As a general rule, we have a number of different criteria that we consider as important

in a prospective student:

1) Training (traditional graduate level degree in psychology or an alternative certification

in a mental health-oriented therapeutic modality such as Gestalt, Hakomi, IFS, psychodynamic therapy, Somatic Experiencing (SE), and addiction counseling to name a few examples)

2) Licensure or certification in any of the aforementioned modalities

3) Two years of experience working with clients specifically in a mental health context (private practice is acceptable)

4) Population served (clients/patients)

5) Professional / personal motivation to provide this work

Our primary concern is that the prospective student has a basic foundation in psychotherapeutic theory, skills, and clinical experience working with clients in a mental health context (private practice is acceptable). We assume they have these basic capacities in place as the Apprentice Training is an advanced training in a highly relational, somatic trauma therapy modality. Our focus is on complex developmental wounding, attachment, relational transference dynamics, and autonomic nervous system processing all within a psychedelic framework.

The short answer is that Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP) is a non-medicine specific modality, meaning this is not a cannabis-assisted therapy training, or a ketamine-assisted therapy training or a psilocybin-assisted therapy training. It is very useful to have the body available to support any psychedelic medicine process. Having said that, there are two primary reasons we emphasize cannabis: 1) because it is the most easily accessible, legal, and inexpensive psychedelic that most of your clients will have access to, and 2) cannabis is extremely useful as a starting point for psychedelic therapy because of its ability to interrupt executive management strategies, amplify sensate direct experience, and resolve dissociation. When we initially provided PSIP sessions in Amsterdam, our protocol was that every client started with 3 cannabis-assisted PSIP sessions before moving onto psilocybin.

The Psychedelic Somatic Institute (PSI) Apprentice Training program is a training in the innate biological, relational, and psychological healing processes that become much more active in the psychedelic state. Our focus is on the therapy that pairs with and amplifies the healing capacity of these medicines, and not on any medicine in particular. While it is true that each offers their own unique gifts, they all share the common feature of disrupting ordinary consciousness and causing us to enter into non-ordinary primary consciousness. This is where the magic happens, in the foundational mammalian biology that has been with us for millions of years of our evolution.

Part A: 5-Day In-Person Experiential Training (with 3 students only)

- Each student will receive roughly 10 hours of psychedelic sessions spread over 4 days, with 1 day of integration. Each student will also benefit from roughly 24 hours of observation of other students' live sessions, post-session debriefs, and integration sessions

Part B: Theory Lectures (with 12-15 students)

- 8 weekly meetings of remote theory lectures and classroom-style discussions

Part C: Group Supervisions (with 12-15 students)

- 4 weekly meetings followed by 6 bi-weekly (every 2 weeks) meetings of live, online group supervisions for students practicing PSIP with their peers and/or clients

Optional Part D: Observation

- After completing Parts A through C and working with the modality for a period of time, students may choose to gain further mastery by returning to observe a Part A: 5-Day In-Person Experiential Training

We provide two types of certifications:

1. Certificate of Completion - This certificate signifies that you have met the basic attendance requirements, participated in the training activities / assignments, and have demonstrated a basic fluency with elements of the model based on an assessment of your case study presentation. It is not a testament to your skill level or the quality of your work as a practitioner.

Requirements for Certificate of Completion:

a. Completion of Part A: 5-Day In-Person Experiential Training Component

b. Completion of Part B: Theory Lectures Component

c. Completion of Part C: Group Supervisions Component

d. Successful participation in training exercises (trade sessions with cohort members for Part C and present a case study that demonstrates a Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP) session)

2. Certificate of Mastery - This is a much more significant assessment and validation of your skill sets as a PSIP practitioner. Achieving this certificate means the Psychedelic Somatic Institute (PSI) organization is vouching for your demonstrated skill sets. Simply engaging in the requirements listed below do not automatically qualify a candidate for mastery, but rather it is the subjective evaluation of the supervisor.

Requirements for Certificate of Mastery:

a. Prerequisite: Certificate of Completion

b. Completion of Part D: Observation Component

c. Minimum of eight (8) Individual Supervisions with PSI’s Director of Education

d. Minimum of eight (8) Individual PSIP sessions with a mastery-certified PSIP practitioner, PSI instructor candidate, or a PSI Instructor

We have discontinued providing NBCC CEU’s due to lack of requests from students.

Requirements for Certificate of Completion:

1. Part A: 5-Day In-Person Experiential Training - 3,899 USD

2. Part B: Theory Lectures - 1,949.50 USD

3. Part C: Group Supervisions - 1,949.50 USD

Additional requirements for Certificate of Mastery:

1. Part D: Observation Component - 1,200 USD

2. Minimum of eight (8) Individual Supervisions with PSI’s Director of Education - 2,800 USD

3. Minimum of eight (8) Individual PSIP sessions with a mastery-certified PSIP practitioner, PSI instructor candidate, or a PSI Instructor - Price varies depending on therapist’s rate

No, we currently do not offer any financial aids for the Apprentice Training. The Part A: 5-Day In-Person Experiential training is designed to focus on only 3 students at a time (as opposed to other trainings that have anywhere from 20 to 100 or more students). Because of this, if we provide a scholarship to a single student, that would mean a full 33% of an entire Part A training would be scholarshipped which we could not financially sustain.

However, we do offer a 3-part installment plan for the Part A component of our

Apprentice Training. This is how this works:

1st installment (1⁄3 of the tuition for Part A) - Due upon enrollment into Part A

2nd installment - Due 1 month before Part A starts

3rd installment - Due 1 month after Part A starts