Psychedelics are making significant progress
on their path to legalization.
The past few years have marked a significant resurgence in psychedelic research, driven by growing global interest and an urgent need for more effective mental health treatments. As a result, psychedelics are now being rigorously studied under clinical conditions, signaling a paradigm shift in mental health care.
As countries worldwide reevaluate their regulations, the therapeutic potential of these substances is being explored more extensively than ever before. The U.S. FDA’s 2018 designation of psilocybin as a "breakthrough therapy" for severe depression underscored its ability to significantly outperform existing treatments. This recognition catalyzed regulatory advancements, with Oregon (2020) and Colorado (2022) pioneering frameworks for therapeutic use and regulated access to psilocybin. Meanwhile, since 2022, Canada has allowed physicians to request psychedelics for mental health treatments, demonstrating a growing international acceptance.
This shift extends beyond North America. In 2023, Australia became the first country to approve psilocybin for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression, while the European Parliament has taken steps to position the EU as a leader in psychedelic research, funding its first clinical studies into psychedelic-assisted mental health treatments.
Currently, hundreds of clinical trials are investigating the potential of psychedelics to treat conditions such as depression, PTSD, and addiction. Psilocybin remains at the forefront of this research due to its promising safety profile and efficacy in addressing major depression, substance use disorders, and existential distress in terminal illnesses.
In the U.S., Colorado solidified its leadership in the field by legalizing the therapeutic use of psilocybin through the Natural Medicine Health Act (NMHA) in 2022. Under the oversight of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), a structured framework for safe and ethical facilitation is taking shape.
Our training aligns with DORA’s state-mandated requirements and has recently been approved by the Department of Regulatory Affairs and the Natural Medicine Health Act in Colorado as an accredited training center for future psychedelic facilitators, ensuring that Synthesis graduates are fully prepared to guide psychedelic experiences within legal and ethical guidelines.
As these developments continue to reshape the global mental health landscape, the path to broad legal access remains complex. Ensuring safe, ethical, and informed use of psychedelics requires education, advocacy, and a commitment to responsible facilitation.
At The Synthesis Institute, we are dedicated to staying at the forefront of regulatory developments—ensuring compliance while actively contributing to the future of ethical psychedelic care and professional practice.
Here Is What Leaders In the Psychedelic Space Say About The Synthesis Institute:
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.”
The Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training Honors Many Ways of Knowing With Our Four Lens Approach
The Synthesis approach recognizes that there are many ways of knowing. Our understanding of psychedelics and the psychedelic journey honors these different viewpoints. While our philosophy as a whole rests at the center of a myriad of different perspectives, our training is organized so that each month we look at a particular topic through each of four (4) primary lenses that capture the breadth and depth of the psychedelic field.
EMBODIED WISDOM
We each have a wellspring of wisdom inside us that we can access by committing to a path of personal growth and development. Not only is this fundamental to living a meaningful and intentional life, but the capacity to access your own embodied wisdom is also a prerequisite for being able to create and hold space for others. Through this lens, you will establish and/or enhance ongoing somatic, spiritual, and self-reflection practices; examine your personal ethics; articulate your personal values; and integrate your learnings from the other lenses.
COGNITIVE WISDOM
This lens looks at the contributions of history, philosophy, and science to our modern-day understanding of psychedelics. From neuroscience to psychopharmacology to harm reduction to best practices for psychedelic facilitation, we explore what is knowable through study, observation, and thought.
SACRED WISDOM
This lens explores the variety of ways that people make meaning in their life, including spiritual, philosophical, nature-based, and wisdom-based approaches that cultures developed long before, and in parallel with, modern scientific thinking. It acknowledges the wisdom keepers who have helped people navigate liminal spaces for thousands of years as well as contemporary practices that help people connect to themselves, others, and the more-than-human world.
RELATIONAL WISDOM
Life happens in relationships. We are always relating to the people, organizations, or the environment around us. This lens asks us to develop a deeper awareness of our role in the greater ecosystem of our life. We look at ways to build relational skills; examine the role we wish to play with clients and in the psychedelic community; and explore how to be deliberate and intentional as we bring this important work into the world.
Meet the Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training Faculty
Staci Haines is a national leader in the field of somatics and creator of generative somatics, a resilience-based somatic approach integrating a social justice analysis. She is cofounder of two nonprofits: generative somatics, and generationFIVE, a community-based organization whose mission is to end the sexual abuse of children within five generations. She is also author of The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing, and Social Justice and Healing Sex: A Mind Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma.
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Dr. Loizaga-Velder is a German-Mexican clinical psychologist with a deep connection to indigenous psychedelic healing practices spanning over three decades. She co-founded the Nierika Institute in Mexico, dedicated to preserving indigenous traditions with sacred plant medicines and research around their therapeutic applications for mental health and personal growth. She has published several research articles and book chapters exploring the therapeutic potential of entheogens for treating mental health challenges and has presented her work as a speaker at many conferences. Anja collaborates as a learning facilitator and guest faculty in the Synthesis Psychedelic Practitioner Training program.
