Psychedelic Preparation and Integration
They open us to startling new worlds and to transformative cycles of healing and joy. And then there’s the other side – they can terrify us, put us adrift between two worlds, or sometimes leave us disappointed. If they were predictable they wouldn’t be psychedelics. So preparing for them has to bear all that in mind, as you “shake the snow globe” of your life and see what happens.
And then afterwards: research seems to show that for some time after a psychedelic experience the brain can be more open to change than it normally is – brain plasticity as they call it. That doesn’t mean you grow new neurons, but that the ones you have may be able to reorganize themselves into new patterns, letting you escape the thrall of entrenched habits of mind. That may mean disrupting old mental routines like always being your worst critic, and installing new ones, like remembering to slow down and take care of yourself.
But probably the biggest effect of psychedelics is the perspective change. It’s a bit like growing up in some sleepy suburb and then finding yourself sleeping under the stars in a tropical rainforest or staying in a Tibetan temple. Utterly different vistas and worldviews suddenly become the norm for a brief span, and you can let that change you forever – or you can bury yourself back into the business-as-usual life.
Changing ourselves forever – that sounds like an ambitious plan, and I have ideas about ways to do that. You can search this site to find out more about them, but the best way is to set up a $30 for 30-minute consultation with me. There you can ask all your questions about how I work and how you may see your way forward.
The Work We Can Do:
Prepare for the experience: set intentions, prepare your mindset, and get tips on how to deal with difficult moments, if they arise.
Integrate the plant medicine experience, absorb the lesson that were given, and figure out your next steps.
Recover from fearful, confusing or disappointing experiences.
Work out emotional issues the medicine may have addressed or opened up.
Consider issues of meaning and purpose that the medicine has raised.
Consider changes you may make in your life — deepening relationships, bringing in new practices.
The tool I use for this is Holistic Psychotherapy, which invites you into a calm and centered state so you can go inside yourself, explore your own imaginal realms and keep those healing cycles going. You can also integrate your plant medicine experience by reconnecting with its imagery and by going on new journeys of self-acceptance and letting go.
I have been working with people who have taken psychedelics since 2003, and since 1996 I have been using the pragmatic, compassionate method of drug treatment known as harm reduction. I use plant medicines myself, and so I am drawn to working with people who have taken these extraordinary catalysts for healing and change.
$30 for 30 minutes
Introductory Session
Contact me with your questions, concerns and ideas. I offer a $30 for 30 minutes consultation so that you can prepare for or process a psychedelic experience, or just find out more about the way I work. I am located in New York City but these days I am operating purely online, so we can talk by phone, FaceTime, Skype, zoom, or any other platform you are comfortable with. Any communication you make with me comes under the aegis of psychotherapy and is completely confidential. I don’t share your email address with anybody.