What Can Psychedelic Patients Do to Get the Most Out of Treatment?
Studies show that psychedelics can be extraordinarily effective at treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD. We also know psychedelics aren’t always a magic bullet on their own. Their effectiveness can be augmented by lifestyle changes, deeper wellness practices, and traditional therapy. So what are some things psychedelic patients do to get the most out of treatment?
We know that doctors have long advocated for things like adequate sleep, nutrition, and exercise because studies show they can improve both our physical and mental wellbeing.
Similarly, psychedelic practitioners and mental health professionals alike frequently advocate for mindfulness practices like meditation or yoga. And we know that while disconnection is often at the heart of what leads patients to seek psychedelic therapy, psychedelics offer the opportunity to reconnect—with our friends and family, with our community, and with ourselves.
So what, then, can add to the benefits of psychedelic therapy?
In order to help prospective psychedelic therapy patients get the most out of their treatment, we’re talking to psychedelic experts from around the world about what they advocate for in their practices and what they’ve seen benefit their patients.
Gabriel Charalambides – Odyssey Psilocybin Retreats
One of the most important things a client can do to get the most out of psychedelic therapy is to develop a meditation practice, which is helpful for several reasons. First of all, meditation equips us extremely well for the psychedelic experience itself. Cultivating a non-judgemental, curious, compassionate awareness, where we don’t identify with our experience but learn to examine and accept our thoughts/emotions as they are, is an essential part of a psychedelic experience, and core to meditative practice. Developing a meditation practice also helps foster a mode of contemplation within us. Over time, we become more connected to ourselves and develop a keener sense of our beliefs, feelings, priorities, etc.. Adopting habits that allow us to examine our lives without getting swept away in the day-to-day will provide space for a client to properly integrate the insights they’ve gained from a psychedelic experience.
— Gabriel Charalambides, Founder & CEO of Odyssey
Tyler Strause – Eleusinia
In the realm of psychedelic therapy, education and empowerment play pivotal roles. Our guests benefit immensely from understanding the specifics of their treatment – be it the appropriate dosage, frequency, or otherwise recognizing their unique needs. It’s not just about the psychedelic experience; it’s about creating a safe, informed environment for healing and growth while being provided the information and education to continue their practice independently.
Psychedelic therapy is a journey, not a destination, and psychedelics are tools not silver bullets. Personalizing this journey requires ongoing education, support and a community allowing guests to understand and adjust their use of these tools safely and effectively. At Eleusinia self-sufficiency is crucial, especially in the face of life’s fluctuating circumstances, be it a personal crisis or everyday challenges. By empowering guests to become informed participants in their therapy, they can navigate their healing process more effectively, making adjustments as needed based on their life’s context.
This approach not only enhances the therapeutic experience but also fosters a deeper sense of control and self-awareness in our guests’ healing journeys.
— Tyler Strause, Psychedelic Support Specialist at Eleusinia
Dr. Christopher Romig – Stella Center Irvine
I speak to all of my patients about the importance of integration before and after their sessions. I set the intentions with them before each treatment. We discuss what they are wanting to work on, ie letting go, inner strength, healing their inner child. I then give them imagery to help. I also have them think of a person, place or memory that brings them such joy and happiness and start off their healing journey from there. After I want them to journal about their session but also reconnect with the world around them, take a walk, feel the wind or sun on their face. Psychedelics help in that reconnection, help remind us that we are part of a family, of friends, of joy and happiness that surrounds us which we cannot always see.
— Dr. Christopher Romig of Stella Center Irvine
Julian Macias – Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles
In my experience, there’s a noticeable correlation between prior engagement in therapy and the benefits gained from ketamine therapy. Clients who have dedicated time to therapeutic work before exploring ketamine infusions often find that these experiences act as a catalyst, bringing together and amplifying the insights and progress they’ve made. The groundwork laid in traditional therapy sets the stage for more profound and transformative outcomes realized during ketamine treatment. Additionally, a patient’s ability to surrender to the psychedelic experience is pivotal. Clients who approach these sessions with an open mind and a willingness to let go of control often report more significant benefits. Surrender isn’t always easy and is often learned throughout the process. It is about trusting the process and allowing the experience to unfold naturally without expectations or needing control. Those who combine this mindset with prior therapeutic groundwork tend to achieve the most significant results from their psychedelic journeys.
