What to Look for in a Psychedelic Guide or Trip Sitter
Once you decide you’re ready to have an intentional psychedelic experience, the next step is to find a guide that’s a good fit for you. This is an integral part of the process as you will be sharing space with this person for the full duration of your psychedelic journey.
This begs the question, “how do I know if someone is qualified?” The answer to this question is subjective—different people will be drawn to different types of guides.
We like to think of it as a spectrum, with each guide or sitter having their own style:
On one extreme end, you have clinicians who have no first hand experience with these substances and may or may not be doing their own inner work—but they have the right credentials.
On the other end of the spectrum you have people who devoted their lives to plant medicine, spirituality and doing their own inner work so they can show up as a mirror for others—but they lack the credentials.
And then there’s everybody in between.
There is no right or wrong answer—you get to choose based on who resonates with you and the type of experience you’re seeking. Just keep in mind, this is sacred work—one of the highest forms of service—and it’s important that you and your guide view it as such.
Regardless of your personal preferences, screening your potential guide or trip sitter is a mandatory part of the process.
These are the Qualities You Should Look for to Help Ensure a Safe, Meaningful, and Positive Psychedelic Experience:
- They’ve learned through an apprenticeship or some form of experiential training (classrooms and lectures only get you so far).
- They offer a free consultation to assess you as a candidate and give you an opportunity to assess them. This should be followed up with a screening and intake process.
- They’re realistic in managing expectations (psychedelics are not a cure-all nor are they for everyone).
- You trust and feel comfortable with them—each facilitator possesses different values and energies.
- The practitioner embodies what they teach—they walk the talk. As the journeyer, you will pick up on inauthentic presence.
- You sense a calm, loving, non-judgemental presence from your potential guide. If you can't trust them with your vulnerabilities, it doesn't work. Use your intuition.
- The guide emphasizes the importance of preparation and integration. Every input impacts the experience.
- The guide supports your own personal relationship with plant medicines. They acknowledge that there is nothing they can teach you better than the plant itself.
- You leave the initial consult feeling better than you came in—it should feel GOOD energetically.
Red Flags & Warning Signs
- No history of intentional personal psychedelic use.
- No previous trip sitting or guiding experience.
- Doesn’t include preparation & integration in services.
- Doesn’t include a screening & intake process.
- Tells you they have all the answers or some secret, proprietary technique.
- Tells you psychedelics are “guaranteed” to heal you (magic bullet).
- You sense inauthenticity or ulterior motives.
- You feel judged or unsafe in their presence.
- You feel weird inside after your first call or meeting (even if you can’t explain why).
A Note on Price and Convenience
Unlike commodities (think gasoline) where price and convenience rank highest in the decision making process, psychedelic guiding is a niche service that has negative long-term implications to your overall mental health if you choose a provider based SOLELY on price or convenience.
Fill your gas tank with cheap gas a few times and you most likely won’t damage your car. However, one psychedelic experience with the wrong facilitator can damage your mental and emotional wellbeing, which can take years to resolve. Meaning a good fit between practitioner and client is the strongest indicator of the potential for a successful journey—not price or location.
Your #1 focus should be finding a practitioner who is a good fit for you—this concept of “fit” is determined using the criteria above, though you will certainly have your own personal criteria as well (notice that our criteria for right fit doesn’t even take price and convenience into account).
While it’s important to honor your unique financial situation—it shouldn’t be the only consideration. Know that if you are committed to the process and the personal effort that comes with it, you can always find a practitioner to serve you regardless of your financial status or location.
The question remains: Is the practitioner a good fit for you? It always comes back to this question.
Questions to Ask a Potential Guide or Trip Sitter
- Why do you do this work?
- What is your healing philosophy?
- Have you worked with the medicine yourself? If so, how many times?
- How many journeys have you facilitated?
- What is your screening and intake process like?
- Can you provide referrals?
- What does your personal healing practice look like? (You want a guide who mirrors you back to yourself without projecting their own ego into the mix)
