Psychedelics

Psilocybin, LSA/LSD, Mescalin and DMT are examples of psychedelics. Psychedelics have an old and symbiotic relation to us humans. There are even theories that state that psychedelic plants have has an important role within the cognitive awaking of our ancestors.

Today the healing potential of psychedelics, both physical and mental, is subject to more and more research. And beyond research it’s being actively used in medical, clinical and therapeutic settings. Psilocybin has shown in research to have potential for treatment of trauma and  depression.

But psilocybin also offers us a possibility to connect to a deeper version of ourselves. When someone goes into a journey with a clear intention it becomes possible to attain insights that on their own offer new and positive paths forward. Enabling us to act on an intention for positive change in our life.

Different psychedelics offer different effect, and the effects can also differ from person to person. Before going into a session or starting your own journey, it’s important to research which psychedelic you’re planning to use and to ask yourself: “Does this psychedelic offer the effects that suite my needs and intention? And does it help me work towards my goal?”.

Psychedelics can offer us positive insights that we wouldn’t otherwise find. As such it can be a great tool for personal growth and development and even creative expression. Psychedelics force us to be more open and honest towards ourselves and a well-planned, properly guided journey can give us long lasting positive effects.

Insights and changes, experienced during or shortly after a journey can, sadly, be short lived. Psychedelics aren’t a magic cure all, fix all. They are a powerful tool. But both during and after a journey we need to do the work. A psychedelic coach can offer support during and after the journey to facilitate the integration process and help you create a plan for your personal integration.

The use of psychedelics has a risk. A proper setting and preparation can negate many of the risks. It also helps to have an intention prior to starting the experience. And when doing journey work it helps to circle back to this intention during the journey. A coach (or navigator)  can offer support and guidance during this process. This helps you achieve your desired effects and it facilitates a lasting effectiveness of a journey.

Safety

A psychedelic journey or experience is not without risks. Each session (or trip) has a certain risk to lead to a “bad-Trip”. While this does sound bad, most bad-trips offer tremendous learning and growth potential. They are, for most people, very hard to navigate. This is why doing journeywork together with a guide (navigator) is advisable when you want to attain the most out of your experience.

But even though a “bad-trip” can be a healing experience, before and during a session we can try to minimize the risk on a “Bad-Trip”. It can never me negated completely but we can minimize the risks. Some of the following things can trigger a bad-trip:

  • A to strong dose or a dose stronger as expected;
  • A not pure or to pure substance;
  • A bad or wrong combination of substances or medication;
  • Negative thoughts or feelings you weren’t aware of;
  • A negative experience during the psychedelic experience;
  • Strong or sudden changes to the setting or ‘vibe’;
  • A wrong setting.

Minimizing these risks is something we will do before your session. In case you do head towards or end up in a bad-trip, I will be there for you to help you navigate the experience. In these situations I will use my experience with the substance, my experience as a navigator and my background as coach and mental health provider to get you through it.

To ensure your and my safety there are a few criteria I hold as contraindication. These exists, in the first place, for your safety. Below I name a couple of points that can cause severe physical and or mental harm.

  • MAO-Inhibitors (Can be found in some antidepressants);
  • Heart issues;
  • Severe psychological issues with psychotic tendencies, such as a diagnose or family history of schizophrenia or related diagnosis. Psychedelics can trigger and/or increase these problems.
  • Personality disorders;
  • Anxiety disorders. (In some cases I do offer coaching and guidance for microdosing as a means to treat anxiety);
  • Suicidal tendencies (Even though I have experience as a mental health care professional suicidal tendencies are a contraindication).

Holistic approach & Navigator

In the view of Navigated Tripping the trip guide is your Navigator. Much like a ship’s navigator, the navigator will work together with you on planning and going a certain route. The Navigator brings with him information and knowledge about the journey you are about to take. But you are the captain steering the ship. You remain in control of your experience as the navigator helps you through the anxious, hard and overwhelming parts.

Holistic means, simply, that the whole is greater as it’s parts. A session brings various new insights and many times the different insights are connected. But often we miss other less obvious connections between insights we get from our experience and our ‘normal’ routine. Psychedelics help us do deep inner work on a (sub-)conscious level.

In the holistic approach we also take into consideration your gut microbiome, your physical health, psychosomatic problems and even diet. Together we will look into how these different parts of your life could connect. If any of this applies to you it can be a positive and effective addition to your personal integration work, creating a greater, longer lasting and stronger integration of your psychedelic insights and lessons.

"You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself."

-Alan Watts

Type sessions

At this moment I offer three different options for guided sessions. It’s possible to come to the city of Groningen where I have several locations suitable for sessions. These are nicely decorated therapeutic or yoga rooms easily reachable with public transit. They also offer proximity to parks, making it possible to go there is you would like to once the peak experience has passed.

The second type of sessions I offer is where I come to your home or the place where you are staying. Hotels are not an option for this but some other rental properties do offer the safety and necessities for a great healing journey.

Finally it’s an option to go to a specific location together. For instance a campsite, the dunes or we could organize a journey on a beach with a yurt. Possibilities are endless but they do require some extra work to organize. So for this option it’s advisable to get in contact way ahead of your desired journey date.

As to the content of the specific session, on the page jij I go into some topics around which a session could be held. If you would like to know more about the specific design of the sessions you can click  here.

Sessions can be booked as a single journey or as a package designed specifically for you.

  • Regular session healing or spiritual: Intake 1 hour; Session 6-8 hours; integration coaching session 1 hour.
  • Tailored roadmap with sessions. When your goal or intention lays beyond something achievable in a single sessions we can create a plan of 1 hour coaching sessions combined with 6-8 hour psychedelic sessions followed by integration coaching sessions. Depending on your specific question or goal we might want to do a few psychedelic sessions and some regular coaching.  These are tailored packaged specifically for you and the things you would like to work on.
  • Beyond healing through psychedelics I offer sessions designed for creativity. Depending on your profession a psychedelic experience can be a great tool to get those creative juices flowing.
  • Finally I offer coaching during micro dosing implementation. Getting started with micro dosing can be a daunting thing if you’re now to the field. Especially when you are looking into micro dosing as an alternative treatment for your depression or anxiety it’s worth getting yourself a plan and getting support while getting started.
  • Before and after coaching, sometimes traveling to the Netherlands is not an option but you still want to setup your psychedelic journey with an experienced coach. In these situations it’s possible to have remote coaching sessions where we prepare your personal experience and we take time to work on integration and build a integration plan.