Taken on my first psychedelic journey. My second home.

Whether you’ve completed a psychedelic medicine ceremony, have just signed up for one, or are simply considering it, you’re certain that you want to do it right. You want to ensure that you get the most out of the experience, that you can make sense of what are often inscrutable and sometimes overwhelming medicines. But how?

You’ll often hear the words “set and setting” used when people talk about psychedelic work, the quality of both being essential to create a safe, responsible, and beneficial experience. The third element, of equal importance, is what happens after the psychedelic ceremony is complete and the ceremony of your life commences. This process is known as integration and for almost everyone it is imperative to have a guide to assist with it. I’ve had the good fortune to work and train with extraordinary practitioners. It is my honor to share some questions based on what I have learned from them. Bear in mind that what I share below is based upon my personal experience, on what I have seen work (and not work, God bless the teachers who show us what not to do!) for me and many others. It is neither comprehensive nor absolute.

In asking these questions, I do not intend to imply any particular answer as the correct one, though inevitably my own preferences will influence the language. (In a separate blog post I’ll share my personal answers to these questions.) My intention is to help you gather relevant information that you should have to make an informed decision. It will always be your prerogative to weigh the value of the answers as suits you. Just as you set an intention for your psychedelic journeying, so should you set an intention for your integration process. The goal will be to find a practitioner who is aligned with your intention.

What is their personal experience with psychedelics?
Have they personally worked with psychedelics? Have they taken the specific medicine that you are in the process of integrating? How extensive is their experience? Do they prefer to work with synthetics (like MDMA or ketamine) or with plants (like ayahuasca and mushrooms)? Why?
What is their relationship to psychedelics and to plants?
This might seem like the same question as #1, but it isn’t. Perhaps more important than the extensiveness of the practitioner’s experience, is the nature of their relationship to the medicine. I’d ask the question in a general, open-ended way and then listen for things like: is it reciprocal? is the medicine regarded as spirit or as pharma or something else? If your practice is within a particular indigenous tradition, are they familiar with that tradition? What is their relationship to that community?
If they are on the plant medicine path, what is their experience with non-psychedelic healing plants? Have they done dietas? What tradition do they practice within? What is their relationship to the community that the tradition comes from? Is it reciprocal?
What is their training?
Are they licensed? What training have they received? How long have they been practicing?
Are they trauma informed?
What is their understanding of trauma? What is their comfort level with trauma? What are their limitations in this area?
Do they offer free consultations/introductions?
Ideally, you will want to have a brief introduction to the practitioner before committing to a session. There is no better way to assess potential for compatibility than a real time conversation. Any practitioner who understands the vulnerability entailed in this process will offer to speak with you and answer questions about their approach before entering into any exchange agreement.
How do you feel when you are talking to them?
Check in with your body. Do you feel safe and relaxed or tense? Do you trust them? It can be helpful to do a grounding exercise before the introductory call so you can feel into your gut as you speak with them. Trust yourself.
Are they good listeners?
This will be something you gauge in your first session/s. Do you feel that you have been heard and understood? Do they ask clarifying questions? Do they “listen” to non-verbal communication as well as verbal? Do you feel there is space for your emotions?
What is their intention as a practitioner?
What draws them to this work? What is their personal mission?
Do they seem to “have all the answers”?
This is one area where I will assert a strong personal opinion as it’s the number one error I have witnessed. Nothing forecloses discovery like certainty. Psychedelics can help us uproot the core beliefs and emotions that have been suppressed and obscured for a lifetime. A solid practitioner will never presume to know the answers, but will hold an empathetic presence and ask thoughtful and compelling questions to guide you to the inner knowing that has always lived inside you.

I hope this is a helpful set of guideposts to assist you in this aspect of your medicine journey. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ask any questions that you have in the comments section below. I’d love to hear about your experiences with integration and what has been most beneficial to you. Let me know if this was helpful and if you’d like to hear more on this topic in future posts.