Self Directed Psychedelic Healing
Written by Barry Alexander
If you find yourself stuck and seeking a way forward in your mental health healing journey, there is an alternative to the current standard of care through a method known as community-based healing. This movement was formed to address the unmet needs of individuals seeking effective mental health treatment. In 2012, it was estimated that 16 million people were living with depression in the United States. Individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), often broadly defined as failure to achieve response or remission to at least one proven antidepressant trial with adequate dosing and duration numbered slightly over 5 million. Community based healing employs psychedelics and entheogenic medicines rooted in indigenous knowledge and traditions to provide the patient with psychological facilitation and peer community support.
While developments in Oakland, Seattle, Denver, Oregon, and other decriminalized cities are promising, there is still much work needed to integrate health care providers and public health agencies into the psychedelic medicine space. In decriminalized cities, treatment is only available through underground facilitators or therapists. Despite decriminalization, therapists still risk losing their license to practice if caught using psychedelics or entheogens as part of a healing modality. It is also important to remember that in decriminalized cities in the United States, possessing a schedule one substance is still a federal offense, even when received in ceremonial or clinical settings.
This series describes the general process of self-directed healing and how this space is commonly navigated. Everyone has unique experiences and preferences, and your healing path will reflect these nuances. The goal of this article is to equip you with resources to navigate this emergent landscape.
The three resources that help support one’s community-based healing journey are: Integration-aware traditional therapists, churches and other religious/spiritual communities, and underground facilitators and guides.
Therapeutic Allies
For those seeking to self-direct their healing journey and utilize a community-based approach, it is ideal your personal journey is supplemented with a psychedelic/entheogen-informed psychotherapist. These therapists incorporate principles of harm reduction psychotherapy, psychedelic-assisted therapy, mindfulness-based modalities, and psychodynamic therapy, making them favorable compared to traditional psychologists or therapists. Psychedelic integration therapists will know how to examine and work with patients’ psychedelic experiences in a clinical care setting without administering the actual psychedelic medicine as part of treatment.
Spiritual Allies
Another option when working with psychedelics or entheogenic medicines is the spiritual path. In this context, the medicines are treated as sacraments and are administered in accordance with religious and spiritual practices by a sanctioned church. This option became available when the Native American Church was granted an exemption from the schedule I status of peyote with the 1978 passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Although this act was limited to Native Americans, it paved the way for others to challenge the schedule I status of substances for religious, sacramental use. In 2006, Uniã do Vegetal (“UDV”), a Christian and reincarnationist religious group, challenged the seizure of imported ayahuasca plant material by the DEA. The UDV sought an injunction to the DEA from seizing ayahuasca constituent plants. The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the UDV and cited peyote’s exemption and undue burden of the seizures on sincere religious practice. Since then, legally incorporated churches have been preparing for exemptions to the Controlled Substances Act.
Underground Allies
Underground facilitators like Leo Zeff (aka, The Secret Chief), Claudio Naranjo, and Ann Shulgin have a long history of service in the psychedelic community. As Ann Shulgin once recalled, “there were some psychotherapists and psychologists who used MDMA in the seventies, and when MDMA became illegal, in the eighties, many of them didn't stop using it; its use went underground.” The practice of underground healing circles has persisted to this day and is likely more common than ever. Oftentimes finding an underground therapist involves patiently networking in psychedelic societies and communities as the information spreads through word of mouth. When looking for a psychedelic facilitator, the websites of Psychedelics Today and psychedelic author Michael Pollan are a good place to start as they offer resources to help individuals find psychedelic communities.
Hybrid Approach
You will need to weave together sources from each of the allies mentioned above to craft an approach that works for you. By combining various techniques based on your preferences and using the resources available in your area, you’ll discover a healing journey that’s right for you.
It’s A Wheel, Not A Straight Line
One of the most important things to remember is that healing is an iterative process. There is no magic bullet, no ‘one and done’ fix for your current suffering. Your journey should never be considered a linear path, but repeating cycles of refinement. Each pass through this cycle will bring you closer to wellness. As you integrate your insights gleaned through respectful use of entheogenic medicines, coupled with psychological counseling, you will approach wellness and healing.
Navigation
Similar to preparing for a road trip, you need to know where you are starting and have a general destination in mind. Navigation through your mental health journey begins by determining what your current issues are and having a vision for what the best version of yourself looks like. What parts of your current living situation are challenges, what thoughts or behaviors are troubling you, and what will define your well-being in the future. Answering these questions can be daunting, so it is sometimes best to seek a therapist who is trained and aware of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP). Not only will they be familiar with diagnosing your indications, but they will also be able to explore the root causes driving your conditions.
Navigating the non-linear path of mental healing while integrating experiences and insights brought by psychedelic medicines can be challenging. It is strongly recommended you consult someone experienced with psychedelic integration, helping you access and interpret the learnings of your experience. When looking for a therapist, look for service offerings like Psychedelic Integration Therapy, Transpersonal Psychotherapy, or Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy.
MAPS has created an integration resource page for finding integration-aware therapists. One should also check out the Therapy, Support & Coaching resources on tripsitters.org. There are free and low-cost sliding scale options in some communities for those who can not afford or have insufficient health care coverage for a therapist.
Even if you have a trained therapist, it is advisable to have a sitter. A sitter is there to ensure you do not harm yourself or others. This can be a friend, partner, or spouse. A facilitator is another option, as they can provide ceremonies around the administration of the medicine and should have adequate experience sitting with someone using psychedelics. A good place to start educating yourself about trip sitting is tripsitters.org. The fireside project also offers psychedelic peer support for sitters and is a recommended resource before, during, and after the use of psychedelic or entheogenic medicines.
What Comes Next
As discussed above, navigation involves identifying areas you wish to explore before taking any medicine. Knowing where you are and where you want to go is the essence of navigation. Your intentions may range from distant or recent traumas to simply whatever arises at the time. Once you are clear with your intentions, the second part of this series will cover what comes next on your community healing path starting with preparation, medicine sourcing, and integrating your experience. The more attention and care you place with preparing yourself for practice with entheogenic or psychedelic medicine, the better the outcome in terms of safety and integrating new insights.
