Psychedelic Therapy FAQs

The Nashville Psychedelic Center (NPC) is a referral platform to local therapists who are trained to provide psychedelic therapy. NPC itself does not provide any counseling services and only operates as a information and referral system.

Psychedelics are a class of substances that can induce altered states of consciousness and produce profound psychological effects. Most traditional psychedelics (e.g. psilocybin, LSD, MDMA) work by primarily interacting with serotonin receptors in the brain, particularly the 5-HT2A receptor, which is involved in the regulation of mood, perception, and cognition. Ketamine also induces altered states of consciousness, however it works with NMDA receptors.

Psychedelic therapy has shown promise in treating a wide-variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, and end-of-life distress.

Psychedelic therapy is generally safe when conducted in a controlled setting with trained therapists, but there are still risks and potential side effects, such as psychological distress, confusion, nausea, and anxiety. There is also a risk of drug interactions and potential harm from using psychedelics outside of a clinical setting. At the Nashville Psychedelic Center we have thorough preparation and support before and during the psychedelic experience to reduce any potential for challenges, as well as work with trained medical providers to screen any potential medicine or health interactions.

We encourage people to bring a notebook and anything that you feel would be soothing if difficult feelings comes up (e.g. stress ball, lucky charm, etc.).

We work on keeping the room a neutral temperature, however we encourage people to wear or bring layers to allow for hot cold adjustments.

Please visit our fee page to get complete details on this.

Parking and location information will be provided upon scheduling.

Most people have probably heard of a ‘bad’ trip – when someone has a frightening, ‘crazy’, or generally rough psychedelic trip. Usually, a psychedelic experience will be going well and enjoyably and at some point, things take a turn. Whether it’s feelings of not being in control, fear, past trauma, or something else comes up, it can be quite derailing. Because this can happen, it highlights the importance of being prepared for a journey and having thought through and have appropriate dose, set, and setting. Below are a few tips before your next journey. If you want to be better prepared and have more stable footing before your next journey, feel free to reach out.

Prepare Well and Reframe

Before having a psychedelic experience it’s important to prepare for it for a variety of reasons, but for this discussion we’ll talk about the benefits in relation to a ‘bad’ trip. One of the things we work with clients to do is reframe this concept. There is no such thing as a ‘bad’ trip. There can be difficult experiences or things that come up, but starting the reframing before the experience can be very helpful in getting through it.

Think of it like going to the gym. Some workouts will be harder than others, maybe even painful if you’re really pushing yourself. But we usually view those as a positive experience despite the pain, sweat, and exhaustion. “I had a great workout today” is usually synonymous with increased discomfort. What makes that different even though it hurts? Because of how we think about that experience. When the discomfort is viewed as a means to an intended or wanted outcome, we have a neutral or positive association with it. So we want to view psychedelic experiences the same. The more difficult or harder the material that comes up we want to welcome and frame it as a deep growing experience. Long story short, there is no such things as a bad trip, just a difficult one.

Impermanence

One of the big things we encourage our clients to keep in mind is the concept of impermanence – basically that nothing is permanent and everything will change. Any discomfort you feel will go away at some point. Ever had a craving that you couldn’t satiate? There was no chocolate in the house no matter how hard you looked. What happened to that craving, is it still around? No, it eventually just went away even though in the moment it may have seemed like it never would. So, we keep this temporary nature of things in mind. No matter what comes up in a psychedelic experience, it won’t last for too long. The medicine will fade from your system and the ego will come back in to help us return to our (new) status quo.

Integrate the Psychedelic Experience Afterwards

It’s important to make the time to integrate, or make sense, of what happened or came up during a recent psychedelic experience. In regards to a ‘bad’ trip, this can be especially helpful since usually those are the psychedelic experiences where we have the most or deepest things to process. Making that space afterwards reduces any residual discomfort – sort of like icing/heating muscles the few days after an intense workout when you have that delayed muscle pain. It also helps you keep in mind that any discomfort can lead to some wonderful and profound changes in the long run.

Be Intentional with Dose, Set, and Setting

Integral to any intentional and well thought out psychedelic experience is being aware of dose, set, and setting. Having too high or a dose can lead to problems with intensity, duration, or potentially safety. Having an unprepared mindset (referred to as set) and being in the an uncomfortable, unsafe, or problematic environment can also contribute to having a difficult experience.