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Dr Rosalind Watts is a clinical psychologist and the founder of ACER Integration. She has been named as one of the 50 Most Influential People in Psychedelics as well as one of the top Top 16 Women Shaping the Future of Psychedelics.
As the former clinical lead on the Psilocybin for Depression trial at Imperial College London, Dr Watts developed the ACE model of psychedelic assisted therapy (‘Accept, Connect, Embody’) and a psychometric tool for measuring Connectedness, both of which are being used in projects around the world.
Her focus is now on building community structures to help us maintain our connectedness to self, others and nature in the months and years after a psychedelic session. She founded and now helps to run a global online integration community, ACER (‘Accept, Connect, Embody, Restore’) which takes a collective approach to personal growth, and encourages re-alignment to the wisdom of nature.
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Dr. Manesh Girn is a prominent figure in psychedelic neuroscience, bridging academia and industry with expertise in neurobiology, psychology, and clinical research on psychedelics. He is a postdoctoral neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco, focusing on psychedelic brain mechanisms, and serves as Chief Research Officer at Entheo Tech Bioscience, contributing to psychedelic bioscience and clinical trials. Additionally, Manesh is an active science communicator, engaging with audiences through podcasts, lectures, and a YouTube channel to share insights on psychedelic research and advancements.
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Dr. Malynn Utzinger, is cofounder and director of integrative medicine at Usona Institute, a non-profit psychedelic medical research organization. She is also director of integrative practices for the international biotech company Promega. She combines her experience in medicine and research with contemplative and integrative approaches to mind-body health.
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Valeria McCarroll, PhD, LMFT, is a guide and teacher. Immersed in the field of psychedelic work for over a decade, her interests lie at the intersection of nondual wisdom traditions, somatics, psychedelics, and social and transformative justice. Valeria teaches on psychedelics and somatic psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). She lives in Northern California with her husband and daughter. When not synthesizing and refining liberative systems for deconstructing the patriarchy, she enjoys playing outdoors and creating beauty.
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Maestro Jose Lopez Sanchez is a Shipibo Traditional doctor from Peru. From a young age, José was tapped by his grandfather to be a plant medicine healer. He specializes in protection, unblocking and releasing negative energies and finding the root of a situation, aligning and harmonizing the individual, whether in body, energy, or spirit. José directs his ceremonies and dietas with extreme tenderness, kindness, compassion, humility, and firmness. In addition to working in the Amazon, José travels the world sharing his wisdom.
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Julian Vayne is a British independent scholar and author with over three decades of experience within esoteric culture: from Druidry to Chaos Magic, from indigenous Shamanism through to Freemasonry and Witchcraft. In 2001, he published one of the first books of the modern psychedelic renaissance, Pharmakon: Drugs and the Imagination. He is also author of Getting Higher: The Manual of Psychedelic Ceremony. Julian is a co-organizer of the psychedelic conference Breaking Convention, and a Trustee of The Psychedelic Museum Project. A founding member of the post-prohibition think-tank Transform, Julian also sits on the academic board of The Journal of Psychedelic Studies.
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Norma Nakai Burton, M.Div., is a bridge builder between the practical worlds of social justice work and the mind expanding realms of evolutionary consciousness. A shadow integration expert, she is the creator of the Journey to Completion® model, a somatic-oriented process for healing deep-seated trauma. She has extensive training in depth psychology and Jungian analysis, and more than three decades of experience as a healer.
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Kylea Taylor, M.S., LMFT is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC #34901) who has been thinking, writing, and teaching about ethics for over three decades. She developed InnerEthics®, a self-reflective, self-compassionate approach to relational ethics that includes Ethical Awareness Tools useful in maintaining a therapist's ethical alertness. Kylea teaches the Inner Ethics® model in psychedelic psychotherapy trainings.
She started studying with Stanislav Grof, M.D. and Christina Grof in 1984 and was certified by them as a Holotropic Breathwork® practitioner in 1990. She worked with Stanislav Grof as a Senior Trainer in the Grof Transpersonal Training throughout the 1990s, facilitating and observing 1000s of extra-ordinary state of consciousness sessions. She worked for nine years in a residential substance abuse recovery program where she managed a women’s program and facilitated Holotropic Breathwork®.
Kylea is President of SoulCollage Inc., a 20-year-old company that trains and provides community for over 5500 facilitators in 59 countries who teach the SoulCollage® expressive arts method which is used for self-discovery and integration. Kylea is the author of The Ethics of Caring: Finding Right Relationship with Clients, The Breathwork Experience, Considering Holotropic Breathwork®, and is the editor of Exploring Holotropic Breathwork®.
