Psychedelic Practitioner Training

Course Description

Synthesis is currently (March 2023) under financial stress. Please read this article from Psychedelic Alpha before continuing. We will update the course pages once the dust settles.

The Synthesis Institute's Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training is a 13-month educational program designed for professionals interested in contributing to the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy. As the access to psychedelics increases and their potential to treat debilitating mental health conditions and treatment-resistant conditions becomes more widely recognized, the need for professionally trained practitioners is growing.

The program is designed to develop the essential foundational competencies required for legal, professional, and ethical psychedelic facilitation. The course includes nine coursework modules, each building upon the last, to ensure a cohesive, highly focused, and personalized educational experience. Participants will be assigned a personal mentor to guide them through the program and ensure they receive the support they need to succeed.

The program is research-backed, wisdom-rich, somatically-informed, and heart-centred, and it is designed to ensure that participants are well-rounded, professionally trained psychedelic facilitators. The focus of the program is on preparation, set, setting, and integration, and it takes great care in prioritizing safety.

As governments and the public become more open to the potential benefits of psychedelics, the demand for well-educated and experienced psychedelic practitioners is increasing. The Synthesis Institute's Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training is an opportunity for professionals to join the forefront of this rapidly growing field and make a positive impact on people's lives.

The course spans 13 months of weekly lessons, group discussions, and peer support circles.

What you’ll learn

• Understand the fundamentals of guiding a safe and ethical psychedelic journey, including screening, preparation, set and setting, and integration.
• Gain knowledge of relevant clinical research and evidence-based best practices in the field of psychedelic therapy.
• Expand understanding of both well-established and emerging wisdom and traditional approaches to psychedelic therapy.
• Develop the ability to hold space for a wide range of experiences that may occur during a psychedelic journey, including identifying personal limits and opportunities for further growth and development.
• Establish a consistent personal practice and commitment to self-care and self-reflection.
• Assemble a toolkit of professional skills for holding space for others during their psychedelic journey.
• Build a support network of peers and connect with The Synthesis Institute's international professional community.
• Recognize and address personal biases and learn to create culturally sensitive and trauma-informed containers.
• Develop an understanding of ethical considerations, including cultural appropriation, extractivism, restorative justice, and generative reciprocity.

The Synthesis Institute's Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training is an extensive, 13-month educational program that equips professionals with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to guide safe, ethical, and effective psychedelic journeys, and to contribute to the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy.