Pat Counselor will prepare<\/strong> We support our clients during their journey and, just as importantly, we work with them to integrate insights from that journey in the days that follow.<\/p>\nThe first step is to help clients benefit from dissociative journeys as well, says Gina Grazza, a certified marriage and family therapist based in Portland, Oregon, who facilitates journeys with ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin. If the therapist believes the treatment will be effective, the PAT counselor will help the client prepare.<\/p>\n
“Psychedelics can act as a revelation rather than the ultimate healer,” Grazza says. \u201cIt shows us what we need to work on while we\u2019re awake, and then the integration begins.\u201d Building trust with clients is also important. If any part of the process feels uncertain or unsafe for clients, they’re more likely to face challenges along the way, she says.<\/p>\n
External factors are also important, says Betty Worden, a licensed clinical social worker who practices psychedelic facilitation in Bend, Oregon. “It’s important to create an environment for people, especially if you’re in an urban area and there may be sirens, cars passing by, or other distractions,” Worden said. “We’re not doing this ceremonially in the jungle. We have to help manage it.”<\/p>\n
The Warden tells the client that she will remain in the physical environment and that if the client has any problems along the journey, they can bring them to her attention. “I’m not going to let them hit their head on the floor, but they can scream and scream and writhe in pain if that’s what they need to do.” Done right, Worden says, a psychedelic journey is a lot like helping move something you thought wouldn’t move.<\/p>\n
In some cases, “trying to figure out what someone needs can be a travesty,” Worden said. “I once had a client who was wearing three layers of clothing without me noticing and was under a thick blanket. He was clearly uncomfortable and started fanning himself with his hands before I realized he was on fire.” (She and the client laughed afterwards, but the director now encourages light clothing and uses blankets to regulate temperature.)<\/p>\n
Worden says facilitating a psychedelic trip can be intense, especially if the client is re-experiencing trauma. Helping clients get through their most difficult moments can be physical. PAT techniques include literally pushing on someone’s feet to mimic the ground, and holding hands to physically be together during a traumatic experience.<\/p>\n
Zappy Zaporin, who calls himself a “psychedelic concierge,” has worked with high-profile clients such as retired Los Angeles Lakers star Lamar Odom and actor Michelle Rodriguez. Zaporin helps clients prepare for scary moments (psychedelic facilitators are allergic to the term “bad trip” because even “bad,” “scary,” or “intense” experiences can have great benefits; the preferred term is “challenging journey”) by reminding clients that no matter what they see or experience, it will end and they are in a safe place.<\/p>\n
Grazza said helping someone who encounters something scary while traveling may include saying words or phrases that affirm that they are safe or are not alone. “Having a photo of a loved one, something meaningful, or a special cozy item like a blanket or stuffed animal may be calming,” she says.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next for psychedelic-assisted therapists?<\/h2>\n Despite everything<\/strong> Although the benefits of psychedelics are well-documented, the use of the drugs in therapy faces cultural bias, Worden says.<\/p>\nThe average person is probably more likely to associate psychedelics with Ari Gold getting lost in Joshua Tree or Ehrlich Bachmann smearing poop on a bathroom wall than with Ted Lasso going on a trip that saved AFC Richmond’s season.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy hope as a facilitator was to tell a different kind of story to think about psychedelics in a mainstream way,\u201d says Worden. “I want to reduce the stigma and help people understand what it means to use psilocybin for healing.”<\/p>\n
If you’re interested in trying PAT, you can search the Psychology Today database using filters for your region and the type of treatment you’d like to receive. Psychable maintains a list of PAT counselors, including psilocybin promoters in states where PAT is legal.<\/p>\n
Practitioners of psychedelic-assisted therapy are usually trained to work with specific drugs. Gratza has been trained using both ketamine and MDMA. Directors are trained in administering ketamine. Both are licensed psilocybin facilitators in the state of Oregon. Zaporin is one of many psychedelic facilitators who rely on acquired experience rather than formal training and has created his own certification program.<\/p>\n
Please know that your personal drive is also important in getting the results you want from psychedelics. “This is how the mind works,” Zaporin says. “Medicines can help, but it’s up to the individual to change their lifestyle, change their mind, and expand their consciousness to live in the real world. You have to learn how to apply the lessons you’ve learned and continue to name and defend those lessons when what’s going on in the world and when your family is throwing things at you.”<\/p>\n\n\nRelated articles<\/span>\n
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Andrew \u201cBernie\u201d Bernstein is the former editor of bicycle magazine Gear and bicycle marketing manager. During his time at Bicycling, he promoted the Bicycling Fall Classic and the famous 5th Street Cross Thursday Night Training Series. Bernie was an elite track and road racer from 2010 to 2019. In 2019, he was nearly killed by a driver near his home in Boulder, Colorado, leaving him partially paralyzed. He considers himself very lucky to still be able to hike and ride bikes with the help of an electric gravel bike. He has written about paracyclists’ experiences as disabled athletes for Men’s Health, Bicycling, and Outside Magazine. You can follow his adventures on Instagram.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n