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Meghan Kennedy, LCSW, CPTR, 30-year private practice specializing in trauma & systemic disequilibrium, she has been an international consultant on psychosocial and culturally-sensitive treatment issues for communities under siege due to war, political unrest and natural disasters. Her understanding of the interdependent features of trauma, addictions-formation and character structure lends to working with the parallel processes seen in greater cultural disequilibrium - and requiring greater healing modalities. International consulting experiences lead her to explore the utilization of psychedelic substances across varying cultural settings. In 2016 Meghan was certified in Psychedelic-assisted Therapies & Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies in their inaugural run of the first accredited university program of its kind. This lead to working in research with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies as an adherence rater for the trials on MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. She has taught on the topics of trauma and transpersonal healing frameworks, as well as risk mitigation and integration of non-dual states of consciousness for several years. Meghan is also working to create mainstream structures that will assure a swift and just roll-out of these treatments and the training necessary to provide them once governmental structures clear the way.Trust in the greater cosmology reached through this work is what fuels her belief in, and service to, this important healing paradigm.
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Al Jeffery is a meditation teacher, integrative psychotherapist, and group facilitator, Al has supported thousands of people around the world in restoring connection in their lives, leadership, and communities. Al was listed in the Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30 in Australia twice in a row and has since become a trusted guide to for-purpose teams and leaders. As a queer man, haiku poet, leadership virtuoso, and martial artist, Al’s love for integrating the diverse and transgressive are alive in all he touches.
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Rachel Lovie, Ph.D., is an experienced teacher and guide. Her work explores the centrality of many ways of knowing in transformational experience and learning. She is a member of the Wilderness Guides Council and is cofounder of Obsidian: Paths with Heart, an organization offering psyche and nature workshops and retreats.
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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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Dr. Bayo Akómoláfé is a widely celebrated international speaker, teacher, public intellectual, essayist and author of These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home and We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak. As Visionary Founder and Elder of The Emergence Network and Chief Host of the widely popular online-offline course/festival series We Will Dance with Mountains, Bayo curates an earth-wide project for the re-calibration of our ability to respond to civilizational crisis—a project framed within a material feminist/posthumanist/postactivist ethos and inspired by Yoruba indigenous cosmologies.
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Camille Sapara Barton (they / them) is an artist and educator who explores creative interventions that sustain life. Rooted in Black Feminism, ecology, and harm reduction, they use creativity as a means to grow the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.
Embodiment, healing justice and drug policy are key threads within Camille’s work. Camille is certified in the Resilience Toolkit, a framework to manage stress and increase resilience in individuals as well as communities.
From 2015 - 2020, Camille led the Collective Liberation Project, providing workshops and training on embodied approaches to anti-racism. In 2022, they launched the GEN Grief Toolkit, a collection of embodied practices to support grief work within the community.
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Claude Guislain is Peruvian, spending most of his time in the Peruvian Amazon and in Brazil. He is an advisor on indigenous relations for IMCFund (indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund) and other organisations as ICEERS and ASOMASHK (Shipibo Healers' Association). He trained as an anthropologist and his journey brought him to walk with different masters from the Shipibo, Arhuaco, Tubu, Yawanawa, among other peoples. After many years of quest, his role revealed itself to be a bridge between worlds. He has been an Ayahuasca retreat facilitator since 2008 and an advocate for the Indigenous cause in different domains. He collaborates with healing centers like the Temple of the Way of Light, Niwerao Xobo and Shipibo Rao, having supported the healing processes of around two thousand people. The extraordinary possibilities he has witnessed from his teachers’ mastery - the healings, the teachings, the stories, the medicines, the technologies, the messages - gave him the firm conviction that a true alliance between ancestral indigenous wisdom and modern science is the key for overcoming the great challenges of our time.
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Alfredo graduated with a degree in architecture from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico and has 25 years of experience in the field. He has postgraduate degrees in the fields of urbanism, steel structures, contemporary and Mexican history, and archaeoastronomy, a science in which he has sought to combine his interests and studies in the occult arts, including palmistry, astrology, sacred geometry, witchcraft, and sorcery.
Alfredo has also had training in several alternative therapies/medicines, including as a chiropractor and acupuncturist. He has attained the level of brown belt in Xilam (a Mexican martial art) and has been studying yoga and aikido in Venezuela since 2014.
Alfredo is also a Mexican dancer and a descendant of the Otomí culture. He has also studied the dance of the sun and sacred plants, and participated in temazcal (sweat lodges) with the Toltecayotl people, who have given him the title of Temachtiani (master/teacher).
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Dr. Ben Malcolm earned his bachelor’s degree (BS) in pharmacology at the University of California at Santa Barbara, prior to his Masters in Public Health (MPH) and Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) at Touro University California. He then completed post-graduate residencies in Acute Care at Scripps Mercy Hospital and Psychiatric Pharmacy at the University of California at San Diego Health. After residency he passed his exam to become Board Certified in Psychiatric Pharmacy (BCPP). He began his career as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Western University of Health Sciences (WUHS), College of Pharmacy.
