The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.

W.B. Yeats

Lush jungle scene with a clear blue stream flowing into a cave entrance. Surrounding the stream are mossy rocks and dense green foliage, including ferns and vines hanging from above.

Preparation

As with any serious journey, thoughtful preparation for your psilocybin session can bring you the deepest and most rewarding experience. Because this work isn’t for everyone, preparation sessions will give us an opportunity to get to know one another and to determine what is right for you. Here are a few of the elements to consider as we go through the process - we will discuss all of this in greater detail during our sessions.

  • One of the biggest challenges in this work is managing expectations, especially since there is no way we can predict what the result will be. We are often led into experiences that we could never imagine during our journeys, and sometimes focusing on expectations can prevent us from seeing the other possibilities that are being offered. We will work together to look at how expectations (and disappointments) have played out in your life, and develop ways to hold your expectations lightly.

  • One of the many paradoxes in this work is that while expectations can narrow the possibilities, our intentions can broaden them. We will work to hone your intention for the journey into something that can provide a meaningful touchstone throughout your experience.

  • Another paradox is the power of surrender - by developing trust in the unfolding process of your journey, you allow yourself to become more and more receptive to the experience - suspending judgement, observing without reacting, and learning to follow the path as it appears before you; these are all approaches that we will discuss as part of your preparation.

  • A sense of safety is essential for you to trust and be open to the experience. We will review the best ways for you to feel reassured, connected and cared for during your journey.

Surreal collage art with a woman in a dress lying on a mushroom, surrounded by fairies, birds, and nature elements on a colorful background.

The Journey

The administration of the psilocybin takes place in a Licensed Psilocybin Service Center where we will stay together until it is safe for you to leave.

  • There are fees associated with using a service center that are determined by each Center, and are in addition to my facilitator fees. The Service Centers charge a fee to use the journey space, which varies depending on the time and type of room. They also charge for the Psilocybin, based on how much is requested. I am currently affiliated with the following service centers:

  • We will work together to determine the dosage that works best for your needs. There are many factors to consider, and we will discuss them all in great detail as part of your preparation. One common approach is to start with a modest dose, and add a “booster” about an hour into the journey if needed.

  • Although we are sometimes called “guides”, the best guides are the mushrooms and your own inner healing intelligence. I am here to ensure that you are safe, and support your journey, not direct it. You may spend much of your time in the “Inner World”, and I typically support this by providing an eye mask and headphones with appropriate music. There are times when you may want to come out of the Inner World and converse or ask a question. My responses may include an invitation to go back inside to consult your inner wisdom and follow your experience. I may remind you of your intentions if that seems helpful, and will offer reassurance and comfort if you seem to be struggling. People often blurt out words to describe the powerful experiences they are having, and I keep a notebook and pen handy to record them for your future review.

    Although some might consider this part of my work to be boring or uninteresting, I love it. Even though I am not ingesting anything more exciting than my lunch, I can feel the energy that you are carrying in the room, and I like to go into a deep meditative state - I hold a place of calm and openness, and my hope is that some of those qualities are lent to you as you journey.

Surreal mixed media artwork with an antique key, a cosmic sphere, a portrait of a woman in red, and an eye amidst abstract patterns and colors.

Integration

For many, integration is a lifelong process and is the most important part of this process - in some ways, the end of your journey is also a new beginning. I will work with you for at least three sessions to help to weave your journey experiences into the rest of your life, and provide you with some ideas and skills for keeping the experience fresh as you move forward. See below for a few elements to keep in mind about this phase of the journey.

  • One of the most challenging aspects of this work is the return home. Something special has happened, and now you return to your job, your friends and family - the rest of your life. Who can possibly understand what you have experienced? Who will sit with you, without judgement, as you weave what you have encountered back into your life? Planning extra time for re-entry can make a big difference. Clearing your schedule of responsibilities for a few days after your journey will be very helpful in allowing you to process your experience. We will have discussed ways for you to gently share your experience with members of your community, so that you can help them to hold you tenderly.

  • Your experience may lead you to question some common assumptions and beliefs about the world, and your new perspectives may be dismissed or denigrated by the status quo. It is a challenge to hold a paradox - to allow both the old and new ways of seeing to be true at the same time - cultivating this can help you to hold on to your new perspective and still understand the old way, although it may no longer be useful to you.

  • Many of the changes that occur from this work happen below the surface. You may be surprised to find yourself no longer doing certain behaviors that you believed were lifelong habits. Things that used to annoy or worry you may no longer take a single moment of your time. These subtle changes might happen immediately after your experience, or months or years later. These are changes that take place on an unconscious level, gifts that come unexpectedly and mysteriously.

A monarch butterfly perched on a purple flowering plant with green leaves.

Additional Integration Services

Sometimes three integration sessions don’t feel like enough. I am available for additional integration sessions for a fee of $150 per session. If you are currently working with a therapist, I am happy to collaborate with them as well.