Mind Expansion Needs Guidance: The Call for Psychedelic Practitioners

As the world embraces the mind-expanding potential of psychedelics, the need for knowledgeable & empathetic psychedelic practitioners to guide these inner journeys has never been greater.

Jun 15, 2023

Using psychedelics for mental health or personal growth isn't a "take two and call me in the morning" kind of protocol. It takes hard work and skilled support to make long-term changes.

The real nut to crack here isn't how to create a profitable or patentable drug, but in supporting how people use existing ones.

About 30% of people say they struggle to integrate psychedelics, but there’s a huge gap in practitioners — particularly for tackling depression, addiction, PTSD, and other mental health conditions that affect millions.

Psychedelic legislation is gaining momentum around the world, but without a meaningful way to consume psychedelics, the true impact remains uncertain.

An increasing number of psychotourists are seeking out legal retreat centers abroad, psychedelic-assisted therapy training programs are sprouting up around the world, and psychedelic-focused coaching programs are thriving — but exactly what psychedelic support should look like remains hotly debated.

Oregon and Colorado have both moved forward with legal access to certain psychedelics and allow the creation of retreat centers run by state-licensed facilitators.

The anticipated demand (and profit) brings ambitious investment dollars.

Yet, while facilitators don’t need to be registered therapists, the staff for these centers is seriously lacking, and many experts criticize the training programs current staff are receiving.

We’re in what feels like the wild west, forging new ground in unexplored areas. There’s a lack of skilled staff working for fair wages, and the standards of support aren’t clear.

The skill of indigenous healers has become legendary, but preserving the culture and the plants they use is a battle. Colonialism remains a threat as the Global North brings high expectations with the birth of the “psychedelic renaissance.”

Likewise, BIPOC communities call for the decolonization of psychedelics and point out the lack of diversity and inclusion in psychedelic research. If psychedelics are to help everyone, it’s critical that practitioners are trained to understand the needs of a far wider spectrum.

This means there’s a lot of opportunity right now for people interested in the burgeoning psychedelic sphere.

What Does a Psychedelic Integration Coach Do?

Most psychedelic services fall into one of three categories (or a combination of them):

Preparation for an upcoming psychedelic experience — Learning about set and setting, creating intentions, exploring desired outcomes or fears, choosing a substance, etc.
Guidance through a psychedelic experience — Acts as a “professional trip sitter” to ensure the user remains safe.
Integration after a psychedelic experience — Help identify meaning from their experiences and turn insights into tangible actions, habits, or changes.

In order to be effective, psychedelic integration coaches need a rock-solid understanding of set, setting, harm reduction techniques, preparation, and integration. The best way to get this kind of experience is to take psychedelics themselves — often.

Safety is the number one priority, and empathy for the experience is stronger among people who have used the psychedelics they’re working with.

An effective coach will give people a non-judgemental space to explore desires and challenges. Coaches are also trained to assist with progress toward desired outcomes from the insights triggered by psychedelics.

Up to the Challenge? How to Become a Psychedelic Practitioner

Becoming a psychedelic integration coach is a great opportunity to assist people in their psychedelic process. Coaching is accessible because it doesn’t require official certification. But while anyone can legally call themselves a coach, coaching isn’t just about the title.

Successfully helping people through a psychedelic process is a complex undertaking and requires a significant commitment to study and practice — not to mention a great deal of empathy and ethics.

6 Key Steps to Becoming a Psychedelic Practitioner:

Acquire knowledge and understanding of psychedelics — Read books, attend workshops, and participate in personal or group sessions.
Get trained in a related field — Psychology, counseling, and therapy are all overlapping fields that serve as jumping-off points to becoming a psychedelic coach.
Consider certification — Some organizations offer certificate programs for psychedelic integration coaches, such as MAPS or CIIS.
Develop your skills — Improve your ability to listen, practice empathy, and safely support people through the psychedelic experience and its aftermath.
Establish your practice — Once you’re ready, start offering your services through your own practice or by joining an organization.
Find your niche — By focusing on a specific niche, you can tailor your efforts to meet the unique needs of your target audience.

→ Read More on Tripsitter.com

Join Our Psychedelic Directory

We’re working on a directory to help our readers find psychedelic retreat centers, practitioners, and clinics all around the world.

If you’re working in this field or know of a retreat center, clinic, or practitioner you feel others should know about too, feel free to submit an application using our form below.

We’ll be vetting all entries prior to launch and reserve the right to remove applications for any reason.

Apply Here

Psychedelic Integration Coach Code of Ethics

In psychedelic therapy and coaching, ethics are of great importance.

There have been many occurrences of abuse and unethical behavior in the psychedelic space. Some of these incidents involve well-intended facilitators.

Particularly if you want to act as a sitter for psychedelic journeys, a deep understanding of ethics is paramount.

Several organizations have drafted codes of ethics. There is currently no standard, but notable and respected outlines are presented by organizations such as MAPS and the Psychedelic Association of Canada.

The codes focus on facilitating journeys, but the principles are helpful for anyone wanting to work with people.

We encourage you to look at different codes of ethics and use them to produce your own personal list.

Here’s a quick overview of essential principles to get you started:

Safety — Client safety is number one. Knowing their mental and physical health conditions is paramount, along with knowing your limits as a coach. Refer clients with psychological or physical problems beyond your qualifications to appropriate professionals.
Consent — Communication to establish consent and boundaries. Consent can change from moment to moment, but with altered states, always establish boundaries beforehand and stick to them.
No Sexual Contact — In any relationship where a power dynamic exists, there is no such thing as ethical sexual contact. The psychedelic movement depends on people acting with integrity and strong boundaries.
Respect & Trust — The foundation of the relationship between you and your clients is trust. This includes respecting confidentiality and agreements, along with a focus on service and putting the client’s process first.
Diversity — Develop sensitivity to power dynamics, cultural differences, and privilege. Celebrating our differences and not engaging in discrimination is essential to creating safe spaces to support all people.

Psychedelic Textbooks to Get You Started

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Article by Patrick McConnell
Artwork by Dikigiyat