Plant Medicine

Psychedelic therapy, and what we do instead

People search for psychedelic therapy when they want to know if this work can help. Here is a plain answer: what the research does and does not show, and how our retreats are different.

What it is, and what we do

Psychedelic therapy usually means a psychedelic medicine, most often psilocybin, given in a clinical study with trained therapists. The medicine is one part. Preparation, the setting and the support afterward are the rest.

Ceremonia is not therapy and not a clinic. We hold ceremony, with preparation before and integration after. We borrow what researchers have learned about set and setting, and we do not claim the results of their studies as ours.

What the research shows

Three trials, with public links. Read them yourself.

• Davis AK, Barrett FS, May DG, et al. (2020). In a Johns Hopkins randomized trial of major depression, 71% responded and 54% were in remission at 4 weeks after two psilocybin sessions with psychotherapy support. JAMA Psychiatry. Read the paper.
• Carhart-Harris RL, Giribaldi B, Watts R, et al. (2021). In 59 adults with major depression, psilocybin and escitalopram did not differ significantly on the primary outcome (p=0.17). Remission was 57% vs 28%, a secondary outcome not corrected for multiple comparisons. New England Journal of Medicine. Read the paper.
• Griffiths RR, Johnson MW, Carducci MA, et al. (2016). In 51 people with life-threatening cancer, about 80% still showed clinically significant reductions in depressed mood and anxiety at 6 months after a high-dose session. Journal of Psychopharmacology. Read the paper.

These are findings from research settings. They do not describe outcomes at a retreat, and none of these studies evaluated Ceremonia. Psilocybin is not FDA-approved. More in our research library.

The two medicines we hold

Psilocybin. The medicine in Awaken, held in Colorado as sacramental practice.

Ayahuasca. Heal takes place in Baja California, Mexico, held as ceremony.

Who it is not for

This work is not for everyone, and we say no when it would not be safe. Our nurse practitioner reviews every medical intake, and your prescriber leads on any medication. See how we screen.