HOW TO BECOME A PSYCHEDELIC THERAPIST
Credentials available from psychedelic coach to specialist. Learn to work legally and skillfully with four psychedelic medicines at your own pace.
- Psychedelic Support & Integration Coach
- Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Guide
- Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Therapist
- Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Specialist
Psychedelic Sitters School, the psychedelic therapy training program of the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness, has been training psychedelic guides since 2012. We now offer in-person and online training options and have students across the world: the United States, Canada, Central and South America, Europe, and Australia.
PSS is a one of a kind program where we teach our students to skillfully and ethically work with four psychedelic medicines and breathwork in legal settings: psychedelic cannabis, ketamine, psilocybin mushrooms and N,N- DMT.
We have training pathways for both newer practitioners who are transitioning into psychedelic guiding, as well as for experienced or licensed mental health and what is now known as “legacy practitioners” (cultural practitioners, religious practitioners and experienced underground practitioners) who wish to bring psychedelics into their practice in a legal setting.
Each training level and credentialing supports professional practice. This means that our students are invited and encouraged to begin practicing professionally, meaning get paid for their services, within as little as 6-12 months. The first full stage, Psychedelic Guide Training with credentialing is designed to be completed in less than a year. This program is followed by Psychedelic Mystery School and additional medicine specialities. The full program is designed to be completed in 3 years, however, 3-5 years may make the most sense for many of our students.
PSS is a vocational program.
It is possible for students to begin practicing professionally while in the program so the training can begin paying for itself within a few years. Students are also not required to complete the full program to create a viable psychedelic practice.
To support accessibility and inclusion, we have a robust scholarship program, as well as new financial support services that allow us to offer payment plans.
After you are selected through the application and interview process, you are invited to take any course in a timeframe that works for you as long as the prerequisites are met. The program can be engaged one step at a time and at your own pace. Credentialing is not required so the program could be taken by those who only want to work on a volunteer basis, for personal growth, or to support friends and family. We take the professional and ethical stance that a professional practice requires credentialing and oversight. The details of these requirements are outlined in the Student Handbook.
Once you begin your credentialing program you can receive payment for services as a “credentialing candidate.” We started the Medicinal Mindfulness Foundation as a religious non-profit and professional association to provide this community oversight for our program graduates.
A tuition calculator has been created on the website to take into account all of the costs and to automatically calculates scholarships and payment plans. The scholarship is part of the general application process, is need based, and is part of our diversity and inclusion program. The scholarship provides a discount of 10%-40% on our listed tuition for qualified students. The tuition list of pages xx-xx also lists the tuition for each program. Remember to deduct 10%-40% off of the tuition to get a basic value if you qualify for a scholarship.
(Tuition $ x (100% – Scholarship %) + (Room/Board or Space Use Fee for each program) = Total Investment
Psychedelic Therapy Credentialing
There are four levels of credentialing in the program. These are listed below with a brief description of the training involved.
The following Credentials are available:
- Psychedelic Support & Integration Coach: Complete Psychedelic Guide Training and our Integration Coaching elective to receive foundational education in psychedelic harm reduction, integration practices and begin guiding with psychedelic cannabis in a culturally appropriate protocol. (NOTE: This title is designed to fit new NMHA languaging requirements for supporting personal use of psychedelic medicines.)
- Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Guide: Continue your credentialing as a more experienced guide and begin practicing professionally with psychedelic cannabis and breathwork practices in non-clinical individual and group settings. This level is required for participating in our professional program, Dragon Training.
- Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Therapist: Complete the Psychedelic Therapy & Clinical Cannabis Specialty to learn the necessary clinical and safety protocols to work with psychedelic cannabis, breathwork, and cannabis assisted breathwork in clinical settings. This combined with the specialities credentialing of the other medicines creates a strong foundation for working as a full Psychedelic Therapist. Psychedelic First Aid is required for this credential.
- Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Specialist: Complete Psychedelic Mystery School and gain experience and credentialing in three specialties to become a Psychedelic Specialist. Specialists exhibit a strong capacity to work with difficult experiences for transformation and healing.
These titles are protected intellectual property of our program and can be used by credentialed and credentialing candidate students to denote their professional experience and differentiate their services from other psychedelic practitioners. Students receive a certificate, and credentialing also provides some of the essential prerequisites for professional liability insurance (currently available for breathwork, cannabis and ketamine).
