FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Psilocybin Retreat, The Netherlands – May 4th – 10th 2024

Psilocybin Retreat, The Netherlands – September 21st – 27th 2024

Psilocybin Retreat, The Netherlands – November 16th – 22nd 2024

For Private Ceremonies we only work with Psilocybin and other transformational tools. No other psychedelics.

For retreats we work with Psilocybin as well as collaborating with an Ayahuasca Shaman, where we lead and host the preparation and integration work and she leads the ceremonies.

Absolutely. In our 1-on-1 mentorship programs we work online with people without the use of psychedelics. We used many different therapeutic practices along with de-conditioning and mindset tools deepening on the person and their intention for the program. We offer both 3 or 6 months containers which consist of 1 session per week every 3 weeks with the 4th week off for integration.

Absolutely, we are very happy to guide you to implement practical changes into your life after receiving valuable insights from psychedelics or plant medicines. We offer 3 or 6 months containers, a safe space where you have the opportunity to work with us 1 on 1. Containers consist of 1 session per week every 3 weeks with the 4th week off for integration.

We keep all personal information confidential, none of it will be shared with third parties.

We follow a non-refund policy however, a portion of the monies received may be applied to a later retreat/private session date within the following year. If you to change a retreat/private session date 90 days in advance, 100% of any payment
received can be applied to another retreat. If your cancellation is within 60 – 89 days before the retreat/private session date, 75% of the payment can be applied to another retreat.If your cancellation is within 26 – 59 days before the retreat/private session start date, 40% of the payment received can be applied to another retreat. 60% paid to the Retreat shall be forfeited. If your cancellation happens within 25 days of the retreat/private session, then 100% of the monies paid are forfeited.

Psilocybin or its derivative Psilocin are both a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in more than 180 species of hallucinogenic mushrooms and truffles all around the world.For thousands of years psilocybin mushrooms have been used in religious and shamanic ceremonies in many different cultures around the world.

Nowadays psilocybin has shown to be one of the most effective therapeutic assistants for the treatment of depression, cluster headaches, obsessive-compulsive disorders, PTSD, anxiety, as well as addiction.

We usually recommend the dosage recommended by the John Hopkins University used for their clinical studies. These doses are equivalent to 3-4 dried gram of Psilocybin mushrooms. On your preparation day/call we discuss this with you, ensuring you are at a place you are comfortable with as far as dosage is concerned and where you can achieve your desired experience. You are welcome to start out lower to get a taste of the experience instead of diving right in.

If you had experience with Psilocybin in the past, you are welcome to have a higher dose than the recommended dose. When it comes to dosage it can be a very individual experience and we prioritise catering to each person depending on their needs and desires. You will be able to increase your dose 1-1,5 hours
into the ceremony.We check in with you after an hour to see how you are feeling and to assess if you are in a good place or if if more is required.

At our retreats we also invite guests who are a little more nervous or whose first time it is to have a lower dose for the first ceremony to connect with the medicine and get a feel for it and then if they choose to they can have a full dose on the second ceremony day, so this can be very flexible and we are very happy to discuss this with you and also to adjust it if you feel differently on the morning of the ceremony itself

We cannot promise you that you will have a life transforming experience, especially if you only come to one single Psilocybin session. We have found that about half of our clients have a life transforming experience in their second Psilocybin session and the first session can be seen more like a warm-up. Many people do have a deeply transformational experience in their very first session.

Overall, about 80 % of our clients lives are changed for the better. 60% of our clients have major transformative experiences or insights. About 10 % of our clients have challenging or very challenging experiences, though sometimes this can be where the biggest breakthroughs can occur.

If you want to make sure to have a life transformation experience, we recommend that commit to integration practices after your experience. You can do this with a therapist at home, by researching online etc, or you can book our 3 month “Reinvent Your Life” program where we guide you through the integration process, teaching you tools to use in your daily life so that you can experience the change you are seeking. This work requires your commitment and willingness to do the work. Neither us nor Psilocybin can do the work for you but we are very happy to support you with it.

We recommend that all of our participants to come off their SSRI medication two weeks before a ceremony with us, because the two substances may interact with each other. Studies from the past decades have shown that it may lead to Serotonin symptom in a minimal amount of people.

There have been recent studies that have shown the opposite to be true: that SSRIs and Psilocybin can be taken together safely with no risk, but more studies need to be done to be certain of that. However, we invite all our participants to do their own research and if they feel like they would like to go ahead anyway while on the SSRI we can proceed once a waiver is signed that the participant takes the responsibility for any possible risk. We have worked with people who wanted to stay on their medicine in the past and it has worked really well, however there is still the risk mentioned above along with the risk of the substance having no effect.

Here is a link to an article about the study: https://psychedelicspotlight.com/ssri-drugs-can-be-used-safely-with-psilocybin-mindmed-study/

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Please do not use or consume the following medications: Please note this list is not complete, if you are taking a medication which is not listed here you must check what interactions it has with psilocybin with your doctor. We are not medical doctors and therefore cannot offer you medical advice. Thank you for your understanding. 

(If you decide to taper off on your own accord, please make sure to always do this under supervision of a licensed medical professional.)

1. Antidepressants

Please check with your doctor if your antidepressant is a tricyclic antidepressant, an SNRI, a SMS or Sari, NRI/NDRI, MAOI, lithium or a SSRI. We only in rare cases allow the use of SSRIs at your own risk.