Dr. Malcolm envisions a society in which access to psychedelic drugs in a variety of safe and supported settings is available for purposes of psychospiritual well-being, personal development, ceremonial sacraments, and treatment of mental illness. His vision guides his scholarship, education, and service-related professional activity.
Dr. Malcolm's interests focus on the intersection between psychiatric medications and psychedelic therapies. He has given several Continuing Education presentations to pharmacists and other healthcare professionals as well as published over a dozen articles in peer-reviewed literature relating to psychedelics or psychiatric medications. Today he provides psychopharmacology consulting services and a resource and support membership relating to the use psychedelic and psychotropic medications.
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Courtney Watson, MS, MEd, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and certified sex therapist. She is the owner of Doorway Therapeutic Services, a group therapy and ketamine practice in Oakland, California, focused on addressing the mental health needs of Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC), as well as queer, trans, gender non-conforming, non-binary and two-spirited individuals. She is also founder of Access to Doorways, a nonprofit that supports queer, trans, and BIPOC clients and practitioners to engage in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy.
Courtney has followed the direction of her ancestors to incorporate psychedelic assisted therapy into her offerings for folks with multiple marginalized identities and acknowledges the importance of Black and queer providers offering these services. Courtney spent most of 2019 training with the California Institute of Integral Studies' Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research to provide psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is deeply interested in the impact of psychedelic medicines on folks with marginalized identities as well as how they can assist with the decolonization process for BIPOC. She believes this field is not yet ready to address the unique needs of communities of color and is prepared and enthusiastic about bridging the gap.
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Dr. Alex Belser has been a leader in the psychedelic research community for the last twenty years. His research has focused on investigating psilocybin and MDMA to treat depression, anxiety, substance use, OCD, PTSD, and end-of-life distress at NYU and Yale University. He is the Chief Clinical Officer of Cybin, where he directs their clinical programs in psychedelic therapeutics. He previously served as Chief Clinical Officer at Adelia Therapeutics. He is a member of Chacruna Institute’s Women, Gender Diversity, and Sexual Minorities Working Group, where he works on issues affecting LGBTQI+ people. His research has been featured on the front page of the New York Times, in the Atlantic, the New Yorker, The Guardian, and in Michael Pollan's book, How to Change Your Mind. Dr. Belser studied at Georgetown University, the University of Cambridge, Columbia University, NYU, and Yale University.
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Dara Silverman is a white, queer, Jewish consultant, somatic coach, and trainer with 25 years in with organizations and movements for social, racial, economic and gender justice. Dara became a coach through Coaching for Transformation at Leadership that Works in 2013. She is certified as a Professional Coach through the International Coaching Federation. Dara has been studying Somatics with the Strozzi Institute and Generative Somatics since 2011. She became a Somatic Coach in 2013 and is a Lead Teacher with the Strozzi Institute. She is based in Beacon, NY where she grows eight kinds of berries.
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Simone Weit LPCC/LPC is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in both somatic and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Having received a master’s degree in counseling psychology with a specialization in somatic psychotherapy, Simone has served clients in juvenile justice, community behavioral health, crisis stabilization in a hospital setting, and private practice including running a Ketamine therapy practice. Simone has also developed and taught a trauma-informed yoga program for incarcerated girls and women, provided somatic therapies to clients at the Iboga Therapy House in British Columbia, and worked as a supervisor for the Zendo project. In addition to her professional work, Simone has also completed the MDMA Assisted Therapy training through MAPS and received training in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy through the Polaris Insight Center. Additional experience includes 20 years of working with and learning from Maestros in Peruvian plant medicine traditions. Simone is also a recognized visionary artist and a member of the Tribe 13 artist’s collective.
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Timothy Crespi is a strategic advisor and the practicum director for The Synthesis Institute, where he also serves as a co-lead on retreats. A professional counselor since 2008, he has been in private practice since 2012. He served as a supervisor for the The Zendo Project for six (6) years, organizing and leading trainings on psychedelic harm reduction in Oregon and Washington. Timothy holds dual undergraduate degrees in environment studies and contemplative psychology as well as a masters in Transpersonal Psychology from Naropa University, where he also led contemplative wilderness orientation trips for seven (7) years. He has also completed four (4) years of training in contemporary Reichian and somatic psychotherapy and has over ten (10) years of training in Gestalt psychology. Timothy is committed to creating pathways for people to access ethically sound education and practices for legal psychedelic and non-ordinary transformational experiences.
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Saj Razvi is the Director of Education at Psychedelic Somatic Institute. He is a psychotherapist and former clinical researcher in the MAPS Phase 2 trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. He is faculty at Mind Medicine Australia and taught PTSD studies at the University of Denver. He is one of the primary developers of the Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP) modality which is a next generation, primary consciousness oriented psychotherapy. Saj's primary focus is to train clinicians to provide legal, effective psychedelic treatment in their private practice settings utilizing readily accessible medicines such as cannabis and ketamine. He provides PSI trainings and supervision to students internationally.
