Frequently Asked Questions

Psilocybin-assisted therapy combines the administration of psilocybin (the active compound in certain mushrooms) with professional therapeutic support in a controlled, clinical environment.

Research indicates that psilocybin works by binding to serotonin 2A receptors in the brain, promoting neuroplasticity and creating windows of enhanced psychological flexibility (Carhart-Harris & Friston, 2019). This process can help individuals gain new perspectives on deeply rooted patterns, trauma, and mental health challenges.

Our approach integrates preparation sessions, the guided psilocybin experience (called the Administration or the Journey Day), and integration therapy to maximize therapeutic benefits while ensuring your safety and emotional well-being.

While traditional talk therapy works primarily with conscious thoughts and established patterns, psilocybin therapy can access deeper layers of consciousness and facilitate rapid shifts in perspective.

The neuroplasticity induced by psilocybin can help break rigid thought patterns and create openings for new insights that might take years to achieve through conventional therapy alone (Carhart-Harris et al., 2016).

However, psilocybin therapy complements rather than replaces traditional therapeutic approaches. Many clients find that their subsequent traditional therapy becomes more effective after psilocybin experiences.

Yes, psilocybin therapy is fully legal and regulated in Colorado.

Colorado voters initially approved Proposition 122 in 2022, which was later replaced by SB 23-290 in 2023, making Colorado the second state, after Oregon, to decriminalize psilocybin for therapeutic use.

The state began accepting license applications on December 31, 2024, and healing centers began to open in June 2025. Our facility was licensed in July 2025 and operates under full compliance with Colorado's Natural Medicine Health Act and Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and Department of Revenue (DOR) oversight, ensuring the highest standards of safety and legal compliance.

Clinical research has shown promising results for psilocybin therapy in treating treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, substance use disorders, and end-of-life psychological distress (Goodwin et al., 2022; Stringer, 2024).

Studies have demonstrated significant and sustained improvements in depression scores, with some participants experiencing benefits lasting months after a single session (Raison et al., 2022).

While we don't provide medical service or advice, our licensed facilitators work within a healing-centered framework that honors both the scientific evidence and your individual journey toward wellness and personal growth.

Please be sure to visit our Resources page to learn (a whole lot) more!

Our therapeutic approach differs fundamentally from recreational use through our clinical setting, professional supervision, standardized dosing, comprehensive preparation, and structured integration support.

Research shows that therapeutic outcomes are significantly enhanced when psilocybin is administered in supportive, structured environments with trained facilitators (Johnson et al., 2008).

We provide medical-grade psilocybin in precise dosages, along with psychological preparation and integration sessions that help you process and apply insights from your experience to daily life, which is not always the case with recreational or personal use of psilocybin.

The Clearing is not a dispensary of psychedelic substances, and we're not allowed to sell mushrooms for retail purposes.

Your journey begins weeks before the actual psilocybin session with comprehensive preparation meetings where we establish trust, discuss intentions, and help you to prepare for your upcoming journey.

See our Eligibility Criteria and Preparation pages to learn more.

During the 6-8 hour psilocybin session, you'll be in a comfortable, safe environment with trained facilitators present throughout. Most people experience shifts in perception, emotional insights, and enhanced introspection. Our facilitators provide gentle guidance while honoring your autonomy and inner wisdom.

Learn more at our Administration / Journeying Day page.

Integration sessions following your experience help you translate insights into lasting positive changes in your life.

Check out our Integration page to learn more.

Psilocybin has an excellent safety profile when administered in clinical settings, with research showing minimal adverse effects when proper screening and support are provided (Johnson et al., 2018).

Be sure to learn more at our Resources page, specifically the Psilocybin, Safety + Adverse Health Events tab in the Scientific Research section.

Temporary effects during the session may include nausea, changes in perception, and emotional intensity. Our thorough screening process identifies any contraindications, including certain medications and mental health conditions that may not be suitable for this treatment.

Your safety and emotional well-being are our highest priorities throughout the entire process.

Ideal candidates are typically individuals who have tried conventional treatments with limited success, are committed to the therapeutic process, and are seeking deep personal growth or healing.

We conduct comprehensive assessments including medical history, current medications, mental health status, and personal goals.

This therapy tends to be most effective for people who are psychologically stable enough to navigate intensive experiences and are willing to engage in preparation and integration work.

Age, certain medical conditions, and specific medications may affect candidacy, which we'll discuss during your consultation.

As this is an emerging field, you may find a range of rates for psilocybin assisted therapy packages. Many individual journey’s seem to cost around $3,000-$5,000 per participant in the USA, and that is fairly standard across both Oregon and Colorado (so far).

Our comprehensive treatment packages include all preparation sessions, the psilocybin experience, and integration sessions. We believe healing should be accessible and offer flexible payment options and sliding scale fees based on financial need.