SSRIs work by preventing the clearance of excess serotonin from the brain, meaning that serotonin levels are temporarily boosted. While in rare cases, it has been hypothesized that this can lead to serotonin syndrome. 

There have been recent studies that have shown the opposite to be true: that SSRIs and Psilocybin can be taken together safely with no risk, but more studies need to be done to be certain of that. However, we invite all our participants to do their own research and if they feel like they would like to go ahead anyway while on the SSRI we can proceed once a waiver is signed that the participant takes the responsibility for any possible risk. We have worked with people who wanted to stay on their medicine in the past and it has worked really well, however there is still the risk mentioned above along with the risk of the substance having no effect.

Here is a link to an article about the study: https://psychedelicspotlight.com/ssri-drugs-can-be-used-safely-with-psilocybin-mindmed-study/

SSRI medication include:
• Citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil)
• Escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex)
• Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem)
• Fluvoxamine (Luvox, Faverin)
• Paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat)
• Sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral)

Here is a list of antidepressants that we do not work with in combination with Psilocybin:

1. Tricyclic antidepressants:
   • Amineptine (Survector, Maneon)
   • Amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep)
   • Amitriptylinoxide (Amioxid, Ambivalon, Equilibrin)
   • Amoxapine (Asendin)
   • Clomipramine (Anafranil)
   • Desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane)
   • Dibenzepin (Noveril, Victoril)
   • Dimetacrine (Istonil)
   • Dosulepin (Prothiaden)
   • Doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan)
   • Imipramine (Tofranil)
   • Lofepramine (Lomont, Gamanil)
   • Maprotiline (Ludiomil)
   • Melitracen (Dixeran, Melixeran, Trausabun)
   • Mianserin (Tolvon)
   • Mirtazapine (Remeron)
   • Nitroxazepine (Sintamil)
   • Nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl)
   • Noxiptiline (Agedal, Elronon, Nogedal)
   • Opipramol (Insidon)
   • Pipofezine (Azafen/Azaphen)
   • Protriptyline (Vivactil)
   • Setiptiline (Tecipul)
   • Tianeptine (Stablon, Coaxil)
   • Trimipramine (Surmontil)

2. SNRI medication:
   • Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq, Khedezla)
   • Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
   • Levomilnacipran (Fetzima)
   • Milnacipran (Ixel, Savella)
   • Venlafaxine (Effexor XR)

3. MAOIs:

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a class of drugs that are used to treat depression and anxiety. They work by blocking the enzyme monoamine oxidase, which is responsible for breaking down certain neurotransmitters in the brain. When psilocybin is taken with an MAOI, it can lead to a dangerous increase in serotonin levels, which can cause a condition known as serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include agitation, confusion, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, and fever. In severe cases, serotonin syndrome can lead to seizures, coma, and even death.

Common MAOI medications include:

• Bifemelane (Alnert, Celeport)
• Caroxazone (Surodil, Timostenil)
• Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
• Metralindole (Inkazan)
• Moclobemide (Aurorix, Manerix)
• Phenelzine (Nardil)
• Pirlindole (Pirazidol)
• Selegiline (Eldepryl, Zelapar, Emsam)
• Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• Toloxatone (Humoryl)

4. NRI/NDRI

Some classic NRIs and NDRIs include:

• Atomoxetine (Strattera)
• Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
• Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta)
• Reboxetine (Edronax)
• Teniloxazine (Lucelan, Metatone)
• Viloxazine (Vivalan)

It is unknown if psilocybin and NRIs/NDRIs interact. As far as we know, psilocybin does not significantly affect the norepinephrinergic or dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems. However, to be safe, do not combine psilocybin with an NDRI.

5. SMS/SARI?

Some SMS/SARI include:

• Trazodone (Desyrel)
• Vilazodone (Viibryd)
• Vortioxetine (Trintellix)

Since these substances will affect the serotonin system in a potentially less predictable way than SSRIs. To be safe, we do not recommend combining these with psilocybin.

6. TCAs and TeCAs 

TCAs and TeCAs work in a similar way to SNRIs, by boosting the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. However they also activate a wide range of additional receptors, and also block some ion channels, creating dangerous side effect.

Some of the most well-known TCAs and TeCAs are:

• Amineptine (Survector, Maneon)
• Amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep)
• Amitriptylinoxide (Amioxid, Ambivalon, Equilibrin)
• Amoxapine (Asendin)
• Clomipramine (Anafranil)
• Desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane)
• Dibenzepin (Noveril, Victoril)
• Dimetacrine (Istonil)
• Dosulepin (Prothiaden)
• Doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan)
• Imipramine (Tofranil)
• Lofepramine (Lomont, Gamanil)
• Maprotiline (Ludiomil)
• Melitracen (Dixeran, Melixeran, Trausabun)
• Mianserin (Tolvon)
• Mirtazapine (Remeron)
• Nitroxazepine (Sintamil)
• Nortriptyline (Pamelor, Aventyl)
• Noxiptiline (Agedal, Elronon, Nogedal)
• Opipramol (Insidon)
• Pipofezine (Azafen/Azaphen)
• Protriptyline (Vivactil)
• Setiptiline (Tecipul)
• Tianeptine (Stablon, Coaxil)
• Trimipramine (Surmontil)

7. Lithium 

Lithium is often given as a mediator in combination with TCAs. 