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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 experience, Heather demonstrated her commitment to fostering healing and growth. Her journey with IFS began in 2015, progressing through levels 1-3. 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 in Rockville, MD for the study of MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD, a research protocol approved by the FDA. It was through this initiative Heather received her MAPS Therapist training. Heather has also been trained by Compass Pathways, Fluence and has attended several psychedelic conferences such as MAPS 2023, Horizons and SOAP.
Taking her commitment to education and community building to the next level, Heather inaugurated The Moxie School® in January 2022. Here she provides courses, workshops, and consultations tailored for therapists, coaches and guides seeking to refine their skills in IFS Informed Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. As a testament to her dedication and creating transformative experiences, Heather organizes expertly curated IFS Informed Retreats, fostering rich experiential journeys within a loving and carefully crafted community.
For those eager to explore the realms of IFS Informed Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and join a community dedicated to growth and transformation, Heather invites you to explore current offerings on The Moxie Schools®. Heather stands as a beacon in the evolving landscape of therapeutic innovation, blending the wisdom of Internal Family Systems with the transformative potential of psychedelics.
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David Abram, Ph.D., the founder and creative director of the Alliance for Wild Ethics, is a cultural ecologist and philosopher who thinks deeply and writes eloquently about the causes and consequences of environmental disarray and the possibilities for a better future.
David's work has helped catalyze the emergence of several new disciplines, including the field of ecopsychology. His writings also deeply influenced Synthesis cofounder Martijn Schrip, shaping the vision and approach of Synthesis.
In this conversation, David and Martijn will explore how the ecology of perception and language can bring us into contact with the magical ordinariness that surrounds us. Accessing this joy, which is immediately available to us in the more-than-human world, is necessary if we wish to bring about individual and community-level change in the world as larger systems shift and collapse.
Without denying the grief and hard work ahead of us, David embodies and shares a way of being in and with the world that will leave you hopeful and energized.
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Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris moved to Imperial College London in 2008 after obtaining a PhD in Psychopharmacology from the University of Bristol and an MA in Psychoanalysis from Brunel University. At Imperial, Robin has designed and completed human brain imaging studies with LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and DMT, a clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, a double-blind randomised controlled trial comparing psilocybin with escitalopram for major depressive disorder and a multimodal imaging study in healthy volunteers receiving psilocybin for the first time. Robin founded the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London in April 2019, the first of its kind in the world.
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Kira is a professional speaking coach and voice specialist with an expertise in voice physiology and performance techniques, and a certified Master Trainer of Estill Voice International. Kira is associate faculty for The King’s Fund, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, and the NHS Leadership Academy.
Kira works with performers, leaders, and teams, teaching valuable skills and tools that empower people to speak up confidently and effectively in ways they can be heard. Kira uses a powerful combination of tools to calm nerves, build confidence and increase impact and influence in any situation. Her fun and highly interactive workshops are designed so participants can easily learn and practice techniques used by professionals to calm the mind, overcome anxiety or stage-fright, stay calm under pressure, and use the voice in ways that people find engaging and easy to listen to. Kira’s workshops have been evaluated as highly impactful by the King’s Fund and NHS Leadership Academy, where she regularly runs programmes for the London Women's Leadership Network, and on “speaking truth to power”.
Kira is currently undertaking research into the connections between voice and mental health and wellbeing, exploring methods of improving self-confidence and mood through intentional changes in the physiology of the voice.
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Lesley Quilty is a facilitator, coach, leadership consultant, meditation teacher, and theater artist who has designed and delivered transformational retreats and learning in a wide variety of personal, spiritual, and organizational development settings. Everything she shares professionally grows from her own embodied experiences.
A committed meditation practice, Holotropic Breathwork, a lifestyle rooted in intentional community, and practices taught by North and South American Indigenous teachers have resourced and guided Lesley throughout her adult life, as have psychedelics. She has been working with entheogens in dedicated ceremonial settings since 2014.
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A kinaesthetic artist, Somatic Integration Practitioner, registered massage therapist, and facilitator, Danielle holds a multi-disciplinary focus and understands that the body is impacted by both internal physiological factors and external socio-structural factors.
The last decade of her career has focused on bridge-building between healing arts and performing arts, with a focus on ancestral reclamation, body memory, and social justice. Danielle’s practice has included street performance addressing imperialist transnational violence in Canada, Jamaica, and Colombia; methodological design as key-collaborator in the Arrival’s Process, where she co-facilitated workshops throughout Canada, the Caribbean, and the UK; facilitating trauma-informed body/movement work as a Somatic Specialist for Chocolate Woman Collective; and producing theatrical performances in the Transdisciplinary Arts Program at Watah Theatre while being the resident Health Care Practitioner and Anatomy Instructor.
Through Somatics, Danielle comprehends that the body holds culture as well as a deep innate wisdom and resilience toward healing for both the individual and the collective. She works collaboratively with each of her clients, whether in massage therapy treatments, Somatic sessions, or workshops, in an evolving process based on their bio-political landscape and any given set of circumstances that are being faced.