Psychedelic Specialties
In addition to the foundational skillsets of psychedelic guiding developed through Psychedelic Guide Training, students also learn to work with psychedelic cannabis and breathwork in non-clinical settings.
In addition to this foundational speciality, Psychedelic Sitters School teaches students to work with four Psychedelic Specialities:
- Psychedelic Therapy and Clinical Cannabis Speciality – This specialty focuses on mindfulness-based, somatic trauma resolution therapies useful in clinical settings working with any of the psychedelic medicines. Students are taught somatic and mindfulness-based clinical therapeutic protocols, how to work with extreme healing experiences, and how to facilitate Cannabis-Assisted Breathwork Sessions and psycholytic cannabis sessions. The intensive includes practice sessions in cannabis-assisted somatic psychotherapy, cannabis breathwork, and group psychedelic cannabis experiences.
- Ketamine-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy Specialty – This speciality teaches students how to work with both ketamine lozenges and intramuscular injections under medical supervision within a well supported, therapeutic, transpersonal session protocol for clinical and spiritual applications. Each student will have the opportunity to guide twice and journey twice with Ketamine.
- Psilocybin Mushroom Support Specialty – This speciality teaches students to safely provide personal support services for clients who choose to take psilocybin mushrooms. Students learn how to navigate the new laws of Colorado that legalized supported personal use as a profession. Students will learn about safe dosing protocols, psilocybin safety and contraindications, and proper guiding techniques. Each student will guide once and journey once.
- DMT Guiding Speciality – This specialty teaches students how to work with legally obtainable, naturally derived DMT in legal, personal use support settings in Colorado. Students will guide twice and journey twice, followed by an opportunity to witness a DMTx experimental journey session. This is the only intensive with a “journeyer only” option for qualified participants.
Psychedelic Training Programs
Psychedelic Guide Training – Year 1
Psychedelic Guide Training is for those who wish to guide individual and small group sessions in non-clinical, spiritual, or creative problem solving settings with psychedelic cannabis, and as a foundation for working with other psychedelic medicines.
The primary program is Psychedelic Guide Training. PGT is a 5 month training with webinar lectures, 6 ongoing classes, a 5 day intensive and 2 guiding practicum. There are two versions of the intensive, the cannabis specific online/in-person hybrid program and the same program at a retreat center with an additional group psilocybin session (Facilitated by MMFoundation). These sessions include cannabis-assisted experientials, Conscious Cannabis Circles, Cannabis-Breathwork and guiding practice sessions. Experienced practitioners can skip one of the two guiding practicums. This course is a prerequisite for the specialities and Psychedelic Mystery School.
Credentialing
Graduates of PGT can complete two credentialing levels. New practitioners begin with the “Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Support & Integration Coach” level of credentialing. However, Legacy and Licensed practitioners receive this credential automatically with the next level. Those who plan to move further in the program can start the “Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Guide” credentialing program. These credentialing programs are cumulative and require additional electives (see below).
Psychedelic Mystery School – Year 2
Once students complete Psychedelic Guide Training (credentialed or not), they are invited to join the Psychedelic Mystery School. In addition to the Mystery School, students can take the Psychedelic Therapy & Clinical Cannabis Speciality to obtain the credential of “Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Therapist.” Students who complete the Mystery School may also take the DMT Specialty. Additional Information on each program is below.
Psychedelic Mystery School: This 6 weekly classes, 6 day retreat teaches students to work with the transpersonal, energetic and ceremonial aspects of guiding, and to work with cannabis teas in group ceremonies, cannabis concentrates and a shared psilocybin mushroom circle. This course is for our students who wish to dive deeper into the mystery of spiritual practices and to gain more experience and confidence in leading group psychedelic experiences.
Additional Specialties & Professional Training – Year 3
Year 3 is a repeat of Year 2 with opportunities to complete the two remaining specialities or Psychedelic Mystery School. Completing the full program allows students to develop a professional practice with psychedelic cannabis, ketamine, psilocybin mushrooms, DMT and breathwork in legal clinical and non-clinical settings. This credentialing level is the “Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Specialist” credential.