— Julian Macias, RN, BSN, with Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles
Dr. Jennifer Ellice – Golden Afternoon
Psychedelics can be such a powerful tool to remind us that we are capable of awe and wonder. We often encourage our patients to engage in any activity that inspires a sense of awe. This can be something as simple as taking a walk, or spending a few moments playing with your grandchild, or maybe just stepping outside at night and looking up at the stars. Scientists are only just beginning to explore the idea that we humans might have neurological pathways dedicated to the sense of awe. But, we all understand instinctively that experiencing awe is a fundamental healing force that is built into what makes us human. Climbing a mountain and looking down, watching a sunset or listening to a baby laugh; these are all experiences that can flood us with gratitude, well-being and ultimately remind us of what a joyful experience it is to be alive. We encourage all of our patients to do their best to steal little moments of awe in the days after each infusion.
While the science about neuroplasticity is in early stages, we do know that engaging in activities that promote positive self image can also be therapeutic. For some of our patients that suffer from negative self-talk, we prescribe for them that they take a few minutes each morning after their infusions to look in the mirror and repeat positive self affirmations. Many of our patients have told us that they were surprised to find that these self affirming mantras were actually helpful, and felt a more genuine and profound love for themselves after practicing self affirmations for a few days after each session. While it can feel a little corny at first, I promise them that after a while, it will start to feel real. Self love can be challenging and elusive for some of us, but it is such an important part of healing. Often, unleashing self love is the key to dismantling years of dysfunctional behavior patterns. For some of our patients, it only takes a few minutes of feeling that self love to unleash a powerful cascade of healing.
— Dr. Jennifer Ellice, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Golden Afternoon
Victoria Webster – Golden Afternoon
After a ketamine treatment, the brain goes through a period of increased neuroplasticity when new habits and thoughts can more easily be integrated. At Golden Afternoon clinic we advise our patients to engage in activities that strengthen their intentions after an infusion. For instance, if they are struggling with depression and want to experience more positive thoughts, then listening to self-hypnosis tapes, writing down the new thoughts they wish to believe and engaging in actions that let your body know that you believe them. We had a patient who had been a successful artist but had felt creatively blocked for years due to past trauma and current depression. After her infusions, we encouraged her to go back to her studio and pick up her paints. Soon enough, she had created a new series of paintings that she believed were the best she had ever made! There was someone else who had suffered from fibromyalgia for over a decade. He pushed himself to go for a bike ride for the first time ever, and soon, after a series of seven infusions found that the pain was gone.
The preparation stage is equally important. Setting clear intentions, writing this down, equips people with a road map they can go to when they are on their journey. We have also found that it is important what media our patients consume prior to and allowing a treatment, these images can be taken into the journey and can have an impact.
— Victoria Webster, Somatic Therapist and Co-Founder of Golden Afternoon
Ajay Kumra – Resilience Integrative Wellness
In our clinic, we’ve found that integrating mindfulness practices such as tai chi, chi gong, yoga, or meditation into one’s daily routine can significantly enhance the benefits of psychedelic therapy. We’ve found that in clients experiencing severe depression and anxiety, cultivating a regular mindfulness practice helps clients create a deeper connection with their inner selves and better navigate the insights and emotions that often arise during psychedelic experiences. This heightened self-awareness allows for more profound healing and personal growth.
Additionally, fostering a supportive community plays a crucial role in optimizing the outcomes of psychedelic therapy. Engaging in group therapy or connecting with like-minded individuals who share similar experiences can provide a sense of belonging and understanding. This sense of community aids in the integration process, helping clients sustain the positive changes and insights gained from their psychedelic journeys.
At our clinic, we believe that when mindfulness and community support are combined with psychedelic therapy, clients can unlock their full potential for healing and transformation.