Numerous reports suggest that Lithium, when mixed with psychedelics, can cause fatal seizures or heart attacks. Do not mix psilocybin and Lithium.

2. Supplements that may affect serotonergic function

Supplements such as 5 HTP, St John’s Wort or others

3. Depressants

Please do not consume any cannabis, alcohol or opioids for at least 72h before a session.

4. Stimulants

Stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines, and even caffeine can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. When taken with psilocybin, they can increase the risk of cardiovascular complications, such as heart attack and stroke. In addition, stimulants can also worsen the negative effects of psilocybin, such as anxiety and paranoia.

5. Antihistamines 

Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) are commonly used to treat allergies and insomnia. When taken with psilocybin, they can increase the risk of dizziness, confusion, and hallucinations. In addition, antihistamines can also worsen the negative effects of psilocybin, such as anxiety and paranoia.

6. Other Medications:

• anti-convulsants or anti-epileptic medications such as Neurontin(gabapentin) and Topamax(topiramate). The exact mechanism by which topiramate works, for example, is still unknown, so it is impossible to even guess whether or not it will interfere with psilocybin.

• medications which are either synthetic analogs of certain hormones or which regulate hormone production: Prednisone and Synthroid, for example. There is no direct evidence to suggest that these drugs will interact with psilocybin, but hormones have a very complex and inter-related effect on numerous body systems. We have seen a few reports suggesting that thyroid levels play a part in cluster headaches

• tranquilizers and mood-altering medications such as Xanax, Valium, Prozac and Wellbutrin.

• Ondansetron (Zofran) and Compazine(prochlorperazine)

• Imitrex (and associated triptans): In relation to migraine headaches based upon many reports, triptans are one of the most likely medications to block the clusterbusting effects of psychedelics. We recommend to avoid them both before, during and after, beginning psychedelic treatments for cluster headaches.

• sumatriptan (Imitrex®, Imigran®) injections
  • sumatriptan (Imitrex®, Imigran®) tablets
  • zolmitriptan (Zomig®) tablets
  • sumatriptan (Imitrex®, Imigran®) nasal spray
  • naratriptan (Amerge®, Naramig®) tablets
  • rizatriptan (Maxalt®) tablets and rizatriptan orally dissolvable
  (Maxalt-MLT®) tablets
  • zolmitriptan orally dissolvable (Zomig-ZMT®) tablets
  • almotriptan (Axert®) tablets
  • frovatriptan (Frova®) tablets
  • eletriptan (Relpax®) tablets

• Ritonavir/Indinavir

• haloperidol

For more drug interactions, please check out this chart:

https://wiki.tripsit.me/wiki/Drug_combinations

The effects of psilocybin include altered perception of time and space and intense changes in mood and feeling. It can lead to a feeling of euphoria, peacefulness and an experience of spiritual awakening.

Possible side effects of psilocybin include:

• derealization, or the feeling that surroundings are not real
• depersonalisation, or a dream-like sense of being disengaged from surroundings
• distorted thinking
• visual alteration and distortion, such as seeing halos of light and vivid colors
• Dilated pupils
• Dizziness
• drowsiness and yawning
• impaired concentration
• Muscle weakness
• lack of coordination
• unusual body sensations
• Nausea and vomiting
• confusion
• frightening hallucinations Paranoia

Possible side effects the day after the ceremony 

• Headaches the following day – not always but it can happen, best to drink a lot of water the day before and that evening to support this
• Feeling extra sensitive or emotional – this can be in a very beautiful way, experiencing love or feeling very open, or it may feel a bit more difficult with old unprocessed emotions moving through you, it all depends what kind of experience you have which none of us can predict of course. 
• Some people find it difficult to sleep that night, others have reported sleeping amazingly, so there is a possibility that you could feel tired and or unable to sleep, this is normal. 
• Some side effects can be headaches the following day – not always but it can happen, best to drink a lot of water the day before and that evening to support this

While there have been some pre-trial studies and personal accounts of people with chronic pain that have self-medicated with psychedelics and have shown improvement in mitigating chronic pain on top of facilitating better mental health conditions, we have to make the very important disclaimer that there have been no conclusive studies that show a direct correlation between the use of psychedelics and chronic pain relief. 

This is not to say that there is no correlation at all, but that there hasn’t been enough studies conducted to say for sure – and the lack of studies on it is mostly the result of the substances being outlawed for so long in so many countries. However, as more and more research projects on the effects of psychedelics on chronic pain are being green lit, then the answer to your question should become clearer over time.

That being said, we have worked with clients who had tremendous improvements to complete healing of their chronic pain after taking psilocybin and we have also worked with people that have had very little to no improvement. 

We do need to bring some awareness to your intention to experience ego death, whilst ego death can happen it is not always what our healing requires and what is needed for us in order to bring resolution to what we are currently facing, so while we admire your courage to want to experience this it is not something we would suggest as an intention for your experience as this intention is one that is asking to direct the path the medicine will take us rather than the reason we want to have the experience. Asking yourself why do I want to experience ego death would be a great place to start, what do I think this will bring me? That could lead you to an intention that you can work with. You can discuss this further during your preparation call with your practitioner once arranged. 

There are no knows risks about Psilocybin use prior to pregnancy having any negative affect on conception or the pregnancy itself, however as we are not medical professionals and can only rely on the findings from peer-reviewed research we advise that you consult with your doctor on this matter to get his/her professional opinion.

We work in Maastricht and Amsterdam in The Netherlands, where Psilocybin is legal in the form of truffles. We offer private, partner and group ceremonies. We also travel to places where these substances are legal by request.

A Private Psilocybin Therapy Session includes a 40 minute preparation session via Zoom or Skype to get to know you, discuss your dosage, answer your questions and help you to get clear on your intention. You will have your own private trauma integration facilitator present with you a the full day which lasts approx 6-7 hours to assist you on your journey within.

The journey itself can be anything from 4-6 hours.We come to your temporary accommodation in Maastricht, South of The Netherlands or Amsterdam. We recommend choosing a comfortable, cosy and private space on Airbnb, and can offer a suggestion for this if you wish. We did provide a ceremony room in the past but we have found that it is more beneficial for our clients to be in their own space as they will not have to travel when the session is complete.

You will still feel quiet sensitive after the 5-7 hour session and a walk through the city often feels overwhelming, plus this is an incredibly valuable time for reflection and stillness, so we come to you

Most people who are working on deeper issues experience best results from 2 ceremonies and 2 integration sessions. We have noticed that for about half our clients, the first session is needed to begin to open up. They are experiencing Psilocybin in this way for the first time, so many people feel a little bit guarded as they get to know the substance and how it feels. Once people have had one experience and understand what it can feel like, they can go deeper during the second one.

One experience can still be very effective and for others one experience is exactly what is needed. It all depends on how much you yourself will be able to open up to the experience. We have seen people have very transformative experiences with just one session, however we have found 2 to be the most effective for those who want to go really deep. We would suggest if this is your first experience and you have a deep rooted issue you are dealing with, if your budget allows and if you have the time that you have 2 ceremonies and 2 integration sessions. This also makes more sense if you are travelling quite far for the experience.

We are very happy to create a schedule based on your needs regarding travel and the timeframe that you have. Here are some of our recommended options. With Option A being the one we would most recommend if your time and budget allows.

Option A

Day 1 – 1st Psilocybin Ceremony

Day 2 – 1st Integration Session

Day 3 – 2nd Psilocybin Ceremony

Day 4 – 2nd Integration Session

If time is not a problem for you and you feel like it, you could also add a break between the two ceremonies which also depends on the practitioners availability. If you do have time constraints, we can also arrange it like this.

Option B

Day 1 – 1st Psilocybin Ceremony

Day 2 – 1st Integration Session + 2nd Psilocybin Ceremony

Day 3 – 2nd Integration Session (this session can also be held online once you are back home)

To have two ceremonies in 3 days, we can offer the following options (we recommend option 1 but feel free to choose which one resonates most with you):

Option 1:

Day 1: Psilocybin Session

Day 2: Integration Session

Day 3: Psilocybin Session

Integration Session Online when you return home from your experience.

Option 2:

Day 1: Psilocybin Session

Day 2: Integration Session + Psilocybin Session

Day 3: Integration Session

Option 3:

Day 1: Psilocybin Session

Day 2: Psilocybin Session

Day 3: Integration Session

Our practitioners in Amsterdam get booked out very fast, so its best to book 6-8 weeks in advance. For the other locations we would still recommend to book 4-6 weeks in advance to make sure to find a date that works for you.

Sometimes if you are lucky, there will be spots available for the upcoming weeks, however the later you leave it the less available options there will be.

It is definitely possible to do a second ceremony after the first, however most people benefit from a day break between ceremonies where they have an integration session.

Most of our bookings with 2 sessions and 2 integration sessions are done over 4 days, however they can also be spaced out according to what you feel is the most comfortable for you. Some of our clients come every 6 months for a while and that works well for them. Others come to have two ceremonies in a row.

The other factor that affects how ceremonies and integration sessions are spaced out is the availability of your practitioner.

To give you an idea of how the sessions can be spread out, here are some examples of schedules we have worked with in the past:

Option A

1st day – 1st Ceremony

2nd day – 1st Integration session

3rd day – 2nd Ceremony

4th day – 2nd Integration session (or can be done online)

Option B

1st day – 1st Ceremony

2nd day – 1st Integration session

3rd day – Break day

4th day – 2nd Ceremony

5th day – 2nd Integration session (or can be done online)

Option C

1st day – 1st Ceremony

2nd day – 1st integration session + 2nd ceremony

3rd day – 2nd integration session (or can be done online)

If you would like to confirm only 1 ceremony + 1 session for now and then confirm the 2nd session later if you feel like going deeper that can be supported, however it is important to know that this will depend entirely on the availability of your practitioner (and chances are that if you come to Amsterdam or Maastricht, that they will already be fully booked in the days afterwards). Our facilitators book up quite in advance and we can only confirm bookings upon the receipt of a non refundable 50% deposit. So although it maybe possible to do this, it is unlikely that your practitioner would still be available 

Yes we also offer shared ceremonies with either one practitioner in the same space or each person can have a practitioner each in separate rooms, this allows you both to share the experience together, while also have an individual experience with your own facilitator.

If you both feel that you will each feel very safe and comfortable with potentially difficult emotions coming up and know that you will not fear going into emotions in fear of upsetting or angering the other person, then you could go for having the experience with the same practitioner in the same room. It can be very vulnerable and if our relationship isn’t in a place yet where we can hold that vulnerability for each other, which is of course totally OK, then we would recommend having a practitioner each, where you can be in separate rooms. So we ask you both to feel into which option feels best for you.

The private and group experiences both have their unique rewards. Neither one is better than the other,  it’s more a case of understanding which is the right experience for you which we will assist you with in this text. You can do this by asking yourself  “What are my needs in this moment  my life and “which setting will I feel most safe/comfortable in”?  Creating safety within the experience is our absolute priority. When we feel safe, we can open up, we can access our emotions, our vulnerability and we can create an environment for ourselves where we can feel seen. Here we can really begin to heal old wounds and begin to see change in ourselves and our  lives.

We recommend tuning into yourself and imagining yourself in each experience. Asking yourself which setting do you feel safer in? In the intimacy of a space with just you and your private therapist or with the comfort of a group of like minded people surrounding you who are sharing this experience and their experience with you and that you can connect with throughout the week.

The group element brings another dimension of healing to the experience as we are sharing our experience and are exposed to the lives and experiences of others all connecting together in an open and healthy way which is very very powerful. Plus the connections during the week that participants form together as well as the support that the group itself offers is a beautiful component of the group experience. The private experience offers one to one undivided attention from your therapist during your entire experience and the focus is on you solely which of course is the advantage of this option.

You maybe someone who the idea of sharing or connecting in a group environment  may be incredibly anxiety provoking to and be beyond the stretch of comfort that actually promotes growth. In this case a private ceremony would be more suitable where you can begin to have healthy experiences connecting with just one person (your facilitator) in a safe and more comfortable way.

Growth can happen when we step outside of our comfort zone, feeling uncomfortable and allowing ourselves to go through the discomfort. However if we step so far outside our comfort zone into a place that deregulates us and our nervous system, we can send ourselves into a state of fight or flight or into a freeze state where we are now in survival mode and no longer feeling safe in our being. This state is not a healing state and is the opposite of why you would do the experience in the first place and of what we want for you. So if you are unsure of the group experience and it is making you uncomfortable, bringing some awareness to how uncomfortable and offering yourself the option that feels most safe for you.

With all of this in mind, sharing and participation is always optional at the retreat, an invitation, not an expectation and you are very welcome and encouraged to be silent if speaking does not feel right for you in any moment. 

 

The group experience will be a good idea for you if  you are…..

Partially wanting to do this to connect with others

• Someone who likes to spend time and connect with people
• Someone who likes to talk with others or be around people to help you process
• Someone who hasn’t been connecting with others and wants to open up to connecting  more in a safe environment
• You want a longer chunk of time to really switch off and disconnect from life a bit outside your usual environment where you will be cooked for and in the safety of a held supported container.
• If you like a mixture of connection and alone time
• (There is plenty of time in the evenings after dinner to be alone and also some time in the mornings if you are an early riser as we usually being the program around 10amAlso You can take space any time during the week of the retreat if you feel you want to be alone, everything on the schedule is an invitation not an expectation)
• If you feel that being alone in the evening after the experience is not something you would like or feel ok with (This would be the case with a private experience)

 

The private experience may be a better idea for you if  you

• You feel better with the idea of having a facilitator working with only you. 
• You are someone who likes their own space and to be alone to reflect 
• You are someone who is very uncomfortable being vulnerable or sharing yourself a little in the present of others to the point that you feel frozen or completely avoidant of even trying. Some discomfort is perfectly normal and expected, however if it feels really terrifying the group setting may be overwhelming for you, or you may find yourself in a place where you’re not reaching the vulnerable aspects of yourself that you may need  to reach in order to work through a problem you may be facing in your life .
• You are working with some very deep traumas that would be best supported with undivided attention.
• You have a shorter period of time available to you.

 

You can also watch this video where Kerrie answers the question

Here is a breakdown of the questions on the video,

00.00 – Introduction

00.50 – The week of the Retreat – How it flows, what is the schedule like?

09.05 – What happens in the group experience when people are having emotions/making noise. Will I be disturbed by this?

12.35 – What is the difference between private ceremonies and the retreat experience?

18.30 – How can I prepare for the experience?

Link to access the video and the password are below.

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/669476805/privacy

password: hellohello

We do recommend and prefer to hold the sessions in Airbnbs for privacy reasons. If this does not feel like an option for you we can make an exception however, we do ask to choose a smaller boutique hotel rather than a large one in order to minimise noise distractions. It is also important to check beforehand with the hotel property if they allow hotel guests to have day guests visit, as some properties do not allow this. It is also important to check the house rules of the hotel to make sure they do not forbid the use of substances on their property.

Both Private and Group Ceremonies are scheduled during day time and last 6-7 hours. We ask you not to plan anything afterwards but just to be with yourself fully for the rest of the day until you go to sleep, or have a supportive friend or partner with you. When we arrive at your place, we will speak about how you feel and address any last concerns that you have and when you are ready you will take in the Psilocybin truffles.

