At Vital Reset, clients often deal with childhood sexual trauma, which is often completely relieved, processed, and composted into something that adds to their lives.
For decades, survivors of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church have struggled to find peace. Traditional therapy can help, but for many, the pain runs too deep for talk alone. That’s what makes a recent story from Willamette Week so remarkable: for the first time, a U.S. diocese agreed to pay for a survivor’s psilocybin therapy in Oregon!
Chuck Lovett, now 63, grew up in a devout Catholic family. As a boy, he was sexually assaulted by a priest while a bishop looked on. Like many survivors, he carried that trauma for decades, trying every available form of healing—from counseling to acupuncture—without real relief.
When Lovett learned about Oregon’s legal psilocybin program, he saw a new possibility. The local diocese did not want to help him. He negotiated for months and finally persuaded the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese to cover the cost of a four-day psilocybin retreat in Oregon, where he took two guided psilocybin journeys with a licensed facilitator.
“It was a beautiful, warm experience,” Lovett told Willamette Week. “It felt like the universe had me in its hands.”
The diocese called his reimbursement a “one-time exception.” But why should it be? Seriously? The Catholic Church owes these guys everything it can do to help them. The Catholic Church is wealthy. Why can’t they just help these victims of their secretive system? Why not send them to the one place in the country where there is a safe, legal, regulated way to use mushrooms for healing?
Real Healing for Real People
At Vital Reset, we regularly meet survivors of sexual abuse, religious trauma, and complex PTSD who arrive carrying decades of unprocessed pain. For many, psilocybin offers something traditional therapy cannot—a way to safely access and transform the deepest layers of grief, shame, and fear within a structured, licensed environment. People get better results in Oregon because they feel safe.
Oregon’s psilocybin model is unique in the world: each client receives preparation, guided dosing, and integration support from licensed facilitators in a controlled setting. For trauma survivors, this combination of safety, presence, and deep emotional processing can be life-changing.
Lovett’s story is a milestone—not only for survivors, but for institutions. It shows that even the Catholic Church can recognize psilocybin as a legitimate form of healing. His courage, and the diocese’s willingness to fund it, may open a path for other survivors whose pain has not yet found resolution.
An Invitation to the Church—and to Survivors
We join Willamette Week in urging the Catholic Church to go further. Every survivor of sexual abuse deserves access to effective, evidence-based healing options. Oregon’s psilocybin service centers are ready to provide that care—with compassion, professionalism, and respect.
If the Church truly wishes to make amends, it should make psilocybin therapy available to any survivor who wants it.
For abuse survivors, Oregon’s model is open to anyone over 21, regardless of religious background. You do not need a diagnosis or a referral. You only need the willingness to heal.
Interested in Exploring Psilocybin Healing?
If you or someone you know has experienced trauma and are curious about legal psilocybin services in Oregon, you can learn more at vitalreset.com or call 541-645-4485 to request a private consultation.
We’re here to help you understand what’s possible—and to support a process that honors both your safety and your soul.
