The Benefits of Integration Work after Psychedelic Assisted Therapy

The earth has been blessed with plants and minds that have the capacity to evolve brains and break through barriers to healing. Some would say it is an intentional symbiosis, that, like the mugwort that grows near poison oak to soothe the itch, nature has seeded the problem and the remedy right next to each other.

Plants like psiloscybin ("magic mushrooms"), marijuana, ayahuasca, and ibogaine have been relied upon by humans to help them break free of constrictive perceptions, and to touch the Divine, for eons. And humans, taking their cues from nature, have also sought to isolate and replicate molecules that bring the brain into altered state by creating substances like MDMA, Ketamine and LSD.

In the past several decades, researcher pushing the edges of Western Medicine has taken note that these substances can help people make meaningful changes and gains in their mental health. One of the key players in this research, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS, has been furthering studies of how psychedelics (like the plant medicines and molecules mentioned above) to ascertain how these substances affect the brain, and the changes that can be made.

While there is a vast playing field upon which this research is taking place-- including ethical, legal, and cultural implications, (for example, several indigenous groups have voiced concerns that sacred plant medicine, wild, revered, and available for all, could be appropriated, manipulated and negatively controlled), I want to highlight one of the research-backed aspects of successful Psychedlic Assisted Therapy (PAP) that is often forgotten:

The most critical changes are often achieved AFTER the effects of the medicines have worn off.

The brain is plastic--or highly changeable -- for up to several weeks after a journey. This time is particularly beneficial to "lock in" new learning and insights, and new neural pathways, to create lasting change. When I work with clients in this period, I somatically help clients access the embodied meanings of what they learned in their PAP sessions, and ground these meanings into actionable, livable reality. As plasticity initiating modalities themselves, EMDR and Brainspotting can help clients re-access important aspects of their journey, and to rely on their own inner wisdom to integrate more deeply. Internal Family System and symbology can help clients access parts of themselves revealed through a client's own internal "language" and memories. This work allows clients to claim the rewards of the psychedelic journey, helping mystical experiences become part of life, rather than an isolated experience.

PAP is currently enjoying a rise in popularity, and many skilled facilitators are deepening their trainings to support participants through their journeys. However, in-depth individualized, trauma-informed therapeutic support may not always be supplied, available, or suggested. This is where someone like me comes in. If you are looking to maximize your PAP journeys, I provide an affirming, grounded environment to gather the gems from your dance with the plant medicines. Psychedelic Assisted Therapy is often an investment of time, money, and often travel. Feel free to reach out to learn more about how integration therapy can deepen your returns on the psychedelic healing process.

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