If you want more support or information, feel free to reach out – we’re happy to chat.

Preparing for a psychedelic journey is an important part of the process towards getting the most out of a trip. The general overview is preparation is the discussion of dose, set, and setting for the journey.

Dose Preparation

Dose refers to how much or how strong of a medicine dosage the client wants. Each medicine (e.g. ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA) has a range of safe and effective doses that can give different responses. Think of it similarly to caffeine. If you need a little ‘pick me up’ then maybe it’s just a medium cup of coffee. If you are wanting a good jolt to the system because you didn’t sleep well last night, maybe it’s a couple big cups. So if you’re wanting a moderate or more surface level dive in to the inner world then a mild or moderate dose of medicine is recommended. If you’re wanting a deeper dive then we would discuss a more significant dosage. Part of preparation is discussing this and finding a dosage that we both feel suits what you’re looking for and what feels appropriate for your current state of mind or situation.

Setting Preparation

Setting refers to the physical space where the journey will take place. It’s important to discuss and set up a plan for the physical space and location because it will affect the journey. Think of it like hanging out with a friend. Going to a show with them will be a different experience than being at home in a quiet environment. Both can be wonderful and positive, but figuring out what makes sense for you is important.

It’s also important to have a safe environment for a psychedelic journey. At the clinic we have set up the space to be free of things like trip hazards, confusing images, or general clutter. We also have trained staff that will be with you the entire time. If we’re working with you to prepare for a home journey we will want to cover general physical safety as well as having someone with you that you can trust. There’s some inherent vulnerability in being in an altered state of mind and having someone trusted around is recommended.

Mindset Preparation

Finally set refers to the general mindset. Preparation covers intentions, beliefs, mental state, and mood regarding the journey. Intentions: what are you looking to get out of the journey? What would you like to focus on? What are your goals? Beliefs: what do you think about psychedelics? What have you heard about journeying? Do you have any cultural beliefs related to psychedelics? Mental state: Are you currently stressed? Is there a lot going on in life? Mood: Where have you been on the mood spectrum (baseline, depressed, hypomanic)? Dealing with any sadness, grief, loss?

Preparation is a vital part of the process in growth with psychedelic medicine. It’s important to not skip this step and we would love to help you in the process at the Nashville Psychedelic Center.

Microdosing psychedelics is the practice of consuming low and non-perceptual doses of a psychedelic substance. The most common microdosed psychedelics are psilocybin and LSD, although it’s possible to microdose most psychedelics. It’s thought to have been done for thousands of years in some form and has been gaining popularity in recent years. In modern history, Albert Hoffman and James Fadiman have been proponents of microdosing and pushing this practice to the public. Current research is ongoing to learn more about the physical and mental effects.

Effects of Microdosing

Users report experiencing improved mood, more creativity, social benefits, general cognitive benefits, improved energy, improved focus, reduced anxiety, increased self-efficacy, and physiological enhancement.

Microdosed Medicines and Dosing Guidelines

Most microdosing is around 10% of a normal dose, with some variability a little higher or lower. For example, with psilocybin this would be 0.2g – 0.5g . Usually, the effects are subtle and sub-perceptual. A good comparison of intensity is to taking an anti-depressant, drinking a cup of coffee, or the feeling after a workout. Most medicines can be microdosed including LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, DMT, ayahuasca, LSA, 2-CB, cannabis, ibogaine, and ketamine. With this, each of these can have different effects on mind, body, and spirit so it’s important to have deep knowledge of the medicine you’re thinking about using.

Macrodosing vs. Microdosing

Microdosing is taking 5-10% (usually) of a macrodose. A macrodose, or what’s usually just called a dose, of psilocybin for example is usually 1.5-5g. Both microdosing and microdosing have been shown to have a lot of benefits, although serving different purposes. Microdosing is less intense, subtle, and are thought to build up over time. It’s easier to fit microdosing in to your weekly schedule as it can often be done at any time of the week and it’s difficult to have a challenging time on them compared to microdosing. Microdosing has also been used to develop a relationship with a medicine and titrate up dosing towards a macrodose. That said, microdosing has been shown to have more profound and weighty experiences that can lead to impactful deeper level changes.

Safely Microdosing

The first point in harm reduction is acknowledging the legal status of these substances. In Tennessee, and much of the United States, the only legal substances are ketamine and cannabis (*delta 8/9/10 from hemp). Ketamine is a controlled substance so it is not easy to obtain or microdose, although there are some doctors prescribing it.

Some microdosing challenges that people report are concerns with illegality, physiological discomfort, increased anxiety, impaired mood, and impaired focus. A lot of these are tied to dosing issues so it’s important to be aware and cautious with dosing. Part of the usual recommendation is starting small and working your way up, especially given a lot of medicines it’s hard to know the exact starting dosage of the substance you’re using. For example, it’s impossible to know exactly how strong the mushrooms are you’re using, although there’s usually a good estimated range.

We also recommend that if you’re going to embark on this path to have a therapist that can help you along the way and process any things that are coming up. Having that support can help avoid or navigate obstacles, discuss harm reduction and safety, and process anything that comes up during microdosing use.

If you’re interested in learning more about microdosing or discussing having support during this process, feel free to reach out. Contact Us

Here are some links for more information:

Beckley Foundation

Third Wave

At the Nashville Psychedelic Center we encourage all of our clients to keep their medical providers informed of any upcoming or prior psychedelic sessions. Although psychedelic medicines are generally very safe and have a low body load, it is still best to keep doctors updated. With that said, some medical professionals may not be informed, knowledgeable, or wholly accepting of psychedelic medicine work. Below you will find some tips when talking to medical professionals about psychedelic sessions.

Be Prepared For Hesitancy

Some medical professionals may meet the topic of psychedelic work with hesitancy or apprehension. Being aware that this might happen is the first step in navigating this. Hesitancy and apprehension can be normal responses to something that people aren’t knowledgeable or comfortable about. There is also unfortunately a lot of antiquated and erroneous information regarding psychedelics that may make up your providers information base. Meeting all of this with open and honest communication is important. Discuss what you’re looking to get out of the psychedelic work as well as your rationale. It can also be helpful to keep in mind the difference between physician personal disapproval or hesitancy and medical disapproval or hesitancy. Your doctor having personal discomfort around psychedelics isn’t necessarily an issue. However, if your physician is medically hesitant or believes there are contraindications, that definitely needs to be respected and explored.

Have Information Ready

Given the amount of antiquated, wrong, or misleading information (shout out to the DARE program…) it can be very helpful to come to an appointment with your medical provider with information, knowledge, and even handouts. Things are changing but often you may be more knowledgeable about psychedelic medicine work than your provider and it can be a wonderful opportunity to educate them. If you are going to bring information make sure to get it from a reputable source like academic research papers or well known organizations like MAPS or Johns Hopkins.

Believe in Your Plan

If you’ve decided that psychedelic medicine is the right fit for you, we encourage you to be assertive in that belief. You are the leader of your life and you get to make decisions that you feel are best for you. As above, I want to clarify that we don’t encourage anyone to go against medical advice. If your medical provider has medical concerns than please heed those.

Yes, there are several organizations in Nashville that focus on psychedelic research and advocacy, such as the Nashville Psychedelic Society and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Nashville Chapter.

Psychedelic therapy typically involves several preparatory sessions with a therapist to establish rapport, set intentions, and discuss safety precautions. The psychedelic session itself is conducted in a controlled setting with two therapists present, and the patient is encouraged to lie down with eye shades and headphones to enhance the internal experience. After the session, there are several integration sessions to help the patient make sense of the experience and integrate any insights or changes into their daily life.

It is possible to travel to another state or country where psychedelic therapy is legal to participate in it, but it is important to research the legal and regulatory landscape before doing so. It is also important to ensure that any psychedelic therapy is conducted by trained professionals in a safe and controlled setting.

Psychedelic therapy is a rapidly evolving field with a growing body of research supporting its efficacy and safety. As more research is conducted and regulatory barriers are lifted, it is likely that psychedelic therapy will become a more mainstream and accepted form of mental health treatment.

