Supervision and mentoring for work involving psychedelic experiences

What it is

The setting can shape the entire experience. A therapist’s work begins long before the session and does not end when the effects of the substance wear off. In supervision, we discuss specific cases: preparation, what happens during the experience and the work of integration afterwards.

Harm reduction is a central part of this work. Not everyone you support will be taking part in a clinical trial or receiving treatment in a clinical setting. Some people use substances independently, in widely varying circumstances and with different levels of preparation. Rather than judging them, we consider how to reduce risk, how to discuss dosage and potential interactions with medicines, and what to do when something goes wrong. This approach meets people where they actually are.

We also consider how to communicate. The language that helps during a challenging experience is not necessarily the language that helps a few days later. We explore how to remain present without rushing to interpret, how to avoid shutting down what is beginning to emerge and how not to slip into the role of a guide who always knows best. Sometimes silence and presence are more helpful than asking another question.

For me, integration is at the heart of this work. A powerful experience does not create lasting change on its own. What matters is what the person does with it over the following weeks. We examine how to support that process, translate insights into concrete decisions and work with what re-emerges in everyday life.

Another important theme is integrating psychedelic experiences into the psychotherapeutic process. These experiences rarely occur in a vacuum. They usually form part of longer-term work, with its own context and history and a particular place in the therapeutic relationship. We consider how to maintain the therapeutic frame, preserve continuity between sessions and avoid losing sight of the fundamentals of psychotherapy amid fascination with the experience itself.

All of this rests on a clinical approach: careful screening, awareness of contraindications, appropriate assessment, respect for the limits of your own competence and recognition of situations in which someone needs more than the support you can provide. Working with psychedelic experiences does not remove the need for clinical judgement; if anything, it makes it even more important.

How the sessions work

We work with cases from your own practice, always in strict confidence. This is not something that can be learnt from a textbook alone, so we discuss what actually happened rather than only what should happen in theory. Sessions are available in Polish or English.

Who it is for

For therapists and guides who support – or are preparing to support – people in relation to psychedelic experiences, whether in research, psychedelic-assisted therapy or harm-reduction settings.