Psilocybin Facilitation in Portland, OR
Psychedelic curious?
You might have heard a friend’s transformative story, or come across intriguing articles and videos that sparked your curiosity. Perhaps, despite years of therapy, you feel there's still a deeper level of healing waiting for you. I’m happy you’re here.
Medicinal plants and fungi, also known as entheogens, are non-addictive and when used in safe and supportive environments, often provide participants with transformative, spiritual, and/or healing experiences. While those medicines have been used by indigenous communities for thousands of years, interest in entheogens has recently reemerged in western cultures because of their therapeutic and spiritual potential.
In 2020 Oregon residents voted to legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin in controlled settings. This is the first legal psilocybin framework in the country.
Studies indicate that psilocybin can help create new neural pathways, enabling us to let go of limiting beliefs, repeated patterns of behavior, and unresolved traumas that keep us stuck. With these old patterns no longer in place, we become open to new perspectives and more effective ways of approaching persistent challenges.
The relief experienced by clients is significant and tends to endure long after the experience. Psilocybin often provides a shift in perspective that we can carry into our daily lives, benefiting ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Clinical research from top institutions in the U.S. show promising results in treating conditions like substance use disorder, depression, and PTSD.
What is Psilocybin Facilitation?
How I can help
What to Expect from a Psilocybin Session
Each psilocybin experience is unique, shaped by your personal history, current circumstances, and the goals you bring to the session. Because of this, no two experiences are the same.
Preparing for Your Psilocybin Session
After reviewing your intake forms, we’ll schedule two one-hour preparation sessions. During these sessions, we’ll discuss your life events, personal background, and reasons for seeking psilocybin facilitation. I’ll guide you through what to expect before, during, and after your session, including potential physical and psychological effects.
We’ll also work together to identify the best mindset for your session and I’ll teach you regulation techniques to help you manage any discomfort or challenging emotions that may arise during the experience.
Administering Psilocybin
During your session, you’ll typically lie down with your eyes closed, listening to music. The experience is often deeply internal, and talking is kept to a minimum. Depending on the individual and the dosage, the session usually lasts between six to eight hours.
If you encounter any anxiety, difficult memories, or visions, breathwork and reassuring touch (with prior written consent, as per Oregon State psilocybin laws) may be used to help you stay grounded. The goal is not to avoid the experience but to help you process and learn from it.
Integrating Your Psilocybin Experience
To fully benefit from your session, it’s essential to actively engage in integrating the insights and experiences that arise. To support this, you’ll have an hour-long integration session soon after your psilocybin experience, and again within a month following your session. These integration sessions are designed to help you incorporate what you’ve learned into your everyday life.
When providing psilocybin facilitation, I am not acting in my role as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Psilocybin services are offered under the regulations of the Oregon Health Authority: Oregon Psilocybin Services and are separate from my psychotherapy practice. These services do not constitute psychotherapy or mental health treatment. If you are seeking psychotherapy, I offer separate services as a licensed clinician.
Frequently asked questions —
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Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound found in over 200 species of mushrooms. As a classic psychedelic, it has been used by humans for spiritual and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years, with evidence of its use found across the globe.
Mushrooms have long been revered for their connection to the spirit world, playing a key role in rituals that emphasize our bond with the earth, the cosmos, deities, ancestors, and the inner self.
Chemically, psilocybin and its active form, psilocin, closely resemble serotonin, a neurotransmitter produced in the gut. Serotonin influences mood, cognition, memory, learning, reward pathways, and various other physiological functions in the body.
Due to its structural similarities, psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors, impacting our mood, cognitive processes, memory, and emotional regulation.
While psilocybin has been used for centuries with countless anecdotal reports of its benefits, Western science is only recently beginning to explore its therapeutic potential.
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In Oregon, "psilocybin services" refers to the preparation, administration, and integration sessions facilitated by a licensed provider. The psilocybin products used in these sessions must be sourced from a licensed manufacturer and can only be administered at a licensed psilocybin service center. These services are available to individuals aged 21 and older, and do not require a prescription or medical referral. Individuals receiving these services are referred to as "clients." Oregon and non-Oregon residents are eligible.
Oregon has created a regulatory framework for the sale and use of psilocybin products, ensuring safety.
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Psilocybin carries some small risks when taken in medium to large doses. There is no lethal dose of psilocybin.
During a psilocybin journey, you may revisit past memories, including those linked to trauma. Confronting these memories can be intense, and it’s important to be in a safe, supportive environment as you navigate this experience.
Common effects of psilocybin include nausea and possibly headaches. It can also increase heart rate, similar to the effect of climbing a flight of stairs.
If you have a mental health condition that causes a distorted sense of reality, such as schizophrenia, psychosis, or mania, or are experiencing suicidal ideation, you are not eligible for psilocybin services. Large doses may worsen symptoms of these conditions.
Psilocybin remains a controlled substance under federal law, and there is still stigma surrounding its use.
As for drug testing, psilocybin is rarely tested for in urine tests. It is water-soluble and is typically eliminated from the system within 24 hours.
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Psilocybin has been linked to experiences of enhanced creativity, joy, connection, and love, along with vivid sensory effects.
One of its key benefits is promoting neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself based on our experiences. The more we repeat certain behaviors, the more deeply they are ingrained in our neural pathways.
By using psilocybin, we can create space to disconnect from outdated patterns and rewire our brains in ways that better serve us.
While psilocybin’s potential is still being explored, research and growing acceptance in western medicine suggest it could be effective in addressing a range of conditions such as addiction, anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, and OCD. Both small and larger doses have shown promising benefits for improving well-being.