After consuming the truffles it will take from 30 to 60 minutes for the effects to start. In some rare cases it can take up to 2 hours. The effects will last from 4 to 6 hours. We will stay with you for the entire session, guiding you through the experience. We will help you to stay present with your intention. If however, during the experience your feel like you want a moment of privacy this is of course provided and we would move to another room within safety for brief periods.

We open our ceremonies with a meditation and take you through a process to help bring you towards your intention. We work energetically to cleanse the energies while you are journeying. We also assist you when an emotion or trauma arises, something you maybe re-experiencing from childhood, your more recent past or indeed currently and provide the missing experience (meaning whatever was missing in the situation to help you to deal with the emotions at the time). We are skilled and experienced in both parts-work and shamanic soul retrieval. We guide you through challenges during the experience (if needed,).

We are a physical aid and are there when you come out of your experience as a
source of support and care and someone for your to share your experience and insights with which is an important part of integration. After your Psilocybin Experience you can choose to have optional or even several integration sessions (in person or online) on the following day and/or in the days/weeks following your Psilocybin experience. 1 Integration session is recommended per psilocybin
therapy session.

When it comes to dosage it can be a very individual experience and we prioritise catering to each person depending on their needs and desires rather than using a set standard dose. 

We also consider other factors such as your experience with plant medicines and your sensitive levels. 

We do base our doses on the John Hopkins University clinical trial dosages for therapeutic Psilocybin sessions, which we have also found most effective in our own experience. These doses are equivalent to 2.5 – 4 dried gram of Psilocybin mushrooms or 12.5 – 20grams of fresh truffles. 

However should you want to start slowly on a lower dose this is absolutely supported and this can be increased a little bit as you begin to feel the effects if you so wish or you can stay on a low dose. 

Others are more comfortable going in at the fuller dose, its really personal and it will be discussed with your practitioner during your preparation call where we will assess what you may need and ensure you are at a place you are comfortable with,  where you can achieve your desired experience. 

During the experience we check in with you after an hour after receiving the medicine to see how you are feeling and to assess if you are in a good place or if a booster dose is required.

There is no special diet needed to participate in a Psilocybin Therapy Session, however we do recommend vegan food prior to the session to cleanse your body energetically. We ask you to come to the ceremony with an empty but not starving stomach (no food 2 hours before the session starts). And if possible avoid coffee or caffeinated tea and beverages on the morning of the experience. Alcohol is best avoided for at least 3 days before the experience.

If you don’t already have a meditation practice beginning one can, while not essential can be very helpful within the experience. Prior to you coming to The Netherlands, we will have a 40 minute online call together, where we get to know each other a little and answer any questions you may have. We will advise you on diet etc, essential precautions, legalities, possible side effects and how to best minimise and deal with them. We will prepare you emotionally and mentally on what to expect, connect you to your intention, ultimately preparing you to get the most out of your trip.

We will help you to create a powerful but short intention that you can easily remember while journeying into other dimensions which will serve as an anchor during your experience. Together we will decide what dose you will take depending on the intensity you wish for the experience as well as your sensitivity level.

There will be a 45min preparation call beforehand to help you prepare for the experience. During this call you will get to know your practitioner, you will be informed about how the session will go, clarify your intention and your dosage and ask some questions if you have them. There is also an optional 5h preparation online course that you can do, the log in details are shared on the intake form we sent out after booking.

On the ceremony day itself, we usually meet around 10 or 10h30am in the morning on the day of the ceremony. 

Once we arrive, we check in on how you are feeling, have a little chat and answer any questions that might have come up for you. Then we will prepare the substance. 

We will guide you through a meditation to enter the experience and during the experience itself, we are next to you at all times. We help you move through any difficulties or fears that come up for you. 

We always start our ceremonies at 10am or 10.30am as the ceremonies can last between 5-7 hours. In some exceptions some of our practitioners are able to start in the early afternoon.

Regarding what happens during the ceremony, this is always different depending on what is happening for each individual. Your practitioner will stay with you for the entire session, guiding you through the experience if this is what is needed. They will help you to stay present with your intention, and will support you through any difficult emotions or challenges that are arising for you so you can move through them. They use different therapeutic tools and techniques to support you through the experience. If however, during the experience you feel like you want a moment of privacy this is of course provided and they would move to another room within safety for brief periods. Sometimes however little guidance is needed by the person as they are very relaxed and present in their own experience with the medicine which is guiding them, your facilitator will be attuned to this and will not disturb this process unnecessarily. unless you would specifically like to be checked on every hour or so which you can ask them to do.  Most often for people it is a mixture of the two experiences described above, where they need a bit of assistance and then spend some time back in their own experience with medicine. Neither way is better than the other, whats important is what is alive in the moment and what is needed and thats what your facilitator will support you with, either way they will be by your side all day and available whenever needed. 

We will stay with you until you are ready to be left alone until you are fully centred again. It has never happened that someone could not be alone afterwards. Your practitioner will also leave their phone number with you in case of emergency should you need them. 

But if this is a serious fear of yours, there is always the possibility to ask a support person to join you on the trip to Amsterdam who can  be there in the evening. 

Most people are well enough to travel the day after their ceremony, but again this is a personal choice. If the session is overwhelming for you, you may need an additional day, as you may still feel like you are integrating things and not wanting to be going through a busy airport. The session could also be very gentle, and beautiful and give you a lot of energy and you may feel fine to travel. In saying that, most people do travel the next day and they are fine. If you can allow an extra day for a peaceful and deeper integration, we highly recommend this.

