sitters ensure safety, comfort, and emotional support during the psychedelic journey.
- California has made progress in decriminalizing psychedelics for therapeutic use.
- Guides have specialized training and extensive experience in psychedelic work and offer support before, during, and after the psychedelic experience.
- Psychedelic Passage: Your Psychedelic Concierge — The easy, legal way to find trustworthy psilocybin guides, facilitators and psychedelic-assisted therapy near you.
Download Our Free Psilocybin Sourcing Guide
For harm-reduction purposes, we provide links to online psilocybin vendors, local stores, delivery services, and spore vendors for growing your own medicine at home.
What Is a Psychedelic Guide & Why Are They Important?
A psychedelic guide, or ‘trip sitter,’ is someone who’s there to help you navigate your experience with psychedelics. They’re crucial because they ensure your safety and comfort. They’ll be at your side throughout the journey, providing emotional support and dealing with any unexpected turns.
Becoming a psychedelic guide isn’t just about understanding the pharmacology of these substances. It’s also about learning how to foster a safe and beneficial experience for those under your care.
This involves learning how to help others through co-regulation, being aware of the common and not-so-common effects of psychedelic use, and assisting in integrating the experience afterwards.
The guide’s ethical responsibility goes beyond mere supervision. It involves an empathetic approach that respects each individual’s unique situation. A guide knows not to impose their own beliefs or expectations on a person’s trip but rather helps them explore their own minds in a supportive environment.
The Difference Between a Trip Sitter & a Psychedelic Guide
It’s important to understand that there’s a significant difference between someone who simply keeps you company during your experience, and a professional trained to assist in navigating these experiences.
A trip sitter might be anyone who stays with you while you’re exploring altered states of consciousness. However, they may not have the specialized knowledge or skills needed to guide you through potential psychological challenges.
A professionally trained psychedelic guide, on the other hand, takes on far more responsibilities:
- Providing pre-session preparation
- Facilitating safe space during sessions
- Assisting in processing and integrating after sessions
- Applying therapeutic techniques as necessary
These responsibilities require extensive psychedelic guide training and/or apprenticeship. This training equips them with knowledge about different substances, their effects, and how to handle any disturbances that might arise during a session. They’re also versed in supporting emotional release and deep introspection.
This differentiation matters because it can greatly affect your overall experience and safety. As we move ahead into discussing legality and state laws pertaining to psychedelic therapy in California next, remember this key distinction for optimal benefit from psychedelics: choose trained professionals over tripsitters when possible.
Legality and State Laws Pertaining to Psychedelic Therapy in California
Navigating the legal landscape surrounding therapeutic use of certain substances can be tricky, given that laws vary significantly from state to state. You’re not alone if you’re finding yourself a bit confused about the current status of psychedelic decriminalization and its therapeutic application.
In California, there’s been significant progress in terms of decriminalizing psychedelics for therapeutic uses. In fact, in 2021 Senate Bill 519 was passed which aimed to decriminalize certain psychedelic substances. This law doesn’t mean it’s fully legal to use these substances; however, it does indicate a shifting perspective on their potential benefits.
The therapeutic application is where things become more complex. While research into psychedelics’ mental health benefits is promising, their use as a recognized treatment method isn’t widespread yet. Therefore, while trip sitters and psychedelic guides may help facilitate safe experiences, their work currently occupies a legal grey area.
Remember: while laws are evolving rapidly, they aren’t uniform across all states or even within California itself. It’s crucial you stay informed and navigate this terrain with caution and respect for both the law and your own wellbeing.
The following jurisdictions have decriminalized the possession, sale, purchase, and cultivation of magic mushrooms in California:
- Arcata, California
- Oakland, California
- Santa Cruz, California
Psychedelic Passage: Your Network of Trusted Psychedelic Guides & Concierges
Psychedelic Passage is your trusted guide to the world of psychedelics, dedicated to offering tailored referrals to a carefully vetted network of experienced psychedelic guides throughout the United States.
Our journey began with a mission to assist individuals in finding dependable psychedelic guides, but it has evolved into a quest to champion the rights and well-being of those exploring the depths of consciousness.
We revere the sacred nature of psychedelic experiences, the personal empowerment they provide, and the profound connections that can be forged on these transformative journeys.
Our platform is designed to ensure safe and meaningful psychedelic experiences for all. We accomplish this by connecting clients with professional guides in their local areas who have been meticulously screened and operate independently in private practices. This independence enables us to advocate for your well-being without any conflicts of interest.
