PsyCare Full Day Workshop: Harm-Reduction, Psychedelic First-Aid & Responding to Crisis in Party Environments

Over the last decade, drug use has become more normalised and the benefits of psychedelics and numerous other illicit drugs are being discussed in the mainstream media. The increasing prevalence of drug use, including those seeking self-medication, has the potential to increase the risk of drug-related harm.

Trends in the UK drug market have the potential to exacerbate this risk, as party drugs like MDMA and cocaine are at record high purity. The increase in new psychoactive substances over recent years also mean drugs are sometimes mis-sold for much more harmful substances. These harms can be reduced by providing support, sharing information and offering advice grounded in harm reduction.

We are thrilled to partner with and raise funds for the well-established charity PsyCare UK to deliver a full-day workshop on harm-reduction and crisis intervention.

The workshop will be of interest to conscientious party-goers, who are often in environments where drugs are commonly used and want to be able to help others. It will be essential for those who administer care to people in distress as the result of drug use, particularly in event settings, such as first responders, festival/nightclub staff, medics, welfare and security. Those interested in psychedelic therapy and plant medicines will also benefit from attending.

Having the tools to respond to overwhelming experiences and non-ordinary states of mind, however they may arise, is crucial to de-escalating a situation that otherwise may rapidly get out of control. The more people that possess vital skills, the more confident we can all feel that the community will care for itself, and ultimately, that unnecessary drug-related harm will be prevented.

The day will consist of presentations, interactive activities, grounding exercises and discussions which help attendees understand the potential risks associated with psychedelics and party drugs, and how to support someone who is going through a difficult experience.

Key areas to be covered will include:

• Harm reduction for party drugs; dosing, interactions and other important information to stay safe,

• Working with challenging experiences; how they can manifest and what the underlying causes may be,

• Set and Setting; and how these affect a drug experience,

• Holding space, offering support and helping someone through a challenging experience,

• The principles of psychedelic support and how PsyCare UK approach their work.

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About PsyCare:

Providing a specialist harm reduction and welfare service at festivals and events across the UK and internationally for over ten years, PsyCare UK has gained a reputation for their compassionate service. They have developed a unique skill-set that enables them to effectively manage challenging experiences in a way that minimises unnecessary hospitalisations and arrests, whilst giving the individual the best possible opportunity to learn and grow from the experience.

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WORKSHOP FACILITATORS

Karin Silenzi de Stagni

Karin is the founder and chair of PsyCare UK and f over 30 years she has worked with art and music events. Inspired by volunteering for Kosmicare at Boom festival and with the support of MAPS, she formed Kosmicare UK (now PsyCare UK) as a community project in 2009, the first Psychedelic Emergency Services in the UK. Since then she has trained and coordinated hundreds of volunteers at UK festivals and abroad.

Ben Holden

Ben started volunteering with PsyCare in 2011, joined the core team in 2015 and has been a trustee of the charity since registration. During this time he has supported countless people through challenging psychedelic experiences, primarily at festivals. Ben holds qualifications in counselling and addiction studies and works as an addiction counsellor for a community drugs treatment service. He is also a senior harm reduction worker with The Loop and is currently involved in setting up a psychedelic integration circle in Bristol.

Adam Waugh

Adam is involved with several harm reduction campaigns and organisations. He is a core team member of Psycare UK and has been involved in the organisation for the last 4 years. He is also a member of The Loop - a drug safety checking and harm reduction NGO, where he is a part of their senior harm reduction and communications teams. He helps run and moderate the peer-led online community “Sesh Safety”, which provides support, advice and signposting to a large pool of drug-using peers. He has previously undertaken research on drug use and harm reduction in the night-time economy.

Amanda Lee Guzinska

Amanda is a trustee and core member of PsyCare UK, she has an innate passion for people, wellbeing and has experienced first-hand the profound, consciousness-altering and healing benefits of psychedelic substances. She found her love for dancing at 5 years old when she began taking classes in disco, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and tap and later moving on to more modern styles. Her passion led her to dance floors in obscure locations, where her idea for PsyCafe was born - an “undercover” wellbeing cafe that would pop up at events offering welfare service where harm-reduction was not always considered.

If you would like to attend this event but are unable to afford the ticket price, please do get in touch with us directly at martha@psychedelicsociety.org.uk. At the Psychedelic Society, we believe that everyone should be able to access our events regardless of employment or health circumstances, so we will do our best to accommodate where we can.

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

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