u/macervantes1821

TL; DR: Trying to figure out how realistic it is to build a career as a psychedelic-assisted therapist. Would love some insight from other therapists, facilitators, or anyone already working in this field. 

I'm in California and currently in my second year of a counseling master's program to become an LPCC. My program is 3 years long, and I’m starting my 2nd year, so I’m starting to think about my long-term career path. Ideally, I’d like to integrate psychedelic-assisted therapy into my practice as a licensed therapist, so I’ve been researching different routes like ketamine and psilocybin, and I am interested in using both in my practice

Since California doesn’t have a psilocybin facilitator program, I’ve been looking at options in Colorado and Oregon, and I found a Colorado psilocybin facilitator training program I’m considering. 

 I learned I can do the online didactic part of the program (about 6 months) while I’m still in school, then finish the other requirements after moving to Colorado; they also offer scholarships to make it affordable, since most facilitator programs are expensive af.  

The plan would be to work toward my LPC licensure while also getting my psilocybin facilitator license. 

For those already psychedelic-assisted therapists or others doing something similar: does this sound like a realistic route? 

I'm also wondering what the job market looks like in Colorado since I would be starting off as an LPCC, then eventually get licensed, and ideally I’d start doing psychedelic-assisted therapy

I’m still in the research and planning phase and haven’t committed to anything yet (I’ve talked to the program's admissions department to get some general info)

I’d appreciate any tips, experiences, or guidance on how to approach this career path. 

I’m in grad school right now working towards my LPC in California. I initially planned to become a school counselor since my program offers the PPS/CWA along with the LPC, but lately I’ve been considering the clinical LPC route instead. I’m interested in potentially becoming a psychedelic-assisted therapist. 

 I have personal experiences with psychedelics and have seen how they can help me when I use them recreationally, and it’s exciting to think about how targeted therapy could enhance that healing potential. I’m especially interested in MDMA for PTSD, although it’s not approved yet; however, when it is, I’d love to be involved as a psychotherapist ( not prescribing it).

I’m curious about what it would take to become a psychedelic-assisted therapist with my LPC background. I still have two years left in my program, so I'm exploring options right now, but I’d like to know if this is even feasible. 

Are there any resources I can look into while I’m in grad school that aren’t those expensive certificates/programs? So far, I’ve read Psychedelic Therapy by Keith Kurlander, and I Feel Love by Rachel Nuwer, which isn’t specifically about psychedelic therapy but does cover the history and current research on MDMA.

I recently found out about Dreamstate, and I really want to go ( I wish I had known about this sooner otherwise I would’ve gotten Tier 1 tickets). I was initially thinking of just going for one day, but after checking out some posts, I noticed that last year’s single-day VIP was around $300. Now I’m trying to figure out whether it's worth getting the current price two-day VIP and going both days to make the most of it, or if I should just hold out for single-day tickets.

I don't know how to start this post, but I will say that I'm trying to figure things out, sexuality wise. For the past 26 years, I thought I was straight. I've only been with men in the past, mostly through hookups during college, except for one relationship that lasted less than a year. To be honest, none of those experiences were great in terms of intimacy or the relationships themselves, but I went along with them because I thought I was straight.

  Well, it's been 6 years since I dated, and I think this time being single has given me a chance to really reflect on my experiences with dating and relationships. For the past like 2 ish months, I've started questioning my sexuality. It started with seeing posts on Instagram that popped up in my feed randomly about the differences between dating men and women, and something in me just clicked. I found myself thinking, "What would it be like to date a woman?"

This then led me to go down a rabbit hole that involved a mix of research and therapy that has left me feeling open to the idea of potentially dating and being intimate with a woman, even though I have never done it before. I don't know how I'd go about exploring this since I don't have any LGBTQ+ friends and have never gone to any pride events cause I always thought I was straight and would not belong in that community. The only familiarity with being intimate with a woman is having seen lesbian porn, but I know that's not realistic at all. 