We uphold a stringent vetting process to ensure that each guide we select is unwaveringly committed to serving journeyers with integrity. To date, our network of guides has successfully facilitated hundreds of safe and transformative journeys for individuals across the United States.
Our Ceremonial Program
For individuals looking to embark on an immersive journey within themselves, we’ve developed the Ceremonial Program, designed to unlock the highest potential for transformational change.
This program is a profound reset, perfectly suited for those who may be feeling ‘stuck’ in their life. A ceremony, in this context, involves the consumption of moderate to high doses of psychedelics within a sacred container, guided by a professional facilitator.
Our program encompasses thorough preparation before the ceremony and crucial integration afterward, aligning with established research methodologies and clinical trial practices. This is a 5-week program with flexible scheduling options.
1-on-1 Ceremonial Program Features
Week 1 & 2: Two 60-minute preparation sessions.
Week 3: An 8-hour therapeutic psychedelic experience.
Week 4 & 5: Two 60-minute integration sessions.
- Text and email support with a response time within 1 business day.
- Preparation and integration guides in PDF format.
- Preparation and integration workshops in video format.
Ceremonial Program Variations
Groups & Couples Packages Available: We can arrange ceremonies for small groups or couples, allowing you to choose your journey companions. It’s essential that all participants share similar intentions and are comfortable with vulnerability. Each participant must undergo a screening and intake process, and preparation and integration are included.
Multiple Facilitators (Male x Female or Non-Binary): For some, the presence of two facilitators, one male and one female, is more comforting. While not necessary from a harm reduction perspective, this option is available. Our primary concern is to ensure you feel comfortable throughout your experience.
A Note on Pricing
We are deeply committed to making psychedelic therapy accessible to as many people as possible. To achieve this, all facilitators within our network have embraced income-based pricing.
Higher-priced tiers directly contribute to reducing financial barriers for lower-tier categories, ensuring that everyone can benefit from psychedelic healing. Financial assistance is available to qualifying individuals.
Our Microdosing Program
Are you feeling a bit cautious about diving headfirst into a high-dose ceremonial journey or perhaps preparing to taper off pharmaceuticals for an upcoming psychedelic experience? If so, our Microdosing Program might be the ideal path for you.
Microdosing involves the regular use of low, sub-perceptual doses of psychedelic substances, such as psilocybin. Its purpose is to unlock a range of cognitive, neurological, and emotional benefits. With this protocol, you can tap into the advantages of psychedelics without triggering a hallucinogenic state.
Among the many ways to engage with psychedelics, microdosing stands out as the least risky, cost-effective, and least binding. Our program is crafted to provide you with consistent, one-on-one guidance from one of our expert facilitators. As questions naturally arise throughout this journey, having a dedicated facilitator by your side is essential.
The Microdosing Program Features:
- Four 1-hour coaching sessions conducted via Zoom, which can be scheduled weekly or bi-weekly.
- A comprehensive PDF guide with all the essential information you need.
- Program support via text and email, ensuring you have direct communication with your dedicated facilitator.
Our Facilitator Network Serves Every Major City
- Anaheim
- Bakersfield
- Chula Vista
- Fremont
- Fresno
- Irvine
- Los Angeles
- Long Beach
- Oakland
- Orange County
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Santa Ana
- Santa Clara
- Santa Clarita
- Stockton
- Sunnyvale
Don’t see your city on this list? That’s okay! Facilitators in our network are able to travel to you, wherever you are in the country.
Substances Our Network Sits With
The one caveat to our network’s services is that facilitators cannot provide your substance of choice for personal consumption (except in Colorado). If sourcing is a concern, we encourage you to book a consultation with our concierges, who will guide you in exploring safe sourcing options.
Please understand that psychedelics are still federally controlled substances and you assume all the risks associated with possessing and consuming these medicines.
Download Our Free Psilocybin Sourcing Guide
For harm-reduction purposes, we provide links to online psilocybin vendors, local stores, delivery services, and spore vendors for growing your own medicine at home.
Our network of guides can facilitate experiences with the following substances:
To learn more about your options and explore next steps, speak with our psychedelic concierges. These are qualified professionals who are equipped to answer your questions about every step in the process.