— Ajay Kumra, MSN, APRN, Manager at Resilience Integrative Wellness
Dr. Susan M. Gillispie – Wholistic Health
At Wholistic Health, we work with our patients to prepare their body and mind before treatment. This can be done through detoxing from alcohol, marijuana, and violence in TV, video games, music, and movies. We know that when we feed our minds with negative thoughts and violence, our minds will retain this and influence our day-to-day lives. Moving away from these habits and replacing these habits with more positive ones can benefit the mind and envelop the senses with more positive feelings. Taking these positive attributes into a ketamine or Spravato treatment helps to retain this positivity and integrate this into everyday life helping you incorporate the healing that ketamine or Spravato does into sustainable changes. Ketamine treatment can create a state of consciousness that can be described as psychedelic or psychotropic. The things that you experience during a treatment session are you having this experience within yourself, and ketamine and Spravato mediate this experience. Preparing the body and the mind is key to having a good experience but also to integrating and remembering what you learned from the experience.
— Dr. Susan M. Gillispie, EdD, MSN, BSN, RN, APRN, Founder of Wholistic Health
Aeden Smith-Ahearn – Experience Ibogaine
When we take psychedelics we need to be honest with ourselves or we can’t be honest with our higher consciousness. The experience can bring up things within ourselves that we instinctually want to reject, instead of admitting and understanding so that we can accept or work on these issues. We should understand that there is no shame in what we discover and that it is being presented to help, and not to put you down. No one is perfect, nor should anyone be.
— Aeden Smith-Ahearn, Founder at Experience Ibogaine
Dr. Marcel Green – Hudson Mind
Psychedelics are powerful change agents, but they alone do not spark lasting behavioral and emotional transformation. The importance of integration in psychedelic therapy cannot be understated.
The dissociative nature of psychedelics induces novel sensory responses, some of which can be described, like floating through a dream-like state or experiencing a third-person perspective. While others go beyond the realm of language. Regardless of which sensations arise, psychedelics invariably strip away the illusion of control, which may feel freeing or terrifying.
Integration therapists harness the dissociative sensations that surface during a psychedelic trip to show patients how these responses directly translate to their perceptions in conscious life when confronted with uncertainty.
Similar to how CBT techniques reveal the innate connection between thoughts and emotional experiences, psychedelic integration therapy highlights the relationship between sensory responses and emotional experiences. Once people recognize this link, integration therapists can begin the work of helping them to shift their perspectives on uncertainty from fear to acceptance.
— Dr. Marcel Green, Psychiatrist at Hudson Mind
Linsay Heimberg – Hopemark Health
There are so many creative options to help optimize one’s psychedelic therapy experience, however one of my favorite steps includes intention setting. Intention setting is typically done with a therapist during the preparatory stage of therapy but also can be done individually right before each medicine session. It involves reflecting on specific personal goals one would like to achieve such as healing from trauma, exploring what may be behind one’s anger, gaining insight into personal challenges, or just getting to know oneself better. Intention setting not only gives the client a sense of empowerment and control over their therapeutic journey, but it also helps create a mindset conducive to personal growth, sets the stage for potential therapeutic insights, helps enhance awareness, and ensures that any lessons gained can be applied and integrated into one’s daily life.
— Linsay Heimberg, LCPC, Psychotherapist at Hopemark Health
Andrea White – Ballen Medical and Wellness
Ketamine and other psychedelics bring up challenging emotions, so I think having a therapist to help you process these is a great way for patients to support their treatments. It’s great if your therapist knows about this type of integration work, but even if they don’t, a good therapist should still be able to help you navigate what’s coming up in your ketamine sessions. They should make it much easier to explore the insights and breakthroughs you’re having so you can integrate them into your life better, and have a more transformative experience from your ketamine treatment or whatever else you might be receiving. Having that supportive guidance makes all the difference in being able to fully embrace the healing and growth psychedelic therapy opens up.
— Andrea White, BSN, RN, Infusion Nurse Manager at Ballen Medical and Wellness
The Importance of Integration
The benefits of psychedelic treatment aren’t limited to the duration a trip. In fact, in many cases, the work has really only begun. Lasting impact and change from psychedelic therapy can be enhanced by proper integration and applying the lessons learned from a session to everyday life.
This can mean anything from practicing more self-love and a greater acceptance of our true selves, to creating healthier habits or reconnecting with loved ones.
Whatever one decides to work on, it’s clear that psychedelics, just like physical and mental wellness, are a journey, not a destination, as Tyler Strause of Eleusinia says.
To get the most out of your psychedelic journey, we recommend partnering with a reputable clinic or retreat, who will not only support you through your trip but also help you do the important work of integration.
