꩜Choosing a Psychedelic Guide

Embarking on a journey of transformation and deep psychological healing is a monumental event. Sacred psychedelic medicines such as Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Mushrooms, Iboga, and the DMT family hold profound potential to support psychological, spiritual, and somatic healing at the deepest levels.

These experiences are big — they can be overwhelming, cathartic, and at times beyond explanation. You may be called to share vulnerably, to feel emotional waves, and to release what no longer serves you through physical, emotional, or energetic purging. The journey can bring sadness, joy, profound insight, and moments of profound release — all in service of the "you" you are becoming.

Because of the depth and intensity of this work, it is essential to approach your process — and your choice of guide — with mindfulness and care. The following are thoughtful questions to consider when choosing a practitioner for this deeply transformative path:

✔What is their experience with this medicine?
How experienced are they, truthfully? Experiential or Training? Imagine you are going to engage in a series of skydiving jumps, what depth, type, and length of working experience would you prefer? Why do they offer this particular sacrament, and what is their relationship with it? How much time have they invested in personal exploration and experience with the substance they are offering? Has their own healing journey shaped their work?

🧘🏻‍♀️Are they actively engaged in personal and professional development?
Do they regularly participate in self-reflection, supervision, integration practices, and ongoing education?

💎Do they understand the medicine deeply?
Are they knowledgeable about the sacrament’s properties, typical experiences, contraindications, and safety protocols? Can they clearly explain the process and what to expect, including what happens if you feel nervous or overwhelmed?

🐦‍🔥What are their emergency protocols?
Do they have clear, practiced plans in place for safety and care if challenges arise?

📖What is their personal story?
How did they come to this path? How long have they been guiding others in this work? What calls them to serve in this way?

🤷🏾‍♂️What can you expect from the process?
What does preparation look like? What support is available for integration afterward? If you need more preparation or ongoing integration, will they provide it?

🌐Are they connected to a larger community of practice?
Do they work within a network, receive supervision, and continue to grow their knowledge and skill set?

🧺What other healing modalities do they bring?
Are they trauma-informed? Do they have training in specific therapeutic or somatic practices that can support your process?

🤝Choosing the right guide is one of the most important steps in your healing journey. Allow yourself the time and space to ask these questions with care, and trust the wisdom that arises.💫

🌿 Our Code of Ethics

Honoring the Sacred Path of Healing with Earth Medicines

At the heart of this work is deep respect for the spirit of the medicine, the traditions that have carried this wisdom for generations, and the people we serve and come into contact,. These guiding principles are the foundation of how I hold space, walk this path, and serve the community.

✨ Respect for the Medicine and its Roots

We honor the medicines as sacred Plant Teachers. We respect the indigenous lineages, cultures, and wisdom that steward this medicine, and we commit to the observance of right relationship and ethical and sustainable sourcing of all earth medicines.

🛡️ Your Safety Comes First

Physical, emotional, and spiritual safety are paramount. I maintain clear protocols for screening, preparation, and emergency situations. You’ll always know what to expect, and support is here every step of the way.

📝 Informed and Empowered Choices

Consent is essential. I will always ensure you are fully informed about the nature of this work — including potential risks and benefits — so you can make empowered, sovereign choices.

💛 Compassionate, Trauma-Informed Care

This is a space of non-judgment and compassion. I hold space with sensitivity to the many life experiences you may carry, and support you through every stage of the journey.

🌿 Ongoing Self-Responsibility and Integrity

As a practitioner, I am committed to continuous growth, learning, and personal practice. I walk this path alongside you, always in integrity and accountability to my role and responsibilities.

🔒 Confidentiality and Trust

Your privacy matters deeply. All personal information and experiences shared in this space are held in the strictest confidence.

🚫 Zero Tolerance for Exploitation

This is a safe space. I uphold professional boundaries and do not tolerate any abuse of power, manipulation, or inappropriate relationships within the container of this work.

🌱 Integration and Aftercare Support

True healing continues beyond the ceremony. I provide integration guidance and resources to help you make meaning of your experience and support your growth in daily life.

🧭 Community and Connection

I stay connected with peers, teachers, and indigenous communities to ensure my practice is accountable, evolving, and in service to the greater good. A portion of proceeds is also directed toward supporting indigenous wisdom keepers and plant conservation.

🌟 Service from the Heart

Above all, I serve with humility and devotion. This path is not about me — it is about the medicine, the healing it offers, and your sovereign journey toward wholeness.