Watch a Psychedelic Passage Client Testimonial
Learn More About Our Network
- Meet Our Referral Network
- Explore Frequently Asked Questions
- Read Client Testimonials
- Book a Consultation Call
- Is Psychedelic Passage Safe & Legit?
What is The Role of a Psychedelic Guide?
In your journey through altered states, a skilled companion’s role can’t be overstated—they’re there to provide guidance, safety, and emotional support. This is where psychedelic guides come into play. They’ve undergone rigorous guide training to understand the complexities of these experiences.
Professional guides are equipped with knowledge about mind-altering substances and their therapeutic benefits. They don’t just ensure a safe trip but also offer emotional support when things get tough. A good guide will help you navigate your introspective psychedelic voyage, making it not only safer but also more beneficial.
To give you an idea of what they do in detail, here’s a table:
Psychedelic Guide Tasks | How it Helps You |
Pre-trip preparation | Lets you know what to expect |
Emotional support during the trip | Makes the experience less challenging |
Ensuring physical safety | Prevents accidents or harm |
Interpretation post-trip | Helps integrate experience into daily life |
Follow up sessions | Tracks long-term progress and changes |
What Qualifies a Psychedelic Guide in Our Referral Network?
They’re professionals who’ve met stringent criteria to join our referral network, ensuring they’re well-equipped to assist you during your unique journey. Our psychedelic guides are certified and trained to uphold the highest Network Standards, focusing on safety, empathy, and a deep understanding of the mind-altering experience.
Here are just a few points on what qualifies these experts:
- Facilitator Training program completion that includes comprehensive training in harm reduction strategies or apprenticeship.
- Must have personal experience journeying with psychedelics themselves.
- Adherence to strict Network Standards of professionalism and client confidentiality.
- Must have 2+ years of experience or a minimum of 40 ceremonies facilitated.
- Must be actively engaged in their own healing process
- Must complete a series of interviews to screen out potential psychological issues
- Must submit 2 letters of recommendation from professional colleagues
Remember, you’re not alone. These guides are here for you – lending their expertise before, during, and after your experience. They’ll ensure your comfort by creating an optimal setting while respecting your boundaries.
With such meticulous attention to detail combined with unwavering support from our network of trusted guides at every step of your journey – you can rest assured knowing you’re in capable hands.
Explore Resources for Solo Psychedelic Journeys
At Psychedelic Passage, we recognize that not everyone is ready to embark on a psychedelic journey with the guidance of a professional facilitator. Some individuals may prefer to explore these experiences independently.
In response to this, we’ve expanded our offerings to include a Psychedelic Resources Store, where you can find valuable resources to enhance your personal psychedelic experiences.
Our store provides access to tools and knowledge that empower you to have safe and meaningful solo psychedelic experiences. Whether you’re interested in growing your own mushrooms or seeking to enhance your understanding of preparation and integration, we’ve got you covered with the following resources:
- Psilocybin Mushroom Grow Guide – $29.95
A comprehensive guide for cultivating psilocybin mushrooms at home, including cultivation methods, equipment lists, the mushroom life cycle, and contamination avoidance.
- Psychedelic Therapy Preparation Handbook – $29.95
Your valuable companion for preparing for a psychedelic experience. It offers practical tools, thought-provoking questions, journal prompts, guided meditations, and somatic experiencing techniques.
- Psychedelic Therapy Integration Handbook – $29.95
Take your insights from a psychedelic journey and integrate them into your daily life with this step-by-step guide. It includes post-journey guidance, practical tools, at-home practices, book recommendations, and ongoing education resources.
- Psychedelic Therapy Preparation Workshop – $69.95
Ideal for preparing for a safe and intentional psychedelic journey, this 2-hour video workshop covers the five essential preparation steps, including internal inventory, intention-setting, mind reprogramming, at-home preparation, ceremonial space optimization, and navigating altered states of consciousness.
- Psychedelic Therapy Integration Workshop – $69.95
Dive into this 2-hour video workshop designed to maximize the long-term benefits of a single psychedelic journey. Learn about integration essentials, what to expect post-experience, and how to apply guidance for lasting change.
At Psychedelic Passage, our commitment is to provide you with the tools and support you need for a safe, informed, and transformative psychedelic journey, whether you choose to go solo or with a guide. We believe that everyone should have access to these experiences.
However, it’s important to note that embarking on a solo journey entails certain risks. We do not advise it for the majority of individuals, especially if it is your first time or if you are seeking to address a mental health concern.
