Psychedelics are making significant progress
on their path to legalization.
Extensive research and professional literature have demonstrated the efficacy of psychedelics in promoting emotional, psychological, and spiritual growth. Groundbreaking milestones achieved through clinical trials conducted by prominent research institutions have validated the therapeutic effectiveness of these compounds, paving the way for a promising future in psychedelics.
In 2018, the U.S. FDA designated psilocybin as a "breakthrough therapy" for severe depression, surpassing existing treatments with substantial improvement.
Oregon took a pioneering step in 2020 by passing the Psilocybin Services Act, allowing the therapeutic administration of psilocybin starting in 2023. Colorado followed suit in 2022, legalizing psilocybin and allowing for the establishment of state-regulated consumption centers. This forward momentum is further evidenced by the growing shift in attitudes across multiple U.S. states, where decriminalization bills are being considered.
The global impact of this momentum is undeniable. Earlier this year, Australia approved the use of psilocybin in treating treatment-resistant depression. In the UK, the Parliament is actively engaged in discussions regarding the medical rescheduling of psilocybin. Simultaneously, the European Parliament has taken proactive measures by establishing the Action Group for Medical Use of Psychedelics, to position the European Union as a frontrunner in psychedelic regulation. These developments underscore the widespread recognition and the global opportunity that lies ahead in the field of psychedelics.
Yet, psychedelics are not a panacea. Alongside increased access, education on the rewards and risks associated with these substances is crucial.
Professional Continuity Workshop Hosts
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Daan Keiman is a Synthesis Content Advisor and the former Lead Facilitator and Director of Program and Product Development at the Synthesis Institute. He holds an MA in Spiritual Care and is the co-founder of Guild of Guides Netherlands, an organization that seeks to professionalize psychedelic sitting services, and of the Communitas Collective, a psychedelic think-and-practice tank. He has guided and cared for people in altered states of consciousness for over 15 years, ranging from harm reduction work at festivals to his private practice as a psychedelic and Buddhist chaplain.
Daan draws from his personal Buddhist practices, psychedelic research, and professional experiences to create compassionate and powerful containers for personal and relational transformation. Currently, his interest lies in understanding the ethics of offering psychedelic care.
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Pushing the boundaries of therapeutic modalities, Heather’s passion lies at the intersection of IFS (Internal Family Systems) and Expanded States of Consciousness, particularly within the realms of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.
From 2015 to 2023 Heather operated Insight Counseling of Alexandria, LLC a private practice where she applied parts work. Specializing in supporting clients integrating therapeutic medicine journey experiences, Heather pursued her commitment to fostering healing and growth. Her journey with IFS began in 2015. She further solidified her expertise, serving as a Program Assistant for numerous IFS trainings over the past several years.
In 2019 Heather initiated a MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) sponsored Expanded Access site for the FDA approved study of MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. It was through this initiative Heather received her MAPS Therapist training, and she has also been trained by Compass Pathways, Fluence.
Heather inaugurated The Moxie School® in January 2022, where she provides courses, workshops, and consultations tailored for therapists, coaches and guides seeking to refine their skills in IFS Informed Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Heather also organizes IFS Informed Retreats, fostering rich experiential journeys within a loving and carefully crafted community.
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By way of elemental movement, the shamanic arts and creative activism, Julian encourages personal inquiry and empowerment, empathetic relating and living in harmony with nature. He has worked with entheogens in ceremonial capacities for more than twenty years, most notably with psilocybin, ayahuasca, huachuma and kambo. While living in the Sacred Valley of Peru (2013-2016) and as Program Director at a medicine center in Costa Rica (2022-2023), he has helped guide over a thousand people through immersive experiences, driving personal process and holding a sacred space for transformation.
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Karina is a certified holistic health, transformation and integration guide and facilitator with a focus on healing through plant medicine. She is a transformational breath work facilitator and a trauma informed guide focused on embodiment practices to awaken somatic wisdom. Karina is the founder of the regenerative health platform Sovereign by Nature which centers indigenous wisdom keepers and healers, non-profit The ARC , and sacred container for women The Sacred Session She was recently the Senior Program Director at a not for profit plant medicine healing center in Costa Rica. She has over 10 years of experience with natural plant and forest medicines.
She is a bridgekeeper and in continuous study with indigenous wisdom teachers, elders and teachers that hold a multitude of medicine lineages. Her work centers collective healing and regenerative health through ceremonial medicine work, systems change and culture shifts.
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Costanza began working with psychedelics in 2012, initially as a participant, later as an assistant, then began training with shamans and healers, and eventually studied to become a Psychedelic Practitioner. Her last few years have been devoted to psilocybin, though she has worked with a variety of plant medicines. She is also a breathwork coach, working with the body’s knowledge to achieve understanding and promote healing. She has trained in Bioneuroemotion, a field that blends biology, neuroscience, epigenetics, NLP, and psychology. She received training in India to be able to instruct in meditation, yoga, and pranayama. She has finished a master plant dieta with Noya Rao and follows the tradition of the Shipibo from Peru in terms of shamanic techniques.
Her facilitation style combines ancient wisdom methods with cognitive therapeutic techniques from the West to produce powerful transformational experiences. When singing in ceremony, Costanza places emphasis on the healing potential of music. Her goal is to serve as a bridge for people seeking to start or continue their own journeys of self-discovery; creating safe spaces so others can engage in their psychedelic healing experiences feeling supported and empowered so their own inner wisdom can emerge.
CLOSEHere Is What Leaders In the Psychedelic Space Say About Synthesis Institute:
Bennet Zelner, Ph.D.
