Psychedelic Integration: Experiential Training Retreat for Clinicians | Phoenicia, NY 2022

‍This 5-day experiential retreat is designed for therapists who practice psychedelic integration or psychedelic-assisted therapy, or are training to do so. Experiential training is a component of training in which therapists experience the transformative process of the given modality themselves, and apply their insights to their own lives and to their professional work with others. Experiential training is a key training experience for therapists who wish to engage with clients who have used psychedelics or facilitate psychedelic experiences. At this retreat, contemplative practices will be used to practice accessing and integrating non-ordinary states of consciousness in the same way one would approach psychedelic experiences.

At Menla, we will be in the natural surroundings of the Catskill Mountains, a comfortable and safe haven to convene and practice engaging with and integrating non-ordinary states of consciousness into the larger fabric of our lives as we would assist our clients in doing. Together we will cultivate and practice working with non-drug contemplative practices using similar methods to those we use with psychedelic medicines. Writing, music, and creative expression are on the agenda in order to explore and extend our personal understanding of integration of non-ordinary states.

‍The retreat space facilitates our focus on self-care, healthy meals, and learning together. We will learn and practice the skills and process of Noble Communication and effective inquiry skills. Each day will offer morning yoga and meditation and time to enjoy the natural surroundings. There will be a day of silence for cultivating reflection and insight. The merging of Eastern contemplative practices with Western psychotherapeutic modalities will be considered during evening talks and discussions. Participants will be invited to look deeply at how a variety of contemplative practices relate to psychedelic integration work, and can be used in conjunction psychedelics or on their own to benefit the integration process. Note: This program does not teach psychedelic-assisted therapy, does not include the administration of any psychedelic compound, and does not suggest or support the self-administration of any psychedelic compound during the retreat.