University program elevates magic mushroom therapy
Psilocybin is finding legislative freedom at the state and city levels. Oregon legalized magic mushroom therapy, Colorado legalized possession, and the city of Oakland, Calif. decriminalized the fungi.
Fresh openings in legality paired with consistently published research on the benefits of psilocybin therapy have piqued interest in the healing modality. Unfortunately, therapy remains too expensive for many, but that might change soon as more facilitators get certified.
Psilocybin Facilitator Certification Program
Naropa University now offers a state-approved psilocybin facilitator certification program in Oregon and Colorado. Increased access to certification for Indigenous lineage carriers, licensed therapists, legacy practitioners, and community members could lead to more readily available and affordable psilocybin therapy in the future.
“Ongoing research continues to support the therapeutic potential of psychedelics while state-based legislation is expanding access to them,” said Joseph Harrison, executive director of Naropa College Psychedelic Studies (NCPS) said in a press release. “There is a pressing need to train practitioners to deliver these healing modalities.”
The certification program is six months long, taking 150 hours, combining online live classes and self-led courses. Lessons cover the importance of reciprocity and reparations to Indigenous knowledge carriers, specifically the Mazatec people. Other topics touch on colonialism and appropriation, providing guidance for facilitators looking to divest from practices that extract from these cultures.
After completing these courses, practitioners move on to the experiential practicum on-site in Oregon or Colorado. This portion of the training includes group experiences of non-ordinary (see: trippy) states with on-site professionals and teachers.
Healing is at the root
Harm reduction and healing justice rank above all in this psilocybin therapy curriculum. Dr. Diana Quinn, Director of Clinical Education at the NaropaCPS, trains and practices in generative somatics and emergent strategy.
Her work is rooted in Somatic Abolitionism, which asks people to go beyond dissecting politicized frameworks cognitively and do the same in the subtle energies of their bodies. These practices will carry into the training of informed, just psilocybin therapy facilitators.
“We bring a harm reduction approach to training facilitators to support without judgment, stigma or coercion. Liberatory Harm Reduction is a trauma-informed approach that centers consent, self-determination, and bodily autonomy at the foundation of the facilitator-client relationship,” Dr. Quinn said in a statement to GreenState.
Psychedelics continue gaining popularity, citing a need for education. This certification curriculum honors healing justice and harm reduction, centering trauma-informed ethics and community care. Educating trauma-informed, anti-colonial facilitators is a step toward a solid foundation for the future of psilocybin therapy.