Dragon Training – Training the Trainers – Ongoing monthly groups and professional trainings that support students cultivating their own communities, building their own clinics, working in our clinic, and all the skills necessary to be a professional trainer of Psychedelic Sitters School. Guide Training and credentialing are required for this program.
Clinical Internships & Job Opportunities – The Center for Medicinal Mindfulness regularly hires guides who have experience working with significant mental health concerns in clinical settings. We also regularly hire assistant guides as an apprenticeship to support our guides during Natural Medicine support sessions.
Volunteer with Medicinal Mindfulness Foundation – MMF is a religious non-profit and professional association providing legal protections, community and accountability for our students and graduates. Volunteers can create new community events and support the overall mission of the program.
Heal and transform humanity and our shared ecology through the education, guiding and integration of safe, legal psychedelic practices.
A review of a few important concepts
- Students can complete the Psychedelic Guide Credentialing in less than a year and can begin practicing professionally, i.e. get paid for services, once they begin the credentialing process.
- The three year progression is a suggestion and students can go at their own pace.
- Because this is a professional vocational program, the training can begin paying for itself by practicing as a professional psychedelic guide. The Center for Medicinal Mindfulness and Psychedelic Sitters School regularly hire from our student population. Graduates are also creating successful private practices and getting jobs at other centers, clinics and retreats.
Please contact training@medicinalmindfulness.org to register for classes or to ask questions. We’re happy to set up a time to connect.
What is a practicum and why is it important?
Once students complete the Psychedelic Guide Training Intensive, they attend two Practicums in the following two months. These are scheduled and guided by our small group leaders, who are trained and experienced in the MBPT modality. The overall program is a full weekend with preparation and integration meetings before and after the weekend to support our students stepping into their practice. Practicums are both an assessment tool to determine a student’s readiness to practice guiding, but it is also a coaching opportunity to receive feedback and support.
Under our supervision, students will guide two psychedelic cannabis experiences and be the journeyer for two psychedelic cannabis experiences online with other members of your cohort.
Newer students complete two practicums. Qualified Legacy Practitioners and Licensed Practitioners only complete one practicum.
Psychedelic Guide Training – Online and In-Person Training – Hybrid Model
Students can attend Psychedelic Guide Training either in person in our Boulder, Colorado studio, a number of community “pods” around the United States and Canada, or online from the comfort of your own home via our hybrid training model.
The hybrid model allows us to host live virtual training via Zoom simultaneously with in-person cohorts. At this time you are able to choose whether you would like to attend a training intensive entirely online.
Should I choose in-person or online?
Pros of in-person training:
- Colorado has an accessible and potent psychedelic so you can begin your experiential training right now! Colorado was the first state to legalize cannabis in the USA and since has mastered the art of growing high THC cannabis. If psychedelics are not yet legal in your area, you can travel to the mile high state and try it out for yourself.
- If one of your priorities is growing your psychedelic network and forming lifelong friendships, then spending five days in community with your cohort is a great opportunity.
- In-person work is classic and essential to cultivating a practice. Dive into the details of what it means to create a sacred container and hold space for your clients.
Pros of online training:
- If cannabis is accessible where you live then you can easily learn to make a psychedelic cannabis blend with the products already available to you.
- Virtual training and psychedelic experiences maintain the depth of experience and without leaving the comfort of your own home. We have streamlined our virtual training to ensure that you feel safe and supported no matter what arises. All you need is the proper hardware and a stable internet connection.
- Guiding online sessions for your friends and clients is now a common modality in the post-Covid pandemic world. Learn all of the tech skills that will help you become a confident virtual guide.
- Online training is our most affordable option. Students don’t pay a space use fee or for travel expenses. It is easier to take a week off of work without the travel, and this may be crucial for some of our students, particularly our students with children or other dependents.
Why should I take the Psychedelic Guide Training – In-Person Cannabis & Mushroom Retreat instead of the Cannabis Hybrid Intensive?
The Cannabis & Mushroom Retreat is an in-person only intensive at a meditation retreat. Locations in Colorado are determined per retreat. This retreat is the same as the Psychedelic Guide Training Hybrid Intensive, but we add an optional group psilocybin mushroom journey. This retreat is perfect for students who wish to jump into working with psilocybin mushrooms right away but it is not required to take the Psilocybin Mushroom Support Specialty. Due to the smaller class size and location, there are added tuition and room and board costs to this program.