🌿 With respect and gratitude to the Earth, the plant spirits, and the wisdom of the ancestors.🐸
Thank you for walking this path with me.✨

 🦋Basic Preparation Practice

🏵 Clarifying Your Intention (Mindset / “Set”)

Your mindset, or "set," plays a fundamental part in shaping your experience. The best practice is to write your intention/s down after a time of refection, evaluation, and simplification. Why are you doing this? What is calling to you at this time in your special life? How do you rate your overall readiness? And what if anything needs more preparation, fine tuning, or evaluation? Reflect on both conscious and unconscious emotional inspirations as in dreams or unusual seemingly random thoughts, connections, events, or images that catch your attention.  And finally, what do you hope to gain at the end and what can you do directly after the experience to give the result time to settle and integrate? The most challenging aspect for most people is fear or letting go. Exercises that help you to practice and attain some skill to relax, settle, and trust your personal guides can vastly improve the entry and likely the entire trip. Approaching the experience with openness and curiosity can enhance its transformative potential.​

🧘🏽‍♀️Creating a Supportive Environment (“Setting”)

The physical and social environment, or "setting," should be safe, comfortable, and free from distractions. Choose a familiar space where you feel secure. Consider soft lighting, calming music, and meaningful objects to foster a nurturing atmosphere. Have a trusted individual present to both witness your experience as well as provide support if needed.​ When choosing to sit with a facilitator or guide ask about the setting and be able to imagine it in your mind. And finally prepare your return to home. Your home setting both before the event and after can have profound effect on the outcome. Choose to set aside or finish and unfinished projects, take care of any necessary household duties that could distract your integration process. Some people choose to move a piece of furniture. Perhaps changing in which direction, you lay your head at night or the view from the chair you sit in most are a few examples. Our living environment can inform and affect our wellbeing.

🍎Preparing physically

• Nutrition: In the days and sometimes weeks leading up to your experience you will be suggested to opt for light, bland, wholesome meals. Avoid heavy, processed foods, alcohol, and over use of caffeine and marijuana. Some traditions recommend a "media diet," limiting exposure to distressing content to maintain a peaceful mindset.​ Or as Timothy Leary once said, “Be careful what you put in your eyes” 👀

  💧Hydration & Rest: Psychedelic medicines whether plant or other always take a toll on the body. A basic rule of thumb is the longer or more high intense the journey they more strain on the body.  Ensure you are well-hydrated and well-rested. Read over any specific preparation instructions given to you by the Prescriber or facilitator. A mindfully prepared body supports a smoother journey.​ 🕊

  ⚠ Avoid Contraindications: Recall any medications, supplements, implants, procedures, programs, or health conditions that might interact adversely with the intended medicinal journey. Read and understand any specific instructions given to you. Consult with a psychedelic informed healthcare professional if uncertain.​ ⚠

✔Emotional and Psychological Readiness

Engaging in practices like group meditation, personal coaching, or therapy to explore your emotional landscape can be extremely helpful.  Addressing unresolved feelings beforehand can lead to a smoother, more focused, and intentional healing experience.​ Approaching your mind-altering experience with self-compassion, consideration, and mindful preparation tasks can enhance its safety and transformative potential.

Trip Traps & Integration Tips Booklet:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGmstSKak4/33qKJCGHyUpfxm7ttNpvGg/view

Integration & Aftercare Essentials
~Supporting Your Psychedelic Journey~

👇Immediate Aftercare

• Hydrate and nourish your body.

• Allow for rest and gentle movement.

• Journal or voice note initial reflections.

• listen to your heart

• take time being IN nature

🧘‍♀️Emotional Integration

• Expect a range of emotions.

• Engage in grounding practices: meditation, breathwork, nature walks.

  👯‍♀️Seek support from trusted friends, integration circles, or therapists.

⋆˙⟡Community Resources

• Fireside Project’s Psychedelic Peer Support Line

• Local integration circles (Denver/Boulder)

• Trusted therapists trained and experienced in psychedelic integration

📚Therapeutic Tools

• Somatic therapy, breathwork, art therapy

• Mindfulness practices and meditation

• movement, walking in nature, sitting on the earth

• Professional integration therapy sessions

💗Long-Term Integration

• Reflect on insights: What lessons did you receive?

• Take small, actionable steps toward change.

• Be patient with yourself — integration is a process, not an event.

🤷🏻‍♀️When to Seek Help

• Persistent anxiety, depression, or confusion

• Physical symptoms of concern

• Feelings of being "stuck" in the experience

🦋Remember: Integration is not an ending, but the sacred continuation of your journey — it is where the healing continues to unfold, insights turn into real-life change, transmutation becomes embodiment, and wisdom blooms into transformation. 🦋

Harm Reduction & Safe Use Guidelines

For Adults Psychedelics & Drugs

This guide is grounded in the internationally recognized Principles of Harm Reduction, adapted for the context of psychedelic and substance use in our Colorado communities.
Harm reduction is about compassion, dignity, and informed choices — not perfection. Whether you’re curious, experienced, or supporting others, this is your roadmap to safer practices.

