What is psychedelic integration coaching?

What is Integration Coaching?

The easiest way to understand integration coaching is to understand the process of identification, transformation and reformation. I’ll use an example of alcohol addiction as the example here. 

Essentially, what is being provided by an integration coach is guidance before and after the chosen therapeutic experience. 

So, lets say that someone is struggling with an alcohol problem. They recognize that the habit is overtaking their life, dictating their social schedule, wrecking their sleep, and hurting their wallet. They have identified the need for transformation. They have tried quitting on their own, but it just doesn’t seem feasible. They want to set a goal to define their progress such as: “I want to quit drinking” “I want to limit my drinking to a drink or two a week” or “I just want to stop blacking out”

Up until recently, those working through alcohol issues have relied on AA, abstinence or traditional therapy as the main avenues of discovery. But, thankfully for these people - and society at large - changes to the legal status of certain substances in recent years have provided new potential options for transformation, namely psychedelics. The most widely available of these is ketamine. Because of the effectiveness and popularity of ketamine, clinics have popped up all over the United States. Chances are that there is a ketamine clinic available within reasonable distance from you. If not, there are a number of online options available to those seeking help like - https://www.mindbloom.com/ and https://helloinnerwell.com/ . 

And while these clinics exist, and the substances they provide have an exceptional potential to elicit changes in thought that open up the potential for change, the true differentiator between an interesting experience and a transformational one is the work that is done before and after the session.

That’s where integration coaching comes in. The function of an integration coach is to help the person ensure that the proper work is done beforehand to understand what to expect from the experience, set proper intentions, and learn to dictate the experience that they will go through. After the psychedelic experience, an integration coach will ensure that the lessons taught in the experience are put into action, turning the intention into defined action. An Integration coach facilitates reformation.

So for a client that identifies alcoholism as a problem that they are looking to overcome, we would meet before their psychedelic experience to discuss how their habits are affecting their life, talk through the events that have lead to their current predicament, and identify goals for the clients to use to define the success of their experience. 

For that same client, we would meet afterward to discuss the experience that they had, and track the goals that the client set that will define their success. However the client defines success is the goal that we will work towards together. 

I want to answer some questions that people typically have about the integration coaching experience:

Isn’t this just therapy?

While it is similarly related to therapy, Integration Coaching is not therapy. Therapy requires a designation of a specific mental health diagnosis and involves the authority of the therapist to treat and track problems, symptoms, or issues in alignment with their treatment plan for the client.

Integration coaching simply involves the knowledge that the client is seeking change within themselves and providing resources and guidance to help them discover the path to success that works for them. Essentially, the defining difference is that while a therapist defines the patient’s current state and helps to track their progress towards assuaging symptoms, an integration coach allows the client to define their own goals and provides guidance for the client to seek their own change. 

Is this legal?

Of course it is. As an integration coach, no substances are being provided to the client. Integration coaches are simply talking to clients about what to expect and coaching them through this experience. 

Psychedelic experiences are available through online or in-person ketamine clinics, through abroad trips to communities, or by the old school method of finding psilocybin mushrooms on the ground while walking through nature. 

Additionally, a number of churches have popped up throughout the US that are able to provide psychedelic substances to members. If you’re in Tampa Bay like me, https://bionicbloom.org/ is one example of a local church that is able to provide life-changing experiences to members.  

What qualifies you to do this type of work?

While there are no specific qualifications needed to become an integration coach, I am currently taking classes to help me best provide the possible client experience. But ultimately, the main qualification you need to be an effective integration coach is true empathy and understanding of the client’s goals. And an integration coach needs to be able to speak from experience. 

There is no way for me to quantify the empathy and understanding I would be able to provide to each client’s experience. But, as evidenced from those who I have worked with in this space, I have noticed my own ability to help others make a positive change for themselves. 

And as far as my experience, I am my own case study. I battled addiction, anxiety and depression for years before creating my own psychedelic transformation. My experimentation with psychedelics began in the spring of 2012, but it didn’t take hold as a transformational experience until the fall of 2022. I went into that experience with intent and immediately started identifying the changes I needed to make and worked to make them a reality. My integration work on myself began directly after the experience and used effective integration to instill the changes I intended. I completely changed myself, and have curated enough expertise within that time - both from experimentation with psychedelic substances and from consuming a wealth of knowledge from experts in the field - to be confident in helping others through their experience.

Okay, so what can I expect from my experience then? 

The first thing to expect is change, deep foundational change that will challenge every previous notion you’ve had of the world and your place within it. 

I know this sounds intimidating, and it can be. But if you have recognized an issue that you are looking to work through, an integration coach will ensure that you are maximizing the possibility of success.

We will meet either once or twice before your experience to discuss your background and goals. Afterward, we will meet twice to talk through how you are tracking towards your goals. During the process, I will recommend resources for you to learn about yourself and open your mind to the processes to implement to ensure that your goals are met. 

Wrapping up..

So the primary function of an integration coach is simply this - I help others find the strength within themselves to make the changes they want to make. Its that basic. 

Are you ready to ensure you’re making the most out of your psychedelic experience? 

Reach out and we can explore what that means for you

Look forward to meeting,

John