I don't remember anything from my childhood, like having a crush on a girl, that would have indicated something different about my sexuality. I've saved posts from here to learn about others' experiences, but I still don't know if I am bi or not. I'm just trying to figure things out. Aside from my therapist, no one knows about this, and I can't tell my family since most of them are Catholic and homophobic af. 

I don't know how to start this post, but I will say that I'm trying to figure things out, sexuality wise. For the past 26 years, I thought I was straight. I've only been with men in the past, mostly through hookups during college, except for one relationship that lasted less than a year. To be honest, none of those experiences were great in terms of intimacy or the relationships themselves, but I went along with them because I thought I was straight.

  Well, it's been 6 years since I dated, and I think this time being single has given me a chance to really reflect on my experiences with dating and relationships. For the past like 2 ish months, I've started questioning my sexuality. It started with seeing posts on Instagram that popped up in my feed randomly about the differences between dating men and women, and something in me just clicked. I found myself thinking, "What would it be like to date a woman?"

This then led me to go down a rabbit hole that involved a mix of research and therapy that has left me feeling open to the idea of potentially dating and being intimate with a woman, even though I have never done it before. I don't know how I'd go about exploring this since I don't have any LGBTQ+ friends and have never gone to any pride events cause I always thought I was straight and would not belong in that community. The only familiarity with being intimate with a woman is having seen lesbian porn, but I know that's not realistic at all. 

I don't remember anything from my childhood, like having a crush on a girl, that would have indicated something different about my sexuality. I've saved posts from here to learn about others' experiences, but I still don't know if I am bi or not. I'm just trying to figure things out. Aside from my therapist, no one knows about this, and I can't tell my family since most of them are Catholic and homophobic af. 

I don't know how to start this post, but I will say that I'm trying to figure things out, sexuality wise. For the past 26 years, I thought I was straight. I've only been with men in the past, mostly through hookups during college, except for one relationship that lasted less than a year. To be honest, none of those experiences were great in terms of intimacy or the relationships themselves, but I went along with them because I thought I was straight.

  Well, it's been 6 years since I dated, and I think this time being single has given me a chance to really reflect on my experiences with dating and relationships. For the past like 2 ish months, I've started questioning my sexuality. It started with seeing posts on Instagram that popped up in my feed randomly about the differences between dating men and women, and something in me just clicked. I found myself thinking, "What would it be like to date a woman?"

This then led me to go down a rabbit hole that involved a mix of research and therapy that has left me feeling open to the idea of potentially dating and being intimate with a woman, even though I have never done it before. I don't know how I'd go about exploring this since I don't have any LGBTQ+ friends and have never gone to any pride events cause I always thought I was straight and would not belong in that community. The only familiarity with being intimate with a woman is having seen lesbian porn, but I know that's not realistic at all. 

I don't remember anything from my childhood, like having a crush on a girl, that would have indicated something different about my sexuality. I've saved posts from here to learn about others' experiences, but I still don't know if I am bi or not. I'm just trying to figure things out. Aside from my therapist, no one knows about this, and I can't tell my family since most of them are Catholic and homophobic af. 

I’m looking at the different options for next year, and I noticed they offer the Kodiak tent with access to power. Is it worth investing in the power option? (It’s about $300 more compared to the regular Kodiak)

Also, with all the thefts reported this year, is it worth getting a tent lock? I've seen mixed reviews in older posts, but given the recent incidents, I'm not sure if investing in a lock is a good idea. It's my first LiB, so I'm new to all of this.

I found out about LiB a few weeks ago, and seeing videos on Instagram and posts about it here is making me consider going next year. I’m thinking of going solo and doing Atlaswyld camping. I plan to get VIP and a Kodiak tent, and I’ll be driving from LA. This would also be my first time going to a festival by myself. Has anyone else gone solo and camped in Atlaswyld?