Her massage practice of over 25 years is grounded in her lived experience, professional experience, and her continuous study of the neurophysiological understanding of the impacts of historical, chronic, and acute stress, along with the somatic and relational impact of the over-culture and its historical and intergenerational repercussions in which we are living.
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Costanza Di Prisco is a psychedelic practitioner and breathwork facilitator with Synthesis. She began working with psychedelics in 2012 as a participant and follows the lineage of the Shipibo tribe from Peru. She has done a master plant dieta with Noya Rao and has studied body psychology, yoga, meditation, and acupressure. Her facilitation style includes shamanic practices to create deep transformational experiences. Costanza is passionate about supporting women doing psychedelic work and about honoring ancient traditions while incorporating contemporary wisdom to best support her clients.
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Sam is a PhD ecologist, independent researcher, and science communicator. He has varied experience of working within the psychedelic field, including as a past scientific assistant to the director of the Beckley Foundation and as a research assistant with the Synthesis Institute. His work has also involved science communication, including a past role as a senior science writer for Wavepaths, and he delivers talks in association with Seed Talks. He teaches fungi cultivation workshops, catering for beginner growers in association with the Psychedelic Society. A lifelong nature lover, he has a research interest in the capacity of psychedelics to influence human relationships with nature and is a collaborator with the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London and Onaya Science. His main focus is within the ecological field, focusing on nature recovery, and he works as Innovation Team Leader for environmental consultancy Ecosulis.
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April Rameé is a clinical herbalist and a certified psychedelic integration coach who prepares customized herbal solutions to help creative artists and industry leaders discover their true potential.
As the Founder and CEO of Antler Alchemy, a graduate of clinical herbal practitioner programs, a certified psychedelic integration coach, and a trained, certified yoga teacher, April guides individuals on embarking on spiritually healing journeys.
As a revolutionary in plant medicine, April established her holistic practice. She taught hundreds the art of building a connection between their souls and the earth through psychedelic integrative coaching, life-changing herbal 1-1 coaching, international festivals, and workshops. She has also spoken at renowned institutes, including Johns Hopkins, and has been featured in mainstream publications like The Washington Post.
Besides providing virtual workshops and integrative group programs, April helps spiritual seekers secure mental, emotional, and physical harmony with nature through her Botanical Mystery School apprenticeship. Her educational courses help students build a connection with the earth and learn the fundamentals required to enroll in a formal clinical herbalism program.
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.
COLORADO MODULE: Required Curriculum for State Licensure (Optional Add-On)
If you are seeking licensure in the state of Colorado, you have the option to elect into this additional coursework, which can be completed at your own pace during the Core Training. The curriculum includes state required learnings such as Colorado-specific rules and regulations, the Colorado Code of Ethics, and additional teachings.
Please note: The Colorado Module requires an additional tuition fee of $497, separate from the Core Training tuition.
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.
Financial-Aid Scholarship Opportunities
Do you need financial assistance to join our program?
We offer scholarships at 25% and 50% discounts for qualified applicants.
As part of our commitment to inclusivity and diversity in psychedelic care, at least 30% of participants in each cohort receive scholarships. Priority is given to individuals demonstrating financial need and those impacted by systemic oppression related to race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, ableism, or other identity markers.
Apply now for a chance to receive financial aid for our upcoming June 2025 cohort.
Meet the Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training Learning Facilitators
The learning facilitators are highly skilled practitioners who guide the small group pods for the duration of the training. They come from a variety of backgrounds and may be therapists, psychedelic therapists, executive leadership coaches, medical professionals, or transformational coaches. They undergo extensive training and ongoing supervision by our program team to ensure they can hold the container for transformational learning—witnessing and mirroring back your strengths and supporting you as you encounter your growth edges. They are invested in your learning and well-being and are a key advocate and accountability partner on your journey.
Ladybird Morgan RN, MSW, RCST practitioner, has helped guide medical practitioners, families, caregivers, programs, and institutions around the world (including with Doctors Without Borders and in California Prisons) on how to be present to difficult experiences by remembering, embodying, and responding from the deepest place of truth. Her work is informed by a lifetime commitment to meditation, sacred practices, and personal inquiry. Currently a private palliative care consultant with Mettlehealth and a co-facilitator for Commonweal’s Cancer Care Help Program and Healing Circles, she is also a co-investigator/study therapist with a University of Washington study of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and the Co-Founder/Program Director of The Humane Prison Hospice Project.
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Nikolaj Knub is a philosopher and Jungian psychotherapist based in Copenhagen. Besides offering individual therapy he facilitates workshops and offers rituals with ceremonial cacao and the use of active imagination. Currently, Nikolaj is pursuing a long-standing interest in eco-psychology and experimenting with ways in which to bring therapeutic practices out of the consulting room and into the wild.
