What are different ways that I can integrate a psychedelic experience?

Sometimes an integration process can be a predominately physical experience. For some the changes one experiences in their body or in their own sense of their physical presence, can lead to anxiety and confusion. Beginning to integrate this into one’s day to day life can involve planning for and engaging in activities that nourish and connect awareness to the body, and several therapeutic activities we can work on together can help with this integration process.

Psycho-spiritual integration might involve how you view yourself, other people in your life, the family/community you are in, your sense of yourself in your relationships, and the views you might have about the world, the universe, and possibly your views about a higher power or of your own spirituality. Because psychedelic experiences can occasion both spiritual and insight experiences, often quite challenging to interpret and make sense of, the vast array of psycho- spiritual integration topics makes this quite challenging to do without help. Too often, these deeply meaningful experiences can fade away or be forgotten. This is where our work might help to facilitate enduring transformation.

Integration of existential experiences that involve a sense of death/dying or of your own mortality can also be helped with this approach. Sometimes, people experience a sense that they have died during a psychedelic experience and been reborn into a new self. Similarly, some might have a deep metaphysical experience regarding the nature of existence and one’s path in life. These existential dilemmas are sometimes inconsistent with how one was living their life before the psychedelic experience. Integration therapy might help to build a solid foundation going forward and help to explore in what ways these realizations might support brining you closer to your values and to achieving your goals.

Emotional integration is also a common need. Many feelings and emotions can arise during a psychedelic experience, sometimes with such intensity and ferocity that it can be overwhelming. In the days, weeks, and sometime months following such an experience, one’s sense of their own emotional capacity can be quite different from before the psychedelic experience. Learning how to identify, experience, and possibly cope with this newfound emotional capacity can lead to a greater sense of confidence and presence, so long as this is integrated into one’s day-to-day life. For some, these emotional experiences are also related to grief/loss, trauma, relationships, and other very difficult life experiences. Integration therapy can provide an opportunity to process these experiences and help move forward with them in a way that might be very different from how one dealt with these emotions before.

And of course, sometimes psychedelic can occasion all of these different types of experiences, making it even more necessary to engage in a formal integration process. To facilitate integration, I use a combination of evidenced-based therapies depending on the person and the fit between what they are looking for and what I can provide. Such therapies might include elements of Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-based Therapies, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Somatic Therapy, and Behavioral Therapy. The work is typically unstructured, but may include experiential activities, and often will include work that you will engage in outside of our time together.

If you would like the opportunity to discuss this with me more, you’re invited to Request an Appointment or simply Contact Me to ask any questions you may have.