The investment reflects the intensive, personalized nature of this work and the extensive training our facilitators have received.

We're happy to discuss specific pricing during your initial consultation and work with you to make this treatment accessible.

Currently, psilocybin therapy is not covered by traditional health insurance plans, including in Colorado, as it is only legal in specific regulated states and not yet nationally.

As the field evolves and more research demonstrates efficacy, we are also hoping insurance coverage may become available for psilocybin assisted therapy in the future.

We offer various payment options and sliding scale pricing to make treatment more accessible.

Our pricing reflects the comprehensive nature of psilocybin therapy, which includes preparation sessions, the guided administration day/journey, integration work, and ongoing support.

We offer a sliding scale based on a variety of factors to ensure accessibility while maintaining the high quality of care.

Rates are determined by considering factors such as session length, facilitator training and experience, facility costs, and the personalized nature of treatment.

We're transparent about all costs upfront and work with clients to find sustainable payment arrangements.

The complete therapeutic process typically spans 1-3 months, but in some cases can be much faster, based on a variety of circumstances.

Typically, we like to get back to people reaching out on our contact form within 48 hours of submission, usually by email response or a phone call. At that time, we may go through basic screening criteria and address any burning questions you may have for us. We then complete the initial screening / health history, complete paperwork, and plan for and schedule your preparation sessions, which tend to take a few weeks meeting each week for an hour or two to address important factors in your therapy. We then schedule your administration day / Journey, followed by 2+ integration sessions over the following weeks and months. If you need continued support beyond our typical process, we have very skilled therapist referrals for you to consider.

Some individuals may benefit from additional integration sessions or choose to undergo multiple psilocybin sessions spaced several months apart.

We work diligently to customize the timeline based on your individual needs and healing process.

Preparation is crucial for maximizing therapeutic benefits and ensuring your safety.

We'll guide you through physical preparation (dietary guidelines, medication adjustments), psychological preparation (intention setting, addressing fears), and logistical preparation (arranging time off, post-session support).

We recommend practices like meditation, journaling, and spending time in nature.

Avoiding alcohol and maintaining healthy sleep patterns in the weeks before your session supports optimal outcomes.

Most importantly, we'll work together to create psychological safety and trust, which forms the foundation for healing.

Certain medications can interact with psilocybin or interfere with its therapeutic effects. These include SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, MAOIs, lithium, and some blood pressure medications.

We require a complete medication review and may recommend working with your prescribing physician to safely adjust medications before treatment.

Alcohol, cannabis, and other substances should be avoided for specified periods before your journey.

While we do not provide medical care or advice, we have an established referral network of local medical providers who are knowledgeable about psilocybin and happy to consult. We will provide detailed guidelines tailored to your specific medications and health profile during your screening process.

Integration is considered one of the most crucial aspects of psilocybin therapy.

Research suggests that the insights and emotional breakthroughs experienced during psilocybin sessions can lead to lasting positive changes when properly integrated (Watts et al., 2017).

In the days and weeks following your session, we'll meet regularly to help you understand and apply your experience to daily life. This may include exploring insights through talk therapy, developing new coping strategies, making lifestyle changes, or addressing relationships and life patterns that emerged during your experience.

Many people report sustained improvements in mood, relationships, creativity, and overall life satisfaction months after their treatment.

Challenging experiences, while uncomfortable, often lead to the most profound healing when properly supported.

Our facilitators are extensively trained in navigating difficult psychological terrain and helping clients move through rather than around challenging material.

We maintain a calm, supportive presence and use various techniques to help you stay grounded and safe.

Sometimes the most transformative insights emerge from working through difficult emotions or memories.

You're never alone during this process, and we'll prepare you thoroughly for all possibilities during our preparation sessions.

Some people find significant relief after one session, while others may benefit from 2-4 sessions over the course of a year or more. While many individuals benefit from multiple psilocybin sessions, please know this methodology isn't necessary for everyone.

If you wanted to have multiple journeys, some research suggests that spacing sessions at least 2-3 months apart allows for optimal integration and prevents tolerance buildup.

We'll assess your progress during integration sessions and collaboratively determine if additional sessions would support your healing journey. Each subsequent session builds upon previous insights while addressing emerging themes.

All facilitators meet Colorado's stringent licensing requirements and undergo regular background checks and ethical training.

Each of our awesome facilitators has completed extensive education through recognized programs and maintains ongoing supervision, professional consultation and annual continuing education requirements.

They bring diverse backgrounds in psychology, counseling, social work, and trauma therapy; yet perhaps more importantly, they all bring their own deep, personal understanding of non-ordinary states of consciousness.

All of our facilitators have personal experience with psychedelics specifically in therapeutic contexts and are committed to creating safe, sacred containers for healing.

We understand the importance of feeling supported during this vulnerable process.

