Are you looking to make the most out of an upcoming psychedelic experience?

Do you want to reduce your anxiety before the experience?

Would you like to increase your confidence in navigating the psychedelic journey?

So you have decided to have a psychedelic experience…

But it can be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to preparing for a psychedelic experience, particularly for people who are new to psychedelics.

In this event series, you will be guided through an evidence-based process for preparing for the psychedelic experience:

• Establish clear intentions for the experience, so that you have a sense of direction and purpose, and you make the most of it.
• Identify what you need to ensure a safe and supportive environment during the psychedelic experience, so that you feel safer and less anxious before the retreat, and you feel empowered to actively seek help when you need it.
• Learn about psychedelics and be able to set realistic expectations about the immediate and long-term effects, so that you can reduce anxiety by ensuring you are prepared to have as safe an experience as possible and prevent any surprises.
• Undertake some experiential exercises to familiarise yourself with potential psychedelic phenomena, so that you get an idea of what the actual experience might bring up; and you increase your confidence in navigating the psychedelic journey.
• Create a plan to prepare yourself mentally and physically for navigating the complexities of the psychedelic experience, so that you are ready to confront the emotional or physical phenomena that may arise and accept the potentially uncomfortable aspects of the experience.
• Prepare a post-experience integration plan, so that you make the transition back to normal life less abrupt and more manageable, and you feel you have the support and understanding of friends and family.

What can you expect?

In these sessions you will not be spoon fed information from a powerpoint. Instead we will reflect on different questions and practices as a group so that you learn from the wisdom of what others have discovered, and you are empowered to research answers to your own questions. Each week you will leave with more areas to explore in your own time, which we can reflect on together the next week.

Session 1: Wednesday 26th March, 7pm

What is the Psychedelic Experience - you will create a plan to learn about psychedelics to empower you to be able to set realistic expectations about the immediate and long-term effects, so that you can reduce anxiety by ensuring you are prepared to have as safe an experience as possible and prevent any surprises. 

Session 2: Wednesday 9th April, 7pm

Preparing for and Navigating the Experience - You will undertake some experiential exercises to familiarise yourself with potential psychedelic phenomena, so that you get an idea of what the actual experience might bring up; and you increase your confidence in navigating the psychedelic journey.

Session 3: Wednesday 23rd April, 7pm

Intention Setting - Now that you know more about the realities of the experience, you will establish clear intentions for the experience, so that you have a sense of direction and purpose, and you make the most of it.

Session 4: Wednesday 14th May, 7pm

After the Experience - You will prepare a post-experience integration plan, so that you make the transition back to normal life less abrupt and more manageable, and you feel you have the support and understanding of friends and family. 

Disclaimer

While this work may have therapeutic benefits, this is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. If you are experiencing significant mental health challenges, we strongly encourage you to seek 1-1 support from a qualified psychotherapist.

While we do our best to create an environment that feels safe and inclusive, it is your responsibility to look after your own needs and boundaries. If this is something you struggle with, or you are concerned about any element of this workshop please contact us in advance. We are very willing to chat and check in about whether this workshop is right for you at this time.

PHP (Psychedelic Health Professionals) Retreat Attendees

Confirmed attendees at either the April PHP retreat or the May PHP retreat may attend this event for free.

Any participant who pays for this event and decides to attend a PHP retreat this year will have the cost of their ticket discounted from their retreat price! (There will also be a retreat in September 2025 and October 2025)

About Psychedelic Health Professionals Network

The Psychedelic Health Professionals Network envisions a world where psychedelics are used responsibly, ethically, and safely to enhance wellbeing, cultivate transformation and deepen our connection to ourselves, others and the natural world. Our commitment to this vision is embodied in our evidence-based, legally grounded and ever-evolving retreat program.

“An extraordinary, radically transformative experience. Thank you, PHP, for this exquisite gift.”

Retreat participant

"The PHP team offer deep levels of caring professionalism, knowledge, experience and wisdom."

Retreat participant

YOUR FACILITATOR

Dr Michael Barry

Michael qualified as a medical doctor from the University of Edinburgh in 2013 and continues to work as an Emergency Medicine doctor (A&E). In 2020, a little burned out, he had his first experience of psychedelics on a week long retreat with Ayahuasca in which he was blown away by their massive potential for facilitating psychoemotional and spiritual work. 

He certified in 2023 as a psychedelic practitioner on the 18 month Synthesis programme, culminating in a month’s placement running the psychotherapeutic programme at an Ayahuasca retreat centre in Mexico, Centro Nierika. In May 2024 he had the pleasure of facilitating at the PHP psilocybin and meditation retreat, and has since joined the admin team. He works as an integration facilitator with the UK Psychedelic Society.

Receiving an MSc in Psychotherapy with distinction in 2024, he is now a psychotherapist and completed his research dissertation on the bodily experience of psychedelics. He has significant experience with residential addiction work and group work.  He most recently completed Level 1 Internal Family Systems training and tends to favour using this modality, whilst holding close his original Rogerian Person-Centred training.

He has significant experience in the Ayahuasca tradition from the Peruvian jungle, having travelled to Peru multiple times to do traditional silent Ayahuasca retreats called “dietas”. He also has deep personal experience with psilocybin and mescaline, and has done experiential training with MDMA.

Michael is also an avid meditator with over 8 weeks of silent meditation retreat experience, most recently at Gaia House in August 2023 and October 2024 following the teachings of Rob Burbea. He has considerable experience of meditating whilst on psychedelics.