What is Psychedelic Therapy?
Psychedelic therapy is a broad term used to encompass several different modalities of doing therapy with psychedelic substances. Classic psychedelics include LSD, Mescaline, DMT, Psilocybin mushrooms and Cannabis. When these compounds are ingested by humans they can elicit expanded states of consciousness which include strong changes in perception, thinking, emotional state and self-awareness.
Many indigenous cultures have used these compounds from ancient times both for individual visionary and divinatory journeys as well as in group settings for collective healing. After the discovery of LSD by Albert Hoffman in 1943, the following decades experienced significant research on how these compounds might benefit people struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction and overcoming traumatic experiences.
As the war on drug comes to an end and our modern society is facing the effects of globalization and climate crisis, there has been a renewed interest in psychedelic therapy. Organizations like MAPS and Hefter have continued to support research and work towards legalization of these compounds for medical purposes. Other movements like Decriminalize Nature have successfully been able to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi in Denver, Oakland (2019) and Santa Cruz (2020).
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY?
There are different compounds and settings that work best for different types of mental health affections. In general terms participants find that psychedelic therapy can help with:
stepping out of depression
reducing and overcoming anxiety
facing illness and death
healing internal relationships (inner critic/child, IFS)
releasing addictive patterns
processing traumatic incidents and recovering from PTSD
Also many people come to this work for exploring their own conscious minds and without any specific mental health concern. These are other benefits participants frequently share:
mystical and spiritual experiences
exploring shadow aspects of self
ego-dissolution and a sense of one-ness
finding your center or inner home
a renewed sense of creativity and spontaneity
ability to heal conflicting relationships
Overall we see that people are finding a deeper sense of meaning in their lives and coming into more wholesome and authentic versions of themselves.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY?
All therapeutic modalities have limitations and are not necessarily beneficial to everyone. When it comes to using psychedelics, each compound is different and should be properly researched before using in any context. In general, because of the consciousness-expanding properties of these experiences, they are not recommended for people suffering from borderline and psychotic/neurodivergent spectrum disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar and borderline personality disorder. There are also exclusions for people who suffer from cardiovascular illness and other medical conditions. It is always best to consult with your physician before any treatment of this nature.
Aside from the clinical risks, there can also be legal risks. Many of these compounds are still not legal in parts of the United States or other countries. Make sure you are working with an organization, community, institution or group of people that can guarantee your safety and integrity before, during and after your journey process.
When working with Psychedelic Cannabis many clinical and legal risks are reduced and mitigated. Cannabis has been proven to be one of the safest compounds and it’s shorter duration and potential for retaining agency make a low-risk compound good for psychedelic therapy when used properly.
WHAT DOES PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY LOOK LIKE?
Most modern psychedelic therapy protocols divide the work into three stages: preparation, journey and integration.
The preparation stage is where the work begins, understanding why and how you are entering this work. It also includes aspects of the “set and setting”. Typically a guide or guides will work with you on 1-2 preparation sessions explaining the process, performing a thorough clinical intake, including a trauma history. They will also help you with setting an intention for your journey, e.g. healing a childhood wound, self-forgiveness, finding deeper meaning in my life.
For the journey stage you will meet with your guide(s) and begin the day by reviewing your intention. You will then have a moment to take the medicine, some people like to do a meditation or say a prayer at this point. Depending on the compound you are working with, the onset of the medicine may take from only a few seconds up to 1-2 hours. Our bodies and brains vary on how they respond to these compounds. As you are coming onto the medicine some people benefit from relaxation and body awareness exercises. During your journey you might encounter deep somatic release (shaking, tension, temperature shifts, etc), strong emotional release, visionary experiences and other perceptual shifts. Holding a mindful awareness of this experience and shifting your awareness back to your breath is frequently stated as a beneficial practice. Your guides are there to assist you during this process, providing both logistical and emotional support, above all making sure you are safe. They will help you upon returning back. The journey stage may last between a few hours to a whole day, depending on the compound. Cannabis journeys typically last 5 hours.
Integration stage is perhaps the most important and many times overlooked aspect of this work. How does this deep journey experience inform your life? How does it relate or respond to you intention? What meaningful changes can you begin to make in your life now? These are the questions of integration. Many times when we heal our deepest wounds, we may find ourselves with a new sense of freedom, but also we might find ourselves disoriented. “If I’m not the wounded child I thought I was, who am I?” Integration is the process of continuing to make meaning of these experiences and allow them to transform our lives towards self healing and growth. Individual journey work should include at least 1-2 integration sessions, but many people find it helpful to do more. There are also peer integration circles available where you can join others in sharing your experience and what you are bringing back from it for yourself and your community.
How long does Psychedelic Therapy take?
For many people, a single psychedelic journey can be enough to heal very deep wounds and make lasting changes in their lives. Others may need several journey sessions throughout months or years to be able to work on all the different aspects and layers. Some people become life-long psychonauts, exploring their conscious minds at will and coming to these medicines for healing as well as to mark thresholds for different life stages (birthdays, marriages, separations, grief).
WHAT IS CANNABIS-ASSISTED PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY (CAPT)?
Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy (CAPT) is a new modality of Psychedelic Therapy developed by Daniel and Alison McQueen of Medicinal Mindfulness. It integrates both ancient wisdom from traditional use of psychedelics as well as modern day trauma-informed therapeutic practices. It is similar to the MAPS MDMA protocol and other psychedelic therapy modalities including three stages of preparation, journey and integration.
CAPT works with high levels of THC found in cannabis combined in a therapeutic blend of multiple cannabis strains to provide a “full spectrum” effect that brings forth a very deep body high as well as strong psychoactive properties that elicit profound psychedelic experiences. Coupled with supportive guidance and the evocative music used in these sessions, clients find that they can have deep psychedelic experiences similar and many times deeper than with other classic compounds like LSD, DMT, MDMA and Psilocybin.
One of the major benefits of working with Cannabis is that clients can go very deep while still retaining a good sense of agency. This is a key element to doing therapeutic work with psychedelics, as you can learn to navigate parts of your own psyche for healing and growth. We find that it is also easier for people to recall their experiences and integrate them afterwards. In many ways, CAPT provides a holding environment that can go as deep as needed and is easy to regulate. Sebastian likes to call Cannabis the “good-enough psychedelic” honoring D.W. Winnicott’s concept of good-enough parenting, in the sense that cannabis has all the properties needed for providing deep meaningful journey healing, transformation and growth.
Finally, CAPT is a legal form of psychedelic therapy that is very safe and highly accessible.
How can I learn more to see if this modality might work for me?
Currently Green Magic Yoga is offering private Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy sessions in the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. We offer a free 20-min consultation call to meet you, better understand your needs and answer any questions you have about this modality. If you’re interested send us an email to: journeys@greenmagicyoga.com
We only offer Psychedelic Therapy with Cannabis. Please do not contact us for services with any other substances.