🫠 Ask a Guide Anything

Welcome to Tricycle Day. We’re the psychedelics newsletter that’s witnessing you witnessing us. Yep, we saw you open this email, and we liked it. 😏

Being with other people feels great, doesn’t it? We’re intelligent monkeys social primates after all.

But psilocybin can get real personal, real quick. And as healing as that collective energy can be, sometimes you’d rather not ugly cry in front of an audience of strangers.

So for today’s newsletter, we asked our network of licensed psilocybin facilitators: When do you recommend group ceremonies versus one-on-one sessions for your clients?

Here's how they broke it down.

Psilocybin journeys can get *ahem* uncomfortable.

That’s kinda the point. The medicine shows you what you need to see, not necessarily what you want to see.

But letting go requires a level of trust and safety you can't fake.

Chariot knows that, which is why they work with experienced facilitators, who’ve collectively guided 1,000+ clients through the depths.

It’s also why they built two centers that feel like homes, not hospitals.

So yeah, growth is rarely comfy. But the container holding you through it should be.

When the material is extra sensitive, most facilitators recommend starting with private sessions. Adam O'Neil leads with one-on-one work “when someone is dealing with something really specific or tender, like trauma, significant grief, deep shame, and complex performance anxiety.” Some clients need the privacy “to go inward” and “the safety to fall apart.”

Francesca Loux’s thought process is similar. She recommends one-on-one work “when someone needs individualized pacing, extra nervous system support, or is working with trauma or major life transitions. These containers allow for responsiveness, reassurance, and grounding from moment to moment.”

For Char McKendrick, it comes down to readiness: “One-on-one sessions can be especially supportive when someone is working with trauma or early attachment wounds, or needs to re-establish a sense of internal safety before being around others. Healing often begins in private, internal spaces.”

On the other hand, many facilitators point out that group work touches something individual sessions can't reach. Clayton Ickes puts it in historical context: “The phenomenon of individual psychedelic work is relatively new.” Group ceremony, as our ancestors understood, comes with the benefits “of being seen, of belonging, and of knowing yourself in relationship to other people.”

Jamie Blackburn speaks to the collective intelligence of a group: “Participants recognize themselves in one another. Insights expand because guidance doesn't come from just one facilitator; it emerges from the group.” The shared experience “softens shame and normalizes the human experience, reminding each person they are not alone.”

And Terri Shelton underscores the power of group work for trauma: “Trauma has a way of breaking our soul away from our body.” When we’re feeling separated or isolated, she says, “healing comes from connecting with ourselves in relation to others.”

Neither format is inherently better. Most facilitators agree the right answer lives inside the client. Michelle Harrell recommends starting with a simple question: “Where will I feel the most safe? Psilocybin work is deeply vulnerable and inherently unpredictable. Safety, both emotional and physical, is the foundation for meaningful healing.”

Amy Charlesworth has observed that group work lands best “when there is sufficient preparation time for participants to build familiarity and trust before entering the journey.” She typically reserves group ceremonies for clients who already have some experience under their belt.

Sara Gael sums it up quite nicely, inviting “clients to reflect on their intentions and what they hope to receive,” with the understanding that group work offers the chance to “witness and be witnessed,” while individual sessions provide “focused, individualized support and space to work more deeply with personal material.”

Most psilocybin trainings won’t go here. This 8-month apprenticeship teaches you plant spirit communication, Mexica medicine songs, and sacred ceremony protocols passed down from Mazatec teachers. Tricycle Day readers save $400.

First off, this doesn’t have to be an either/or decision. Individual and group work are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Start where you feel safe, and go from there.

We’d also add that group ceremonies really shine when there’s chemistry among the participants. A good facilitator will be thoughtful about who's in the room together. (That may be something to ask about when you’re vetting your guide.)

And then there's the elephant in the ceremony room: cost. Individual sessions generally come with a higher price tag. If budget is a factor, group ceremonies can make psilocybin significantly more accessible.

If it’s not… cool yacht you got there. How’d you like to sponsor our lil' newsletter? 👉👈

Thanks to Donna M. from Vancouver Island, BC for submitting this week’s question. 🫠

Reply to this email to shoot your shot. If it’s a juicy one, we may select it for a future issue.

That’s all for today, Cyclists! Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help.

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DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. The use, possession, and distribution of psychedelic drugs are illegal in most countries and may result in criminal prosecution.