Regenerative Economist
“Psychedelics, when used appropriately, have the potential to revolutionize mental healthcare, and the professional training offered by Synthesis promises to help realize this potential. In contrast to mainstream approaches, Synthesis’ approach recognizes the critical role that connection plays in the production of well-being. The program also includes sessions on novel economic approaches to the delivery of care, which are critical to supporting the novel clinical approaches that Synthesis is helping to pioneer.”
Robin Cahart-Harris, Ph.D.
Founder of the Centre for Psychedelic Research atImperial College London
“Legal, professionally-organized retreats and trainings like (the ones) Synthesis offers can be a safe way for people to experience the transformational potential of psychedelics, and they can also be a great source of data for research centers like our own, helping to further advance the field. I'm excited to continue working alongside Synthesis to provide high-quality services and meaningful scientific research for the psychedelic community.”
PSYCHEDELIC PRACTITIONER
CORE TRAINING
Coursework Overview
PREPARING THE SOIL: Welcome and Orientation
We begin our journey together where all transformative journeys start—by orienting ourselves to where we are now and aligning ourselves as a community in the direction we are going. Over the course of two (2) weeks, you will be introduced to the key themes of the training, meet your pod group, review shared agreements, and begin a deep dive into self-exploration that will be a primary focus throughout the training.
MODULE ONE: Meet The Mushroom
In this module, we are introduced to the mushroom and truffles containing psilocybin, which is the foundation of our work at Synthesis. We explore the simplicity of the mushroom’s form and the complexity of its impact. We look at what we know about the mushroom through our four lenses (embodied, cognitive, sacred, and relational wisdom), and we begin to explore how we interact with this dynamic organism and how we understand its role in our personal lives and our professional practice.
MODULE TWO: The Ecology of Ethics and the Role of the Shadow
To do this work with integrity, we must be aware of the ethical questions that we face as individuals and as a larger community. In this module, we explore an ecology of ethics that will support you in addressing different ethical challenges and systemic dynamics that cause harm. We also meet the Shadow and take some time to examine our own internalized biases, as well as how to work with the Shadow when engaging with our clients and with the larger psychedelic community.
MODULE THREE: Many Ways of Knowing
The Synthesis model is built around honoring the many ways of knowing and ethical meaning-making. We recognize that no one perspective sees the whole picture, so we will practice looking at the human experience through many different lenses. In this module, we will pay particular attention to different ways of understanding health and wholeness, the nuances of cultural context, and our ways of relating to ourselves, others, and the more-than-human world.
MODULE FOUR: Healing, Trauma, and the Body
On our journey to wholeness, we are bound to encounter various forms of trauma. Understanding how trauma works and how to create the conditions in which someone can surface, process, and resolve it is critical to psychedelic work, as psychedelics can both help and hinder the healing of trauma. In this module, we explore what it means to be a trauma-informed practitioner, including how to develop the relational, emotional, and somatic skills we need to be able to hold a healing space in ourselves and for others.
MODULE FIVE: Key Elements of Preparation
In this module, we explore various ways of preparing ourselves and our clients for a psychedelic experience, including useful somatic and cognitive practices as well as the importance of intentionality and building the therapeutic alliance.
MODULE SIX: Screening for Readiness and Safety
How we gauge readiness is both an art and a science, involving both intuition and facts. In this module, we will discuss how to screen for your own competence as well as for a client’s readiness and safety. We will also explore various strategies to minimize risk before, during, and after a session or ceremony, in order to maximize our efforts at harm reduction.
MODULE SEVEN: Navigating Uncharted Territory
There are many ways to approach a psychedelic session or ceremony, and in this module we look at various approaches and discuss the importance of working in alignment with your capacity and a client’s needs. We explore the topography of non-ordinary states of consciousness and deepen your work with practices that will help you become a compassionate, safe, abiding presence for those who wish to walk in uncharted territories.
MODULE EIGHT: Key Elements of Integration
Whether a psychedelic experience was delightful or difficult, harnessing insights and working with what emerged during the journey depends on intentional and ongoing integration. In this module, we explore different approaches to working with a variety of experiences and how to utilize an experience for lasting transformation.
MODULE NINE: A Life of Service
In this final module, you will reflect on your journey and synthesize what you have learned. You will also orient yourself to what is next, both as you prepare for your own psychedelic experience with Synthesis and as you think about how you wish to be of service to yourself, your community, the more-than-human world, and the emerging field of psychedelic care.
INTEGRATION: Assessment, Closing, and Completion
After the conclusion of the nine (9) coursework modules, you will participate in an assessment period during which your peers and your learning facilitator will review your portfolio of assignments and supervise a final oral examination. To honor your learning journey, we end with a closing ceremony and final celebration where you will receive your certificate of completion.
One-of-a-Kind, Facilitated, Small Group Study With Weekly Live Sessions
A unique component of the Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training is the small group learning experience. You will move through the program in groups of no larger than 10 participants that we affectionately refer to as pods. Your pod will be guided by one of our experienced learning facilitators who will offer mentorship, leadership, and guidance for your journey. You will be with your pod for the orientation, nine (9) coursework modules, and the integration period.
Current students report this is one of the most meaningful components of the program. Not only do they feel held and supported throughout the education process, but they are creating lasting connections that will continue to support their personal and professional growth beyond the training. The weekly live small group pod session dates and times will be released once the next training cohort start date is determined.
All weekly small group pod sessions are 2.5 hours in length. You will be assigned a small group pod training day/time as part of the onboarding process once you are enrolled in the training.
Note: Seasonal time changes may affect the time by one (1) hour during certain parts of the year. Additional pod times may be made available pending enrollment.