Ketamine therapy is legal in Tennessee, but it is regulated and requires a prescription from a licensed medical professional. Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance, which means it has an accepted medical use and a lower potential for abuse than Schedule I and II drugs. Ketamine has been approved by the FDA for use as an anesthetic, and it is also used off-label to treat depression and other mental health conditions. However, it is important to note that ketamine therapy should only be administered by a trained medical professional in a controlled setting, as it can have potential side effects and risks if not used properly.

No, psychedelic therapy is not currently legal in Tennessee. Psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA are classified as Schedule I drugs under federal law, meaning they are considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Therefore, their possession and use are illegal, including for therapeutic purposes. However, there are ongoing efforts to decriminalize or legalize psychedelic therapy in some states and cities, and it is possible that the legal landscape will change in the future. It is important to note that even in jurisdictions where psychedelic therapy is legal, it is typically highly regulated and requires trained professionals to conduct it in a controlled setting. At Nashville Psychedelic Center we do follow all rules and regulations regarding psychedelic medicine.

We offer mindfulness-based psychedelic integration coaching at every step along the way of your journey, whether it’s before or after your psychedelic session. Embarking on a psychedelic journey is a really important decision. It can have a profound impact and can be a catalyst for a lasting change. After all, it’s natural to feel apprehensive when heading into the unknown. 66% of participants in the John Hopkins Psilocybin Studies reported that their psychedelic experience was one of the top five most profound spiritual experiences of their life. 33% said it was the number one most profound experience.

At the Nashville Psychedelic Center, we take the time to fully understand your intentions and help you prepare for your experience. If you want to maximize the benefit while also reducing the risk of a deeply difficult experience, the Nashville Psychedelic Center is here to support you! We prioritize creating a safe, supportive, and trusting atmosphere where we will provide information, offer tools, and experience as you prepare for a psychedelic experience.

What do we do in psychedelic integration therapy?

Preparation: Our knowledgeable and experienced team will provide a foundation for you to feel confident and prepared for your upcoming psychedelic session.

Psychedelic Session: We will help you craft an individualized and special plan for your session to accompany your medicine experience.

Integration: Your unique experience holds wisdom and information essential for your healing. We help bring these lessons into reality so you can see direct benefit in your day to day life.

The team at the Nashville Psychedelic Center is trained in a variety of modalities, including Hakomi Somatic-Mindfulness Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, Buddhist Psychology, and holistic approaches to meeting trauma and emotional shifts. We utilize our diverse experience and training as well as continually updated research to provide an integrative and individualized course of care/plan of treatment.

During your free consultation call we will discuss what you’re looking to get out of psychedelic work and how we feel like we can help. We have learned that integration is a process and there is no one way for anyone. During our call, we will work to understand your needs and make a recommendation on a plan moving forward.

Trip of Compassion

A New Understanding : A documentary exploring the use of psilocybin to treat of end-of-life anxiety in cancer patients.

Paul Stamets: Psilocybin Mushrooms & The Mycology of Consciousness

From Shock to Awe

The Neuroscience of Psychedelic Drugs, Music, and Nostaliga

DOSED

Horizons Video Series| Horizons Vimeo | Horizons Conference YouTube

Overview of Psychedelic Fact vs. Fiction — Microdosing, Mind-Enhancing Methods, and More| The Tim Ferriss Show #377

Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction| The Tim Ferriss Show #298

Michael Pollan — Exploring The New Science of Psychedelics| The Tim Ferriss Show #313

Psychedelic Salon

Psychedelics Today

Erowid – A trove of more than 60,000 pages of information about psychoactive drugs, plants, chemicals, and technologies.

Nashville Psychedelic Society:

Psychonaut Wiki

Books & Articles:

The Microdose : free newsletter, courtesy of the the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan

Psychedelics and Spirituality: The Sacred Use of LSD, Psilocybin, and MDMA for Human Transformation by Thomas B. Roberts

“The Trip Treatment” by Michael Pollan, The New Yorker

The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide by James Fadiman

The Healing Journey: Pioneering Approaches to Psychedelic Therapy by Claudio Naranjo

Psychedelic Medicine: The Healing Powers of LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca by Dr. Richard Louis Miller

The Secret Chief Revealed by Myron J. Stolaroff

Wizard of the Upper Amazon: The Story of Manuel Córdova-Riosby F. Bruce Lamb

Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon by Stephan V. Beyer