Some people have brought a family member, friend or partner with them as they want the support in the evening after the experience. If you have a partner/friend/family member who is very supportive and able to validate you, this could be very helpful.

If you feel this would ease you into the experience, and allow you to feel more comfortable, this is definitely something you can do. But as mentioned above, your facilitator will be with you through the entire experience and you may wish to be on your own for reflection afterwards. During the experience itself, we recommend being alone with the facilitator to be able to fully let go and being with yourself.

Integration sessions take place after a ceremony you have experienced with us. During our Integration Session we will provide a safe space for you to share the insights received on your journey. Each integration session is different as it is very much catered to what you specifically need that day. We tune into what this is for you and work from there.

If you are open to it, there will be opportunities to reveal the layers of your behavioural patterns, coping mechanisms and conditionings of your early life experience. We might use a modality called parts-work to speak to different inner aspects that may have surfaced during the ceremony or we may use other modalities such as inner child work to help you come to a place of integration within.

We may find that you simply need to talk and share you experience to a present and empathetic listener. Or we can help you to create an action plan, guiding you on how to take steps forward based on what you learned within your experience so that you can embody and live out the insights that the journey gave you.

Yes, indeed there is a small chance when two ceremonies are close together that one can develop a light tolerance to the substance. However, we have worked with hundreds of people who booked 2 ceremonies within 1 week and each and every time the second ceremony is just as profound or even deeper than the first one. In our work we have observed that most of the time, people do not build a tolerance and for a very few amount of people a little booster dose is needed in the second ceremony. We usually give this booster dose after an hour when we check in with the client how they are feeling, so in our experience there is no need to leave several days in between ceremonies.

It won’t be an issue at all having your second Integration session the week after which can take place online when you return home. We often guide people through Integration sessions a few days after their experience. This could possibly even give you more time to really reflect after your experience and make the most out of that second Integration session.

Yes, you can bring a friend, but we recommend that the friend is not present during the ceremony itself as this can interfere with the process of you opening up fully. We recommend that they are nearby during the duration of the ceremony, so that in case you need them, we can call them in. And it is really nice to have someone present for support after the experience.

Regarding going back to work, of course the longer you can take off the better to allow yourself to integrate and process, it also really depends on what comes up for you during the session and how emotional you may feel afterwards which at this point of course we don’t know, however most participants return to work shortly after due to time restraints without any problems. 

What we don’t recommend is for people to travel or to put themselves in crowded and/or unfamiliar situations immediately after a ceremony, and to wait until the day after to do any travelling. This is because you may still be quite sensitive from the effects of the Psilocybin and still processing what may have come up during the ceremony.

We have worked with many people in the past who had trouble sleeping the night before either due to jet lag or general anxiety about their upcoming ceremony, and it has never caused a problem. We have guided hundreds of ceremonies and only 1 time a person actually fell asleep during a ceremony. We noticed it immediately and woke him up, so he could continue his journey. We can also suggest taking melatonin the night before your ceremony, it’s completely natural and can help to alleviate anxiety so that you can hopefully get some sleep the night before your experience

Our private sessions are also being held in several different places. Wherever we are, we have the number of the emergency team. We never had to actually use it during a ceremony, but we used it once on an integration day when somebody fainted and the emergency team was at the location within 10min. 

At group retreats, we are also in contact with the local emergency team and there is always at least 1 facilitator who is 1st aid certified. 

During private ceremonies, you can request to have a facilitator that is trained in 1st aid if you are flexible with the choice of your location.

We are one of the three first Psychedelic Retreat organisers in the Netherlands to start retreats in 2018 and have successfully led hundreds of people through psychedelic journeys. We are trained Trauma Integration Practitioners which means we can go deep into the core root of peoples struggles and aid them in resolving these issues. Many people don’t realise that trauma is actually what is affecting their current state of dissatisfaction with life as we tend to think trauma is some big deep experience that has happened to others but not to us, when in reality we are all affected by childhood trauma regardless of how happy a childhood we had. Psychedelics bring us into a prime state where these core wounds are more easily accessible. Our experience in this field allows us to help those who work with us to find resolve to their unresolved trauma which is playing out in their lives in all kind of ways, from unhealthy relationship patterns, loneliness, addiction, eating disorders to PTSD, depression, OCD etc and just general unhappiness or unfulfilment in life. The merging of Psilocybin with our style of Trauma Integration Therapy is what really excites us most as it can bring about profound awareness and change. We specialise in small groups with a maximum of 8-10 participants. This allows us to create more intimacy between the participants and gives each individual a lot of time to express themselves, share during the integration days. And also to receive more support. A small group makes it easier to show vulnerability too. Our Retreat is longer than most others, which allows us to go very deep. We specialise in the integration process of the psychedelic experience and dedicate 3 full days to integration exercises. We teach a lot of self-therapeutic tools to our participants so that the integration process can continue when they return home and their process of self-awareness and understanding can flourish. We are female facilitators, so our ceremonies include a lot of feminine qualities, one of those being that they are very nurturing.

The guest to facilitator ratio is 3. Our retreat usually have 12 participants, so we have 4 facilitators present.

