FAQs
The following information is for educational purposes. If you are considering working with psychedelics, be sure you know the local and national laws where you live. In some states, and in some countries, possessing and taking psychedelics is legal. My assumption is that if you are considering this work, you are aware of the legality.
What are the benefits of taking a psychedelic?
The word psychedelic means “mind-revealing” or “soul-revealing.” These substances can help us see parts of ourselves that we don’t usually access—parts of our unconscious, or perhaps our soul. They can quiet down the default mode network, a part of the brain associated with self-criticism and rigid thought loops, allowing what's in our hearts and bodies to come forward. In this expanded state, we often gain new insights and make connections that aren’t available in ordinary consciousness. We may come to understand ourselves more deeply—why we are the way we are, what has shaped us, and what is possible.
Psychedelics can also deepen our relationship with the body and its wisdom. Emotions that might feel overwhelming in daily life can become more accessible and manageable. This can open the door to healing unresolved pain, releasing outdated patterns, processing relationships, and clarifying how we want to live. When approached intentionally and in the right setting, psychedelics can support powerful transformation. Emerging research, including studies from Johns Hopkins and NYU, shows that they can reduce depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, and help people experience greater emotional flexibility, meaning, and connection.
I've heard that psychedelics help us rewire our brain. Is that true?
Yes. Take a look at the image: the one on the left shows typical brain activity during everyday consciousness. The one on the right shows brain activity under psilocybin. Each colored dot represents a different neural network. Under psilocybin, these networks become more integrated—they start talking to each other in new ways. This increased communication can lead to fresh insights, creative thinking, and perspective shifts.
Psychedelics also affect how neurons communicate by activating serotonin receptors, particularly the 5-HT2A receptor. This can temporarily loosen the grip of deeply ingrained thought patterns. When these default patterns quiet down, long-held beliefs—some formed in childhood—can soften. We may see ourselves, others, and the world through a new lens. This is one way psychedelics support lasting change: by opening a window of neuroplasticity, they create space for us to reimagine who we are and how we want to live.
Your guide or facilitator will help you prepare, but here are a few key things to consider.
You’ll want to be physically and emotionally stable, have a solid support system—which might include family, friends, or a therapist—and have enough spaciousness in your schedule to prepare for the journey and integrate it afterward.
If you take medications, you may need to adjust them before working with some psychedelics—but this should always be done with medical supervision. Your guide should talk with you about any medications or supplements you're taking.
How can I set myself up for a good experience with psychedelics?
Yes. It’s not wise to take psychedelics if you’re in an active crisis or navigating a particularly challenging life situation.
There are also mental and physical health conditions that may make psychedelic use unsafe. If you or someone in your immediate family has a history of psychosis, schizophrenia, or other serious psychiatric conditions, it’s especially important to proceed with caution. Some experiences—especially with high doses or certain medicines—may also be contraindicated for those with traits of bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder.
Depending on the psychedelic, there may also be physical health contraindications.
A responsible guide will start with a discovery call and conduct a thorough intake process to assess readiness. They may also consult with a trusted doctor or pharmacist—confidentially—when specific medical questions arise. If you’re unsure, it’s always okay to ask questions and take your time.
Safety and readiness are essential for healing. Here's more on understanding your risk factors.
Are there some people who shouldn't take psychedelics?
Are psychedelics helpful for dealing with trauma?
How do I know if I have trauma?
It’s estimated that about two-thirds of people live with the effects of trauma—often without realizing it. Trauma isn’t just what happens to you; it’s what happens inside you afterward. It occurs when an experience overwhelms your ability to cope, leading to a sense of helplessness or loss of control. Often, this begins in childhood, when we lack the support and tools to process pain. Over time, these experiences shape our nervous system and become embedded in how we relate to ourselves and others.
Trauma is rarely a single event. More often, it’s cumulative—too much, too soon, for too long. It can happen when emotional attunement is missing, when stress outweighs our capacity to respond, or when there simply isn’t time, space, or safety to heal. In response, we may repress emotions, disconnect from our intuition, or mask our authentic selves.
Many symptoms of trauma arise from dysregulation in the nervous system—when energy from a survival response gets stuck. Healing requires giving that energy a chance to move, be felt, and be released. Psychedelics can support this process. They help us feel our bodies and emotions more deeply, access inner experiences that have been buried, and gain insight into what happened and how we’ve coped. With the right support, they can create a sense of safety, spaciousness, and self-compassion that’s essential for healing.
There’s a growing body of research—especially around MDMA and psilocybin—showing that psychedelics can reduce symptoms of PTSD and help people heal from trauma. The findings are hopeful. But, like all powerful tools, they require care, preparation, and skilled support.
I’ve had positive plant-medicine experiences in group ceremonies. Why work one-on-one with a guide?
Working one-on-one with a trained guide can deepen what you already appreciate about plant medicine. In a private container you get focused attention and care—someone paying close attention to your nervous system, offering grounding, pacing, and somatic support so difficult images or memories can come up without overwhelming you.