While the psilocybin session itself is typically conducted with just you and your trained facilitators to maintain therapeutic focus, we also welcome your preference to have a supportive person with you for any part of your therapy process here at The Clearing.

We'll discuss what level of involvement feels most supportive for your unique healing journey during our initial consultation.

Your privacy is sacred to us and protected by the same confidentiality standards as traditional therapy, including HIPAA regulations.

All staff sign strict confidentiality agreements, and your personal information is stored in secure, encrypted systems.

We never share your participation or details of your experience without your explicit written consent, except in legally mandated situations involving imminent harm.

Many clients appreciate that our discreet facility design and flexible scheduling options provide additional privacy protection.

Yes, with some important distinctions.

For the inquiry, preparation, and integration phases of treatment, we can provide services to clients from states that participate in PsyPact (Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact), allowing for teletherapy across state lines.

However, the actual psilocybin sessions must occur in Colorado, as this is where the substance is legally regulated.

For clients from states not in PsyPact or from other provinces/countries, you would need to be physically present in Colorado for the entire duration of your treatment program, including all preparation and integration sessions.

We can help coordinate extended stays for out-of-state clients who choose this option.

Off-site retreats operate as completely separate entities from The Clearing, as our facility license only permits psilocybin use on our premises.

Any retreat would require independent licensing and cannot be officially affiliated with our center.

Colorado law does allow licensed facilitators to provide services for personal use in private settings, but this requires separate informed consent documentation, different liability considerations, and independent oversight.

If you're interested in retreat-style experiences, we can discuss referrals to properly licensed retreat facilitators, but these would be entirely separate from your treatment at The Clearing.

We use only pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin that meets Colorado's strict quality and safety standards.

The psilocybin is sourced from licensed cultivators who follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and is tested for purity, potency, and contaminants by an independent laboratory licensed and devoted to testing for quality and potency of the mushrooms.

You choose your dose. We can help guide you with how to make that choice.

Administration occurs in our licensed facility under direct supervision, ensuring consistent quality and safety.

We are not allowed to sell or provide psilocybin for home use or unsupervised consumption.

No, we do not provide microdosing services or sell any psilocybin products for take-home use.

Colorado's legislation does not allow the retail sale of mushrooms and other drugs, and patients won't be able to walk into a healing center and leave with psychedelic mushrooms or other psilocybin products for consumption.

Our healing center is licensed to provide supervised, therapeutic psilocybin experiences within our facility under the guidance of trained facilitators, in accordance with Colorado's Natural Medicine Health Act.

While adults over 21 can legally share or gift psilocybin (but not sell it), this falls outside the scope of our regulated therapeutic services.

Yes, medical clearance is required before beginning psilocybin therapy if you have a medical condition or concern.

See our Eligibility Criteria page to learn more.

Our process involves a comprehensive health assessment to ensure the treatment is safe for you. If you have a contraindication - whether medically or based on your medications - you'll likely need to obtain clearance from your licensed physician who will review your medical history, current medications, and any conditions that might contraindicate psilocybin use.

While we cannot provide you with the specific medical clearance as we are not a medically trained staff, we will refer you to a network of local providers who are medically trained and allies to psilocybin therapy.

Psilocybin and its active metabolite psilocin are not typically included in routine drug panels, such as the SAMHSA-5, and unless a test is specifically designed to detect psychedelics, psilocybin will not trigger a positive result Psychedelics Research and Psilocybin Therapy. However, we recommend discussing any concerns about drug testing with your employer or relevant authorities before participating in therapy, as specialized tests that screen for psychedelics do exist.

As of early September, 2025, the U.S. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness published a memo saying that U.S. service members may be drug tested for psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, beginning October 1, 2025. The memo, per Task and Purpose, says the change is “due to the risk of impairment and subsequent deterioration of security, military fitness, readiness, good order and discipline.” The U.S. military already drug tests active duty members for many other substances including LSD and MDMA. If military personnel are found to have these substances in their systems they can face sanctions or even termination.

Meanwhile, Veterans Affairs researchers are studying the use of MDMA and psilocybin to treat PTSD, depression, and alcohol use disorder in military veterans.

It's important to understand that while psilocybin converts to psilocin (the compound that would be detected), standard workplace drug screenings typically focus on substances like THC, opioids, and other common drugs rather than psychedelics.

Beginning your healing journey starts with a confidential consultation where we learn about your goals, health history, and readiness for this work.

This can be done via secure video call or in-person visit. We'll assess whether psilocybin therapy aligns with your needs and discuss any concerns you might have.

If we determine you're a good candidate, we'll begin the intake process, which includes medical screening, psychological assessment, and scheduling your preparation sessions.

We're here to answer all your questions and ensure you feel completely informed and comfortable before moving forward.

Your healing journey is entirely at your pace, and we'll support you every step of the way.