We do not accept participants that are prone to psychosis, have schizophrenia, have a bipolar or borderline diagnosis. We do not accept anyone who is currently taking SSRI (participants need to be at least 2 weeks off the SSRI medicine).

As trauma integration facilitators we assist our participants when they go through a difficult experience, by supporting them through their challenge with emotional support, breathwork and guidance.

Our participants have access to an online course 6 weeks prior to the retreat experience in which they learn how to mentally and emotionally prepare for this experience. At the retreat itself, we dedicate a full day to preparation for the experience. We answer every participants question, explain all the challenges a Psilocybin experience can bring and how to navigate a challenging experience and help participants to set their intention. Something thats very important to us is to create a trusting environment amongst the participants. We do this using intimacy building exercises. Each participant also has an online call with us prior to arrival at the retreat which gives them the opportunity to have their questions answered and where we give them advice on how to prepare both physically and emotionally.

Our integration days are mainly done in group settings, but during certain exercises participants will have the chance to get some one-on-one time as well. We have sharing circles, intimacy and bonding exercises, body movement exercises and teach self-therapy tools for participants to be able to continue the integration process at home. The integration program is catered to each group specifically and what the participants are going through in their lives and have gone through in the journeys and what we feel will serve them best, so it’s always different.

We organise group retreats 3-4 times per year, but we work with clients in a private setting all year round.

Guests arrange their own transport. There is a 2h direct train from Amsterdam airport and a 1h train connection from Dusseldorf airport to the nearest town. From there our guests share a taxi (20 min ride) to reach the venue. We connect our guests prior to the retreat if they wish, so that they can arrange to meet and travel together from the airport if they like.

Our age group is usually very diverse. Our youngest participant so far was 21 years old and our oldest was 75.

The music during our ceremonies comes through speakers. This is important so that we can still speak to you to help you through challenging moments. If you feel more comfortable with earphones, we allow this too. However in case a challenging situation arrises, you will most likely remove the earphones all together to be able to hear us and the music flow will be interrupted.

We encourage the use of eye masks, but will never force you to do anything you do not want to do. 

We have found that the eyemasks really help our clients to go inward and receive insights about themselves and their intention. 

Eye masks help reduce the overload of the sensory experience which can be distracting when a therapeutic experience is our intention.

We also have clients, that have removed the eye mask and kept their eyes closed, which has the same therapeutic effect as with the mask. And of course you can wear an eye mask and take it off from time to time to also enjoy some of the extra sensory aspect of the journey or to simply have a break from the inner experience.

The week includes 2 x Psilocybin Ceremonies, 2x Microdosing Psilocybin experiences, 2 Full Days of Integration Therapy, 6 Days of Deep Emotional Support, Vegan or Vegetarian Food cooked by our private chef and Luxury Accommodation and of course some Fun! We also include a 45min private online follow up session 10-14 days after the end of the retreat.

Transportation costs to arrive at the venue.

We have worked with many people in the past who had trouble sleeping the night before either due to jet lag or general anxiety about their upcoming ceremony, and it has never caused a problem. We have guided hundreds of ceremonies and only 1 time a person actually fell asleep during a ceremony. We noticed it immediately and woke him up, so he could continue his journey. We can also suggest taking melatonin the night before your ceremony, it’s completely natural and can help to alleviate anxiety so that you can hopefully get some sleep the night before your experience

Our private sessions are also being held in several different places. Wherever we are, we have the number of the emergency team. We never had to actually use it during a ceremony, but we used it once on an integration day when somebody fainted and the emergency team was at the location within 10min.

At group retreats, we are also in contact with the local emergency team and there is always at least 1 facilitator who is 1st aid certified.

During private ceremonies, you can request to have a facilitator that is trained in 1st aid if you are flexible with the choice of your location.

The Redesign Your Life Program can be booked as accompaniment to ones psychedelic session or as a program by itself. It can be a tremendous help to better prepare and integrate the Psychedelic session and create the desired shift in the clients life. The program we offer is either 3 or 6 months long (with 3x 1h or 90min sessions per month), but can also be individualised to the clients specific needs. We recommend to the client to have the psychedelic journey in the middle of this program to get the most out of the experience or alternatively start with the Psychedelic Session and continue with Redesign your life sessions afterwards. 

The way it works is that at the beginning the client and the facilitator will identify what shift the client would like to create in their life. Would they like to feel more fulfilled? Would they like to improve your mental or physical health? Whatever it is, they will use the first session to get clear on what they would like to see change in your life and to identify the blocks that are holding them back from achieving this. After the first session, the facilitator will work with the client using different modalities such as somatic therapy, IFS or inner child work, identifying limiting beliefs, etc. We will help the client identify the patterns and give them easy and practical tools for their day to day life to change them.

People decide the number of sessions to book themselves based on their needs and what they want out of the sessions. For example – knowledge on how to microdose and/or therapeutic sessions while microdosing.

You can book as many sessions as you think you’ll need, for how long you’ll need. For example, you can book a session to learn how to microdose and how to measure, set an intention etc and/ or you can book sessions to work with a practitioner and use therapeutic protocols while you are microdosing to maximise the potential of the experience.

 

We also have a free Microdosing Guide available for download here: https://www.innershift.institute/free-gifts/

Regarding the Psilocybin for the online sessions, we do not provide this so it is something that the client will have to source themselves.

TERMS & CONDITIONS