In addition, our deepest wounds usually happened in relationship, so healing often needs a relationship: a guide offers the chance to repair those wounds, to practice new ways of being seen and cared for, and to rework interpersonal patterns that have kept old pain alive.
After the session, a guide helps you turn a powerful experience into meaningful changes in your life. Integration is where we take action on the healing and insights we experience in a ceremony, and a guide is there to support you to make those changes. Compared with a group ceremony, one-on-one work gives you the support to safely process trauma, or explore the material that’s most relevant to you. A guide brings safety, skilled navigation, and a pathway to lasting change.
What should I consider when looking for a psychedelic guide?
What should I ask?
If you're exploring working with a guide, your first step will likely be a phone or video call—sometimes called a “discovery call.” During this conversation, the guide should share a bit about themselves and how they work. They may ask questions to understand your intentions and assess whether they’re a good fit for your needs. They should also ask about your physical and mental health history to ensure psychedelic work is safe for you—and you should have ample opportunity to ask questions as well.
A skilled guide will have done deep personal healing work with psychedelics, received comprehensive training, and ideally apprenticed or interned with a trusted mentor. They should be well-versed in supporting people through trauma, have strong boundaries, and have a network of support themselves—such as a therapist, supervisor, or elder they consult.
Here are some good questions to ask a prospective guide:
What qualifies you to be a psychedelic guide?
What is your experience as a guide? What kinds of settings have you worked in? Which medicines have you worked with?
What training have you received?
How do you support people who are working with trauma?
What kind of personal healing work have you done?
Do you have a therapist, guide, or supervisor you regularly consult?
How do you see your role during a journey?
What is a typical journey with you like?
Do you test your medicines for purity?
How do you respond if someone is having a difficult experience?
Trust is the foundation of this work. When you're in an expanded state of consciousness, you’re vulnerable in every way. You need to feel safe with your guide. When you meet with someone, tune into your body. Do you feel settled, curious, safe? Or do you feel unsure, contracted, or hesitant? Your intuition matters.
A good guide will also be attuned to their own sense of readiness. They may recognize that their skills aren’t the right fit for you—and if they say so, that’s a sign of their integrity, not a rejection. You deserve support that is skillful, safe, and aligned. Take your time. Ask all the questions you need. The right guide will welcome them.
Aren't psychedelics illegal?
Ketamine is currently the only psychedelic that is fully legal for therapeutic use with a licensed provider. Other psychedelics—like psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA—remain federally illegal in the U.S. That said, there are some legal gray zones. In cities like Oakland and Denver, personal use and possession of psilocybin-containing mushrooms and other plant-based psychedelics has been decriminalized. This doesn’t mean they are legal, but that enforcement is considered a low priority for law enforcement.
Some entheogenic churches—such as one in Oakland—operate under First Amendment protections for religious freedom. Members may be able to access psychedelics for ceremonial use, though these legal frameworks are still evolving. Psychedelics are also legally protected for certain Indigenous groups for religious use, including the Native American Church’s use of peyote.
Many guides choose to work with psychedelics despite the legal risks. For some, this is rooted in a deep connection to ancient traditions of plant and fungi medicine. Indigenous peoples across the Americas have used psychedelics in healing and ceremonial contexts for thousands of years. When Spanish colonizers arrived in what is now Mexico and Central America, they encountered these sacred practices—and outlawed them in an effort to suppress Indigenous knowledge and power. For some guides, reclaiming a relationship with plant medicine is an act of decolonization and cultural healing.
The criminalization of psychedelics in the 20th century also reflects systems of control—used to suppress both countercultural movements and non-Western ways of healing. If you’re interested in this history, Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind offers a helpful starting point.
How can I learn more about psychedelics?
There are a good number of books, articles and podcasts about psychedelics. Some guides caution against doing too much reading and research prior to a psychedelic experience as all of the information can also be unhelpful. Here are some recommended resources:
How to Change Your Mind, Michael Pollan: This has become a classic text in this field. It's very readable and has a ton of information about the brain science, history, legal issues, and much more. There's also a Netflix series by the same name that's a good starting place.
Fantastic Fungi is a beautiful documentary.
UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics: Lot of information, articles, podcasts, and more.
Season 5 of Truth Be Told explores psychedelics, healing from trauma, and includes a thoughtful consideration of race and gender.
If you're interested in the science of psychedelics, Manesh Girn, the Psychedelic Scientist, has a great YouTube channel with very easy to understand, short videos explaining science and more.
This is a short podcast on the neuroscience of psychedelics.
Andrew Huberman's podcast, Huberman Lab, has a number of lengthy episodes about psychedelics, focusing on the science. This one is about MDMA, and this one is about psilocybin and this one is about the science of psychedelics for mental health.
Tim Ferriss also has a number of podcast episodes about psychedelics. Do a search and see which titles most interest you.
Glennon Doyle's podcast has an episode on how people are using psychedelics to help their relationships.