1. Respect for Choice & Autonomy

• Acknowledge that people will engage with substances for various reasons: healing, exploration, recreation, ceremony.

• The goal is not judgment, but informed, safer choices.

• Every person deserves non-coercive support and access to accurate, non-stigmatizing information.

2. Informed Knowledge of Substances

• Understand the medicine: effects, risks, duration, and dosage.

• Test your substances whenever possible.

  • Resource: Use trusted reagent kits (e.g., DanceSafe).

• Recognize that strength and composition can vary even within the same substance type.

3. Safety Planning & Emergency Preparedness

• Prepare a safe, clean, and supportive setting.

• Have a sober, trusted sitter or guide when engaging with strong psychoactives.

• Know emergency numbers (911 for medical, Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-8255).

• Understand contraindications, especially with mental health conditions or medications.

4. Prioritize Wellbeing

• Hydrate, nourish, and rest well before and after.

• Avoid polysubstance use (mixing substances), especially with alcohol or prescriptions.

• Listen to your body and intuition — if it feels wrong, pause.

5. Mental Health & Integration Support

• Psychedelics can surface deep psychological material.

• Have integration resources ready: therapists, support circles, or trusted friends.

• Consider working with trauma-informed professionals for preparation and integration.

6. Community Care & Connection

• Harm reduction is rooted in mutual aid. Stay connected.

• Participate in or create safe spaces for peer support and open conversation.

• Support policies and practices that reduce stigma and increase access to education and resources.

7. Environmental & Cultural Respect

• Honor the ecological and cultural origins of sacred plant medicines.

• Avoid exploitative sourcing and respect indigenous knowledge holders.

• Support sustainable practices and conservation efforts (e.g., for Peyote).

8. Recognize the Spectrum of Use

• Substance use exists on a continuum from beneficial to harmful.

• Approach yourself and others without judgment.

• Every step toward safety, care, and reflection matters.

Local Colorado Resources

• Denver Psilocybin Initiative — Updates on local policy and decriminalization.

• DanceSafe.org — Testing kits and harm reduction resources.

• MAPS Integration List — Psychedelic integration specialists.

• Colorado Crisis Services — 1-844-493-TALK (8255)

• Zendo Project — Peer support during psychedelic experiences.

Closing Reflection 🌿

“Harm reduction is love in action. It is meeting people where they’re at, but not leaving them there.”
Let this guide serve as a compass toward safer, empowered, and compassionate choices. Whether your journey is ceremonial, therapeutic, or exploratory — you deserve support, care, and community.🏳️‍🌈

🌿 Sitter & Space Preparation Checklist

Sacred Space + Safety: Preparing for a Psychedelic Session

Environment

• Quiet, private, and safe space

• Comfortable seating/lying options

• Access to restroom & water

• First aid kit available

• Emergency contacts and phone accessible

Mindful Setup

• Altar or grounding objects (optional)

• Gentle music or soundscapes

• Low, warm lighting

• Temperature control (blankets, fans)

Sitter Preparation

• Fully sober, rested, and grounded

• Reviewed emergency protocols

• Clear intention: Supportive presence

• Knows participant’s intake & health considerations

Participant Preparation

• Pre-session check-in

• Safety & consent discussion

• Set intention together

• Confirm no contraindicated substances or medications

Extras

• Snacks, hydration post-journey

• Journal, art supplies for integration

• Integration plan in place.

📝 Participant Safety & Self-Assessment Form

Confidential Self-Assessment & Safety Checklist

For your safety and optimal experience, please answer honestly.

Health & Medical History

• Any cardiovascular conditions? (Yes/No)

• History of seizures or epilepsy? (Yes/No)

• Currently pregnant or nursing? (Yes/No)

• History of mental health diagnoses (depression, bipolar, psychosis, etc.)? (Yes/No, please specify)

Medications

• List current medications:

• Any MAOIs, SSRIs, antipsychotics, or blood pressure medications?

Substance Use

• Do you currently use alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or other substances regularly?

• Have you used psychedelics before? What was your experience?

Emotional Readiness

• Current emotional state:

• Any recent major life events (grief, trauma, breakup, etc.)?

Intention

• What is your intention/s for this journey?

• What fears, hopes, or specific areas of focus?

Emergency Contact

• Name:

• Phone:

• Relationship:

Your safety is our priority. All information is confidential.