Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Integration
What is it? What does it look like?
What is it?
So you’ve decided that psychedelic assisted therapy (PAT) is something you’d like to work with. You’re right to be looking for a guide to help your journey with psychedelics be wholly transformative. There are three parts to psychedelic assisted therapy; intention setting/preparation, the journey with the medicine, and integration. Believe it or not, the second stage (the one with the medicine) is the shortest.
Think of the medicine as supporting the neuro-plasticity of your brain and nervous system. It gives a boost to the new neural pathways (beliefs, perceptions, behaviors) you’ve been building. Making sure the foundation of those new pathways is clear and solid is essential. That’s what we do in the intention setting stage. Intention setting is done best when done at the pace of your own process. It could take three weeks, three months, or could take 10 months. You’ll know the timing of it. During intention setting we’ll not only dive into the issue you are wanting to work on we’ll identify what you are wanting to bring in. And we will also build emotional regulation techniques to make your journey more fluid and manageable. You can think of this section like preparing a map for your inner journey. It sets the stage for the experience itself, allowing you to stay focused on your intentions.
After the journey comes the most important and the longest part of PAT; integration. Often skipped, the integration process helps you take those powerful insights and feelings and bring them into your everyday life. It’s an important time and having someone who understands the kind of experience you’ve just had makes all the difference. For the next several months we will work together in bringing the wisdom from your experience with you moving forward. Remaining committed to the integration period leads to deeper understanding and lasting personal growth.
What can psychedelic assisted therapy help?
Psychedelic assisted therapy is an innovative approach that can offer hope and healing for a range of mental health challenges, such as anxiety, PTSD, addiction, depression, life transitions, grief, OCD, and eating disorders. It’s a powerful way to process feelings, find relief, and create meaningful change in your life. It can do this because each of these conditions have roots in trauma. We can talk more about that in sessions or a consultation. But, simply put, trauma isn’t what happened to you it is the way the body managed what happened.
As we work together in your intention setting and integration we’ll work on gaining more perspective on the issue you are wanting to work with during PAT. Your awareness will increase as you come to understand the underlying biological and psychological aspects of your experience.
What will we do? (And a little on set and setting.)
In the world of psychedelic assisted therapy “set and setting” is incredibly important. It refers to two key components that shape your experience: your mindset (set) and your environment (setting). Set is all about your mental and emotional state before you begin and after your experience with the medicine. If you approach the experience with a positive and open mindset, you’re likely to have a more meaningful journey. This might involve setting intentions, such as seeking personal insights or healing.
Setting typically refers to the physical surroundings wherein the experience takes place. The more comfortable, safe, and visually appealing the environment, the more positive the atmosphere. Being with a trusted individual, like an experienced guide, helps you feel secure enough to let in change.
During our sessions we’ll talk, get curious, make art, and increase mindful awareness. We might explore sound, meditation, and gentle, supported movement to help you move compassionately through your process of transformation and create a new way of being in life.
Contact me today to see if working together is a good fit.