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Dr. L. (Lela) Mosemghvdlishvili is a transformative educator working on the intersections of academia, wisdom traditions, and embodied practices. Lela has served as a board member of the Amsterdam Psychedelic Research Association (APRA) since 2017. At the University of Amsterdam, they designed and have been teaching an interdisciplinary elective project Critical Issues in Psychedelic Renessainsefor the past five years. A notable part of Lela's life is devoted to the ongoing study and practice of Maha and Ati Yoga, experiential dancing, and regular silent retreats for introspection. These modalities are vital sources of insight and understanding to them. Lela is also an authorized Feeding Your Demons® facilitator, and meditation teacher.
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Chara Caruthers is a skilled facilitator with decades of personal and professional practice as an educator, therapist and lifestyle medicine practitioner working with groups and individuals. Her life and work is grounded in eastern spiritual traditions, ancient and indigenous wisdom and modern science and philosophy. She holds a professional certification in psychedelics, entheogens and transpersonal psychology, is a graduate of the Center for Holding Space Foundations program at the Leadership level, and is currently completing a master of science in transpersonal psychology. As a Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), certified Ayurvedic practitioner and psychedelic researcher, she is passionately dedicated to building bridges between ancient lifestyle traditions and modern western medical approaches to mental health and wellbeing. Chara believes that a loving and supportive community is the vital and often missing piece of the picture of wellbeing for so many. She recognizes that her work in the psychedelic space is that of building and empowering community as a container for embodying our wholeness.
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Dr. Stephanie Van Hope, R.N., D.N.P., is a registered nurse, certified nurse coach, and doctor of nursing practice with experience in oncology, hospice, and health coaching. She served as a study guide for New York University’s Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety project, guiding cancer patients through psychedelic journeys with psilocybin, and offers a continuing education course for nurses entitled Nursing & Sacred Medicine: Introduction to Psychedelic Therapy. Stephanie is a Reiki practitioner and a student of yoga, meditation, shamanic healing, astrology, plant medicine, music, dance, and the sacred traditions of many faiths. She currently resides with her husband, son, and many animals in an intentional community in the Catskills region of New York.
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Dr. Loizaga-Velder is a German-Mexican clinical psychologist with a deep connection to indigenous psychedelic healing practices spanning over three decades. She co-founded the Nierika Institute in Mexico, dedicated to preserving indigenous traditions with sacred plant medicines and research around their therapeutic applications for mental health and personal growth. She has published several research articles and book chapters exploring the therapeutic potential of entheogens for treating mental health challenges and has presented her work as a speaker at many conferences. Anja collaborates as a learning facilitator and guest faculty in the Synthesis Psychedelic Practitioner Training program.
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Vibhu Khera is an experienced educator, meditation teacher, and transpersonal therapist. She has a deep passion for yoga, whirling, nature walks, and reading. Vibhu has received extensive training in Meta-cognitive awareness, NLP, Emotional therapy, Yogic science, and Mindfulness. Her primary focus is assisting individuals in achieving emotional coherence, reclaiming their minds, expanding their inner space, and overcoming the challenges and dramas of life.
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Dr. Allen Goodwin (Bsc (Hons), Ph.D.) has spent the last twenty years as a full-time senior University lecturer in Psychology focusing mainly on the areas of Research Methods & Statistics, Neuroscience, and Visual perception. He has received numerous prestigious university inspirational teaching awards and is a contract-published author.
Dr. Goodwin holds an animistic perspective, a result of over thirty years of Druidic and Shamanic Practice. In 2013, he discarded his academic career as an act of faith and relocated to the place of his youth devoting himself to his family and working as a professionally trained shamanic practitioner (both in core and classical techniques).
In all his work, he aims to facilitate a greater connection for his clients to develop their sense of connection to their true self and their sense of place within their own lives.
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Natalie is committed to fostering personal growth and transformation; her journey in the human services field has spanned over a decade. This experience has deepened her understanding of trauma and its impact on individuals. As a master’s level intern in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, she has the privilege of directly counseling clients while gaining insights from the mentorship of experienced supervisors.
Natalie is deeply committed to engaging in harm reduction and providing supportive care as a volunteer on the Fireside hotline for those navigating psychedelic experiences. She also founded "Your Healing Guide," an initiative to guide individuals toward inner peace and holistic self-healing.
She has always believed that the power to heal and transform lies within us. We can unlock immeasurable potential by connecting with our breath and being attuned to our bodily sensations. She offers guided meditations tailored to diverse audiences, from individuals and groups to schools and businesses, to support this belief.
Additionally, she enjoys being a learning facilitator for The Synthesis Institutes Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training program. Natalie is a certified 200-hour yoga practitioner and is trained in the Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique. She focuses on somatic healing and ensures that her clients always find a supportive and compassionate space for exploration and growth.
A client-centered approach is at the core of her practice, ensuring that she understands and addresses each individual's unique needs and goals. She strives to create an environment of trust and respect where thoughts and feelings can be freely expressed.
