Learning By Doing

Just now, I’m looking back.

Almost a year into being open… almost two years since I started facilitation school… almost three years since I realized I wanted to be a psilocybin facilitator.

I have a facilitation style that involves lots of getting to know each other, longer preparation than most people, and more psychedelic education than many of my peers. How did I get here?

One of my biggest influences was my experience with the Sequoia Center in Portland, where I had four ketamine sessions. I wanted to experience the medical model for psychedelics, with the same naive mindset my own clients would bring.

My therapist, Brian Hannah, had a strict protocol that required a minimum of four preparation sessions. During these sessions, we talked about risks, intentions, and what to expect. They wanted to make sure my expectations were realistic. This extended preparation, which many facilitators never experience themselves, made me a lot more patient and careful than I otherwise would have been.

If you are considering a psilocybin experience, make sure you take time with your facilitator, all the time you need, to get all your questions answered. It’s a psychedelic journey. Of course there will be some mystery about what to expect. But, the more comfortable and prepared you are, I think, the better.