Psychedelic Therapist vs Psychedelic Guide vs Shaman: What’s The Difference?
Who is the best person to help you with psychedelic therapy?
Psychedelic therapy is still in its early days and there are several types of helpers available. What is the difference and hat is right for you?
Psychedelic Therapist
A licensed therapist who is trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy is the only professional currently working with psychedelic therapy. Mental health professionals are psychologists, licensed professionals counselors (LPC), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) and psychiatrists (MD). You can (and should) check your therapist’s credentials and licensed at your state’s licensing board. In Colorado, you can look up a license and check for any complaints against a therapist here.
A professional therapist will only work with legal psychedelic substances. At this time, that includes ketamine and (in some states) cannabis. Clinical trials and studies using psilocybin (aka magic mushrooms), MDMA, LSD and Ayuaschsa are being conducted in university settings by professionals who receive a special permission by the DEA. You can search for clinical trials here.
There are some clear benefits to working with a licensed therapist. Every licensed psychedelic therapist has a master’s or doctoral degree and has oversight by their state licensing board. If a therapist acts in an unprofessional or unethical way, there is accountability, including a therapist losing their license. This is not the case with unlicensed psychedelic guides or shamans. Psychedelic therapists have spent years studying effective methods of therapy.
Unfortunately, there have been reports of unethical behavior, sexual abuse, financial abuse, retraumatizing clients and unprofessional behavior by unlicensed psychedelic guides and shamans. The fact is, without a licensing board, anyone can declare themselves a shaman or psychedelic guide. There is no required education, oversight or accountability for these psychedelic “healers.”
Psychedelic Guide
A psychedelic guide or “trip sitter” is someone who works in the “underground” psychedelic community. They work with substances that are currently illegal including psilocybin, MDMA, LSD and Ayuaschsa. They are not licensed to provide therapy, and are not trained mental health professionals. Instead they offer their experience in being with people who use these substances. They are there for support and safety for clients while they use psychedelics.
Since psychedelic guides are not licensed, they vary widely in their backgrounds and training (if any). There is not oversight board or agency for accountability should anything go wrong.
In the best case scenario, a psychedelic guide has some training in mental health and harm reduction practices. However, there have been many cases of unethical and abusive behavior by unlicensed psychedelic guides. If you choose to work with an underground guide, it’s best practice to try to get references and ask around the underground community about the guide’s reputation. Here is a podcast reviewing warning signs when selecting a psychedelic guide.
Psychedelic Shaman
Another term found in the psychedelic community is “shaman.” A shaman is someone who works with psychedelic medicines (ones that are currently illegal) and does so from a spiritual perspective. Shamans often claim a background in indigenous practices using psychedelic medicines. Shamans are also unlicensed with no organized oversight. They can bring a different perspective and knowledge base to psychedelic work, but unfortunately there have been reports of unethical behavior and sexual abuse by “shamans.”
It’s important to note that the term shaman means many things to different people. Anyone can claim to be a shaman.
What is right for You?
You do have choices if you are interested in psychedelic therapy. It’s important to consider carefully whom you will work with. Psychedelic substances create an altered and vulnerable state of consciousness. This heightened vulnerability and impressionable state of mind, in my opinion, calls to the utmost in ethical, safe and professional behavior. A licensed psychedelic therapist is the safest option in this regard.
If you choose to work with a psychedelic guide or shaman, it’s best to look for warning signs, discuss consent for any kind of touch during sessions, and speak with past clients (if possible).