Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

Welcome to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy - A Uniquely Powerful Journey of Healing and Transformation

Whether you're completely new to psychedelics and plant medicines, have explored them only recreationally in the past, or have already begun your healing journey with psychedelics and plant medicines and seeking to go deeper, this approach of psychedelic-assisted therapy and MDMA therapy offers a uniquely powerful path to healing and self-discovery which can unlock profound insights and lasting change in a very accelerated manner.

What is Psychedelic Assisted Therapy?

While recreational drug use often comes to mind, Psychedelic Assisted Therapy is fundamentally distinct in its therapeutic focus. The Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy or PAT approach safely integrates the unique power of psychedelics with established therapeutic practices within a carefully curated therapeutic setting.  This approach can powerfully facilitate deep emotional healing, enhance self-awareness, and promote lasting positive changes. Research has shown that psychedelics such as psilocybin therapy and mdma therapy can be effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction.

Why Consider Psychedelic Therapy?

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) is exploding in its popularity due to its powerful efficacy and the swelling ocean of supporting research that is clearly demonstrating its effectiveness without the usual negative side effects often associated with many psychotropic drugs prescribed by the medical system. 

While this type of therapy is often referred to as Psychedelic Assisted Therapy or PAT, I prefer to call it Psychedelic-Accelerated Therapy. In my own personal experience, and in supporting other individuals and couples in their healing journeys with psychedelics and plant medicines, what I have witnessed can take several sessions to achieve in therapy, is accomplished sometimes in a single psychedelic journey.  The primary reason for this, in my estimation, is that the psychedelics transcend the self-limiting constructs of our egoic minds and allow us to navigate our personal curriculum from a more expanded sense of consciousness that is otherwise unavailable in our normal state of consciousness.

What to Expect

Preparation

Effective psychedelic therapy begins with thorough preparation. For a psychedelic session, you will participate in a minimum of three preparatory sessions to ensure you are fully ready for the experience. These sessions help you build a solid foundation and mindset for the journey ahead and set clear intentions.

Medicine Journey

The medicine journey will take place at my home in my journey space in Duncan, BC and typically lasts around 6 hours.  I offer this unique and innovative approach for clients on Vancouver Island in the Cowichan Valley.

Integration

Integration is the essential process that follows a psychedelic journey. If a psychedelic journey is like opening a door, then integration is about walking through it. You will engage in at least two integration sessions to help process and incorporate your experience. This step is even more important than the journey itself, as it allows you to fully understand and benefit from the insights gained.

Next Steps

To learn more about whether psychedelic assisted therapy is right for you book an individual or couples session or call Trevor at 604-980-2673 

Trevor’s background in psychedelics

Like many of us, I first encountered psychedelics on a recreational basis. It wasn’t until the first time I did an Ayahuasca journey in the Amazon jungle over 20 years ago that I began to see the extraordinary potential of these medicines for healing and growth.  On my first introduction to Ayahuasca I was told I could do 10 years of healing in one night!  Being a therapist and unfamiliar with the world of psychedelics and plant medicine from a therapeutic standpoint, I dismissed this claim as grandiose.  I was proven wrong. After the very first journey, my eyes and heart were blown open to the magic and power of these medicines.  Since that time I’ve been on a personal path of exploration with psychedelics and plant medicines on a therapeutic basis which is very distinct from a recreational basis. Each medicine has its own genius and can transcend egoic consciousness that significantly limits our perception of reality and the paradigms of how change occurs.  

Trevor’s Training & Experience

Over the last 20 years I have become progressively more interested in the integration of psychedelic medicine with the healing work I do with both individuals and couples. My training and experience in working with psychedelics has followed a more traditional path including participating, assisting and leading in over 50 traditional medicine ceremony circles since 2005.  I am a member of a Psychedelic Practitioners Guild on Vancouver Island.  I am also a member of a few psychedelic practitioner groups that meet regularly to journey and learn from one another.  I have also trained with a few other therapists in the field of Psychedelic Somatic Relational Therapy. 

Psilocybin, MDMA, 3MMC and 5-Meo-DMT are emerging as promising therapeutic tools for various mental health conditions and have shown potential in alleviating depression, anxiety, and PTSD and are proving incredibly supportive for deeper personal introspection, trauma work and relational healing.

Psychedelics are not a magic bullet

While PAT is an incredibly exciting and powerful path of healing and enlightenment, it is not a magic bullet and it’s important to manage your expectations of what PAT can achieve. I often have people approach me for PAT in the hopes that a single journey will resolve their lifelong struggle with anxiety, depression or trauma, almost like a pill that the doctor will give them.  Instead, it’s important to see PAT as a part of a powerful ecosystem that will support you on your personal healing journey.  Doing integration sessions and more traditional therapy alongside your PAT is essential in most cases.

Still skeptical about psychedelic therapy?

It’s quite natural to be skeptical about psychedelics or drugs.   During the 1950’s and 60’s there was an initial wave of psychedelic research for mental health conditions. The widespread use of psychedelics on a recreational basis saw a dramatic increase in the 1960’s.  But President Nixon's 1971 "War on Drugs" led to widespread prohibition and halted psychedelic research. Anti-drug campaigns, like the infamous "This is Your Brain on Drugs," painted a grim picture of drug use, further cemented by the current opioid crisis. It's no wonder many view psychedelics with skepticism.

After decades of restricted research and negative perceptions, the 1990s saw the beginnings of a renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Early studies showed promising results in treating conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety. In the last 20 years, this initial spark has ignited a massive surge of research, accompanied by a significant increase in funding and a growing recognition of the potential benefits of psychedelics. We are now witnessing a shift away from the stigma that once hindered their exploration.

With groundbreaking research being conducted by organizations and educational institutions like the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), the Stanford Psychedelic Research Group (SPRG) and The John Hopkins Centre for Consciousness and Psychedelic Research, the use of psychedelics in therapeutic settings is quickly gaining credibility and recognition as a safe and effective approach to addressing mental health challenges like depression, anxiety and PTSD and supporting individuals to heal and gain valuable insights.

If you still have some doubt in your mind about the efficacy of psychedelics in therapeutic settings, and if you’re like me and you like to do your research, I’ve provided you with a number of publications and articles that support the use of psychedelic medicine.

Research and Organizations That Support Psychedelic Medicine