How to Prepare for a Licensed Psilocybin Experience
As a Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator and Wellness Coach based in Oregon, I’ve guided many individuals through transformative psilocybin journeys. Preparation is a key part of the process, ensuring a safe, meaningful, and potentially life-changing experience. Approached mindfully, preparation can be an enjoyable exploration of your inner world, deepening your self-awareness and connection to the experience.
9 Tips to Prepare for a Psilocybin Journey
In addition to working closely with your facilitator — someone licensed by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), like myself — preparing for your journey involves building a trusting relationship, setting clear intentions, and creating the right environment. As an experienced Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator, I recommend at least two preparatory sessions, even though OHA requires one, to ensure thorough readiness for your journey.
TIP #1. Build Trust with Your Facilitator
One crucial tip to prepare for your psilocybin journey session is to build trust with your facilitator. Trust enables you to tap into and surrender to your healing capabilities. Trusting your facilitator ensures you can safely explore your psyche, knowing that you’re supported throughout the journey.
TIP #2. Embrace Inner Healing
Central to psilocybin facilitation is the belief in an inner healing intelligence within everyone. This innate wisdom becomes more accessible during the psychedelic experience as defenses fall away, allowing it to lead the healing process. The preparation process I guide clients through involves recognizing and trusting this inner ability, which serves as a catalyst for transformation.
TIP #3. Prime Your Mind and Space
As described in Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind: “set is the mind-set or expectation one brings to the experience, and setting is the environment in which it takes place.” To prime your mind and space, set clear intentions beforehand and bring meaningful items like pictures or a favorite blanket. These steps can improve your experience.
TIP #4. Set Heart-Felt Intentions
What are your goals, and what do you hope to gain from this experience? Determine what you want, then create one or more intentions that feel good in your heart. For example, “I trust the inner healing wisdom within” or “I am open to receiving love and support.” Setting intentions helps shape your journey while revealing expectations that can hinder it. Before your journey, take some quiet time to feel into what intentions resonate the most.
TIP #5. Reflect on Your Beliefs
As part of my preparation sessions, I encourage clients to reflect on their belief systems and identify limiting stories they may carry. Through journaling, clients can uncover and address any blocks that might hinder their journey. This practice aligns with the subconscious reprogramming methods I use in my wellness coaching, helping individuals shift perspectives and embrace more empowering narratives.
TIP #6. Be Present and Breathe
Sit, breathe, listen, and observe the world around you, even if it's only for a few minutes. Watch the birds fly and listen to the wind in the trees. Allow yourself to slow down and see things in new ways. Consider trying breathwork or yoga to connect with the present, breathe deeply, release emotions, and promote energy flow.
TIP #7. Connect With Nature
Nature's pace and presence can be profoundly healing. Engage your senses by spending time outside observing the colors, smelling the fresh air, touching trees, and feeling the ground. Nature is cleansing for the mind and nourishing for the soul. These practices encourage a calm, clear mind, which is crucial for a transformative experience.
TIP #8. Prioritize Rest and Reflection
Prioritize rest and personal reflection to ensure you're well-rested for your psilocybin journey. Good sleep and a calm, clear mindset are foundational to a profound experience. Listen to your body and treat yourself with kindness. Create space for silence, stillness, and introspection. Slow down and appreciate the little things. Also, take at least one day off before and after your journey session to prepare and reflect.
TIP #9. Consume Consciously
Be mindful of your diet, the information you absorb, and the energies around you. Hydrate well throughout your day by drinking water or coconut water. If you usually have caffeine, be mindful and consider reducing your consumption gradually before your psilocybin journey to avoid withdrawal symptoms. You might also check out Luminaire Mushroom Company’s mushroom coffee and tea blends. It's also ideal to eat a diet rich in whole foods, avoiding processed items, refined sugars, and excess salt.
Include Preparation in Daily Life
At least a week before your psilocybin journey session, consider implementing the following tips into your daily life.
Stay hydrated and eat clean, whole foods.
Limit caffeine, cannabis, and alcohol to keep your mind clear.
Unplug from technology and give yourself a digital detox.
Spend time in nature and in quiet reflection to connect with yourself.
Explore Insight Timer for breath work, sound baths, yin yoga, yoga Nidra, or other modalities you enjoy.
Writing for Psilocybin Prep
Writing exercises can serve as powerful tools in preparing for a psilocybin session. They help you set goals, heal the past, and connect with the mushrooms. Here are two writing exercises to help you prepare:
Forgiveness Letters
Identify someone you wish to forgive, including anyone in your life or yourself. Write a letter of forgiveness from them to you, expressing what you would like to hear for healing and closure. This imaginative approach allows you to shift perspective, address unresolved emotions and invite healing for your inner child.
Feel free to repeat this exercise as needed, and consider bringing these letters to your psilocybin journey. Burning the letters post-journey can symbolize a final release and completion of this healing process.
Keep in mind that forgiveness isn’t about condoning the other person. Forgiveness is about liberating yourself from holding onto the anger, grief and other emotions that energetically keep you connected (even anchored) to the situation and prevent you from moving forward. Do your best to learn from the situation and let it go.
Letter to the Mushrooms
Start your psilocybin journey by writing a letter to the mushrooms. This thoughtful gesture acknowledges their significant role in your experience and helps establish a respectful connection.
In this heart-felt letter, share your intentions, hopes, and questions. This simple communication helps open the channel between you and the mushrooms, setting a foundation for the journey ahead.
Remember, preparation is an integral part of the overall psilocybin experience. It sets the stage for personal growth and transformation. Choose practices that resonate with you, and approach this process with an open heart and mind.
The Power of Preparation: A Client's Perspective
“Cate’s preparation process was key to helping me feel safe and grounded before my psilocybin journey. She guided me in setting clear intentions from my heart.
As she suggested, I wrote letters to the mushrooms and also forgiveness letters to specific people. It was uncanny how the mushrooms methodically and specifically addressed the concerns in my letters with humor and compassion!
Cate also addressed my anxiety, so when it was time for my journey, I felt fully prepared going into the experience. Her thoughtful, intuitive and compassion approach made a huge difference, allowing me to engage with the journey more deeply and with confidence.”
— Amy S. from Redmond, Oregon
Safety, Legality, and Health Considerations
As a Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator in Oregon, I work under the regulations set by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), which ensures that each journey is safe and legally compliant. Psilocybin journeys may not be suitable for individuals with certain mental health conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Make sure you’re Eligible for Psilocybin Services and consult with a healthcare provider before proceeding.
Cate Ritter is a Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator in Bend, Oregon, and the founder of Prism Bend LLC. She specializes in guiding individuals through meaningful psilocybin journeys, providing personalized support from preparation to integration.
With a background in wellness coaching through Cate Ritter Wellness LLC, Cate is passionate about helping people unlock their inner wisdom and navigate personal growth.
Her facilitation approach combines holistic practices with a deep understanding of psilocybin’s transformative potential, ensuring each client feels supported and empowered throughout their journey.
Disclaimer: Psilocybin is currently legal in Oregon only in licensed settings with licensed facilitators. This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a licensed professional before participating in any psilocybin experience.