Our formal recommendation is for individuals to have the support of an experienced guide or space holder to ensure safety and minimize harm.
We understand that cost can be a barrier for some individuals looking to embark on psychedelic therapy. It’s important to know that facilitators in our network can offer financial assistance, made possible by the generosity of past clients who’ve chosen to “pay it forward.”
If cost is a hurdle you’re facing, we want you to be aware of our network’s financial assistance options, which can help make your transformative journey more accessible. Speak with a psychedelic concierge to learn more.
Speak With a Trusted Psychedelic Therapy Provider Today
Hi there! We sincerely hope that you’ve found valuable takeaways that resonate with your current intentions. To explore research-based education, stay updated with psychedelic news, and benefit from practical how-to articles, we encourage you to head over to our resources page.
If you’re seeking personalized advice and are prepared to take the first step toward a therapeutic psychedelic experience, we invite you to book a consultation with our team of experienced psychedelic concierges.
This consultation is more than just a conversation; it’s an opportunity to be matched with a trustworthy local facilitator. You’ll be seamlessly connected to our rigorously vetted network of psychedelic guides, ensuring potential matches align with your needs.
Psychedelic Passage offers confidence and peace of mind by alleviating the burden of having to guess who’s right for you. If you want to discover how Psychedelic Passage can help you, we empower you to learn more about our services and check out client testimonials from those who’ve gone before you.
Your healing path is uniquely yours, and our commitment is to serve you at every juncture. Psychedelic Passage: Your Psychedelic Concierge — The easy, legal way to find trustworthy psilocybin guides, facilitators and psychedelic assisted therapy near you in the United States.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Psychedelic Guide in California?
You’re curious about the cost of psychedelic therapy in California, specifically hiring a trip sitter or guide. It’s not a straightforward answer due to varying factors like annual household income and potential travel requirements.
Generally, our ceremonial program costs range from $1,500 – $4,000. The program includes preparation sessions, the psychedelic experience, and integration session. Facilitators also offer financial assistance if it’s necessary.
Alternatively, our microdosing program is priced at $800. It includes 4, 1-hour long coaching sessions in which you and your facilitator will create a customized microdosing regimen to fit your needs. You’ll also receive a complete microdosing guide and have access to on demand text and email support with your facilitator.
2. Can Psychedelic Guides or Trip Sitters Provide Medical Help if Necessary?
While psychedelic guides or trip sitters can’t provide medical help per se, they’re trained to handle emergency protocols. They monitor you for adverse reactions and ensure your safety. However, their role doesn’t replace a medical professional’s due to legal implications.
They won’t perform any medical procedures but will call for immediate medical assistance if needed. Or, if you need to take a prescription medication at a specific time throughout your experience, your facilitator will offer assistance in administering the medication.
If you’re concerned about the interactions between psychedelics and antidepressants, our network of experts can offer appropriate guidance as it relates to potential tapering procedures and contraindications.
3. What Kind of Training Do These Guides and Sitters Typically Have?
Knowledge is power, isn’t it? When it comes to the training of guides and sitters, they typically undergo comprehensive programs.
These include understanding psychotherapy principles, guide ethics, trip preparation techniques, and even basic first aid skills. It’s not just about knowing the substances, but also providing a safe and supportive environment.
They’re trained to handle emergencies too! Always remember – their goal is for you to have an enlightening experience while ensuring your utmost safety.
4. Are There Any Specific Regulations or Certifications for Psychedelic Guides in California?
In California, there isn’t a specific regulatory body or certification process for psychedelic guides. However, you’ll find organizations providing comprehensive training for individuals interested in this field. They might not be officially recognized by the state but they’re valuable nonetheless.
Unfortunately, state-imposed facilitator standards have been proving to fall short of what we feel is necessary to ensure the safety and effectiveness of psychedelic therapy. That’s why we’ve raised the standard by curating our network of pre-vetted facilitators.
5. How Can One Ensure the Safety and Credibility of a Hired Psychedelic Guide or Trip Sitter?
Typically, to ensure the safety and credibility of your psychedelic guide or trip sitter, you’ll need to do some thorough research. However, Psychedelic Passage has taken the guesswork out of qualifying a psychedelic guide by doing the screening work for you.
If you seek psychedelic therapy through our network, you’re guaranteed to connect with local facilitators who have been thoroughly vetted and qualified based on knowledge, experience, and personal integrity.