She is on a continuous journey to explore and integrate various healing modalities. Embracing the philosophy that "You are your own best healer," she is dedicated to empowering each individual in their healing journey.
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Mina Samuels is a writer, speaker, playwright, and performer, and in a previous incarnation, a litigation lawyer and human rights advocate; as well as an athlete and meditation practitioner, trained in Non-Violent Communication and Internal Family Systems. Mina offers workshops and one-on-one facilitations on the transformative power of the body-mind connection and how it nourishes our whole self. Her books include, Run Like A Girl 365 Days: A Practical, Personal, Inspirational Guide for Women Athletes and Run Like a Girl: How Strong Women Make Happy Lives and she writes regularly for Medium and Fit Is A Feminist Issue. She has also created and performed two award-winning solo shows and an ensemble play.
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Meghan Kennedy, LCSW, CPTR, 30-year private practice specializing in trauma & systemic disequilibrium, she has been an international consultant on psychosocial and culturally-sensitive treatment issues for communities under siege due to war, political unrest and natural disasters. Her understanding of the interdependent features of trauma, addictions-formation and character structure lends to working with the parallel processes seen in greater cultural disequilibrium - and requiring greater healing modalities. International consulting experiences lead her to explore the utilization of psychedelic substances across varying cultural settings. In 2016 Meghan was certified in Psychedelic-assisted Therapies & Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies in their inaugural run of the first accredited university program of its kind. This lead to working in research with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies as an adherence rater for the trials on MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. She has taught on the topics of trauma and transpersonal healing frameworks, as well as risk mitigation and integration of non-dual states of consciousness for several years. Meghan is also working to create mainstream structures that will assure a swift and just roll-out of these treatments and the training necessary to provide them once governmental structures clear the way.Trust in the greater cosmology reached through this work is what fuels her belief in, and service to, this important healing paradigm.
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Christopher Luard has been studying and practicing various forms of meditation for over thirty-five years. He has received formal training in Korean and Japanese Zen; Mahamudra and Dzogchen from the Tibetan traditions, and Vipassana from the Theravada Burmese tradition, Vedanta from the Hindu tradition. In addition to these trainings, Chris had studied extensively within more modern traditions such as Secular Dharma, Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, Nonviolent Communication, Neuroplasticity, and MBSR. Upon witnessing the tragic events of Sept 11th, 2001 in Manhattan, Chris dedicated his life to the study and teaching of contemplative practices. He teaches from a secular voice and is committed to bringing these timeless teachings to all who wish to receive them. Chris has facilitated in centers in Portugal, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, the USA, and the U.K. and continues to live and teach in Thailand.
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Mary is a psychotherapist with over 30 years experience of working in a variety of UK healthcare settings as a clinical supervisor, group facilitator, researcher, and educator. She specializes in helping people face loss and change, illness, and death, and is particularly interested in how nature connection, mindfulness, self-compassion, and vision quest rites of passage can support journeys of personal growth, transformation, and healing. In her spare time, she tends an old Cornish garden, which has lots of flowers and brambles. She swims in the sea all year round and loves to walk in wild places.
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Julie Henningsen, PA-C, MPAS, is a medical healthcare provider with experience in emergency medicine, urgent care, and dermatology; and is a Synthesis-certified psychedelic practitioner. She prefers a holistic approach to patient care, acknowledging our inner healing wisdom and the potential for entheogens to facilitate authentic transformation. Having worked as an outdoor and environmental program director for several universities, Julie has an extensive background in facilitating immersive, nature-based experiences. She has been a faculty member of the National Outdoor Leadership School for over 20 years, leading wilderness emergency medicine courses around the globe. Julie is the founder of Headwaters Field Medicine, a Montana-based wilderness medicine training organization. Her passion for exploration of both the natural world, and the nature of consciousness drives her pursuit of life-long learning.
CLOSEHow the Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training Supports You on Your Path to Becoming a Psychedelic Practitioner
Our training program equips you with the foundational competencies required for professional and ethical psychedelic care. Through engaging in embodied and self-reflection practices, you gain a rich toolkit that balances technique with self-awareness, humility, and compassion.
Small group settings enhance accountability and encourage peer-to-peer learning, allowing you to benefit from diverse perspectives and direct feedback. The strong focus on building relational intelligence within well-held containers amplifies your ability to ethically and responsibly hold space for others during psychedelic experiences.
Become part of an inclusive global community of practitioners and thought leaders in the field of psychedelic care. This network provides ongoing support and enriches your professional journey long after the training is complete.
Our curriculum emphasizes the ethical dimensions of psychedelic care, from personal ethics to broader systemic considerations. This focus ensures that you are prepared to handle the nuances of this practice with the highest degree of care and responsibility.
Our training is informed by collaborations with leading research institutions and years of experience guiding more than 1,100 individuals through psychedelic journeys. You gain a well-rounded, evidence-based, wisdom-rich, and practice-oriented education that positions you at the forefront of this emerging field.
