🫠 Ask a Guide Anything

Welcome to Tricycle Day. We're the Olive Garden of psychedelics newsletters. When ya here, ya family. 🫂

“If you think you’re enlightened, go spend a week with your family,” Ram Dass said.

It’s true. Nothing will push your buttons quite like your mother, half a bottle of red deep, making a pointed comment about your career choices.

But if you thought Thanksgiving was hard, imagine how testy things get when you tell 'em you're about to explore your childhood trauma with mushrooms.

So for today’s newsletter, we asked our network of licensed psilocybin facilitators: How do I talk to my family about my upcoming journey so they know how to support me?

Here's how they approached this delicate subject.

There's no one right way to sit with mushrooms.

That’s why Althea has options.

Althea Direct is a one-on-one experience for people who want privacy and their facilitator's full attention.

Althea's Pick is a group experience for people who want legal psilocybin care at a fraction of the typical cost, plus peer connection.

No matter which route you take, you’ll be working with a licensed, experienced facilitator we’ve vetted ourselves.

And preparation and integration support are always included.

Don’t let anyone tell you there’s a right or wrong way to involve your family. Terry Turner stresses these are personal choices: “No one knows your family better than you! The main thing in having this conversation would be to share with them how you would like to be supported through this process.” 

You don't owe everyone the full picture, by the way. Kate Schroeder leaves no room for guilt: “If your family is skeptical or uncomfortable, you're allowed to have boundaries around how much you share. Not everyone needs access to something simply because it's meaningful to you.”

Some facilitators will even run the meeting for you, like Benjamin Dancer, who builds family orientation into his process: “I like to have a call with you and your family to let them know what to expect.” You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.

If you do want help, then the more concrete the ask, the better. Kate offers some honest reflections before you rope in your family: “Do you want encouragement? Privacy? Someone to check in afterward? Help with meals, kids, pets, or responsibilities so you have space to integrate?” That last part is big, so think ahead: “The days and weeks afterward can be just as important as the experience itself.”  

Half of good support is peace and quiet. The other half is… dinner. Masha Steiner-Renoir covers both: “Ask them to help you stay away from negativity, stressful conversations, and screens, and have a light but nourishing meal ready—something like soup.”

And Monica Ramunda catches a detail most people forget: “If someone is picking you up afterward, let them know that you may not want to talk about the experience right away.” The car ride is not meant to be a debrief.

When your family asks how it went, they may think they're helping. But often, they’re not. Monica has seen how poorly the prodding and poking can go over: “Even a surprised look, a quick ‘Really?’ or ‘That doesn't make sense,’ can cause someone to shut down when they are still feeling emotionally open and vulnerable.”

What actually helps is restraint. Masha describes what good looks like: “Let them know you may feel more open and sensitive, so gentle presence without questions or expectations can be incredibly supportive.” Benjamin adds a second reason to skip the 20 questions, which is that “the experience often cannot be explained.” 

But if your family really needs a pre-approved script, Kate suggests three safe questions you can’t go wrong with: “How are you feeling?”, “Is there anything you want to talk about?”, and “What do you need today?”.

Real quick before we move on, “family” doesn't have to mean blood. If the people who show up for you are chosen rather than genetically related, all of the suggestions above still apply.

Okay now, we’re gonna turn the tables.

After a journey, especially a first-time journey, people’s instinct is sometimes to tell everyone they know how amazing psilocybin is and how they just have to try it themselves.

Resist that urge. Unsolicited advice is rarely welcome.

Besides, you asked for space and patience, right? Least you can do is return the favor.

So instead of evangelizing, be a lighthouse. Let people notice what’s changed for themselves. That’s a much better pitch than diagnosing your brother's commitment issues over tuna casserole anyway.

Thanks to Melissa G. from Lone Tree, CO 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.