“No one is saying that psychedelics are necessarily what everyone wants, but as in traditional societies, if one has a few explorers of consciousness they can bring back findings and help society generally.” 

— Amanda Fielding.

FAQs
on psychedelics

  • Psychedelics are a class of substances which cause non-ordinary states of consciousness, characterised by specific changes in psychological, visual and auditory functioning, and a sense of expanded consciousness. The classic psychedelics are psilocybin, LSD, mescaline and DMT, but the term is sometimes extended to apply to other substances like MDMA and cannabis which share some similarities in terms of effect. It’s worth noting that psychedelics are not the only way of accessing non-ordinary states of consciousness: other gateways include breathwork, meditation and hypnosis.

    Chemically speaking, most psychedelics belong to one of 3 families of compounds: tryptamines, phenethylamines, or lysergamides (LSD is both a tryptamine and lysergamide). They all act by binding to serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, inducing changes in sensory perception and cognition. We still don't know exactly how these substances work, but we do know that they dampen down the Default Mode Network (a large network in our brains which is active when thinking about self and others, past and future, and therefore connected to both our sense of identity or ‘ego’; as well as states of rumination like depression, where we get stuck in unhelpful thought loops).

    Psychedelics also significantly increase connectivity between different parts of the brain which aren’t usually linked up, which may also play a significant role in their effects and ability to help with conditions like depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD and eating disorders.

  • Psychedelics are illegal in many parts of the world, but the legal landscape is rapidly changing as more and more research is conducted into their safety and effectiveness at treating a range of disorders. Australia has recently become the first country to recognise psychedelics as psychiatric medicines; various states in the USA have or are considering decriminalising psilocybin; and there are countries around the world where psychedelics are either classed as legal or have been decriminalised. However, there are still a large range of countries where these substances are illegal and we strongly recommend you do your own research into the legal status where you live (for example, you can check the legal status of psilocybin by country).

    It’s not illegal to take psychedelics in countries where it’s legal, and it’s also not illegal to take steps to ensure that if you do decide to take psychedelics, you will do so in a way that allows you to minimise the risks and maximise the benefits.

  • Research shows that psychedelics are physiologically safe and are not addictive. However, psychedelics can have very strong and disorientating effects, which is why so much emphasis is placed on ‘set and setting’ (preparing your mindset, and making sure you are in a safe and secure place with people you trust).

    Psychedelic integration coaching is one way of maximising the benefits whilst minimising the risks of working with these substances.

  • A microdose tends to be around one tenth of a ‘high’ or ‘full’ dose. At a microdose level, you will not experience any of the perceptual changes a full dose would give you (it’s known as a ‘sub perceptual’ dose, where you can go about your daily life without feeling impaired, whilst still potentially experiencing some of the many benefits others who microdose have reported).

  • We don’t condone the use of illegal substances, and we don’t provide access to them.

  • There are a number of ways you can microdose and as everyone is different, it can take a little but of time to work out what the right dosage is. Start by reading our Microdosing Guide

FAQs
on integration

  • The experience and the after-effects of taking psychedelics can be profound. Experiences vary from person to person, and from journey to journey, but every experience has the potential to change your life, sometimes forever.

    Psychedelic integration is the process of taking insights and experiences from your ‘trip’ or journey, and incorporating them into your everyday life. Integration is the difference between having a one-off experience which over time recedes and is forgotten, and a life-changing experience whose effects upon your life are long-lasting, deep and embedded in both mind and body, identity and behaviour.

    A psychedelic integration coach is there to support you at every stage of the integration process, from prep to post, helping you prepare for your experience, and then explore, interpret and embed the insights into your life to change it for the better.

  • There are currently two main groups working with psychedelics. The first is the medical and therapeutic community – often in the news, as new research appears regularly confirming the efficacy of psychedelic substances in tackling treatment-resistant mental health and mood disorders. The second is outside the clinical setting, and includes a wide range of psychedelic and shamanic retreat centres, facilitators and coaches working with the ‘mentally well’ (or at least, those without severe mental health diagnoses). There is a huge array of different approaches, as well as varying levels of experience and training, amongst this second group, which is where we sit.

    Our approach is different for the following reasons:

    • We are both established coaches with over two decades of coaching experience between us

    • We are certified psychedelic integration coaches (qualified with Thirdwave)

    • We strongly believe integration is responsible for most of the transformative effects of working with psychedelics – up to 90% of the effects come from integration work, rather than passively ‘taking the medicine’

    • We don’t think you can or should take psychedelic experiences literally, and we believe it’s important to increase our ‘ecstatic literacy’ (our ability to experience and make sense of these non-ordinary states). We work a lot with archetypes and symbols in our approach to integration; we also work with and through the body, and utilise different types of creative expression and exploration in our work to this end

    • We believe psychedelics aren’t just for personal development and healing – these substances can help us connect to our purpose and power, and bring about positive change in the world

  • Coaching is a creative process where the coach and coachee(s) come together to work on bringing about specific, positive, transformative changes in the coachee(s)’ life. We offer group and 1-2-1 coaching, and all our programmes are designed to grow the personal and collective impact of the inspirational women we serve.

    Our integration circles offer women the opportunity to come together and share where they’re at in their psychedelic integration journey - whether that’s preparing for or integrating a period of intentional microdosing, preparing for or integrating a single higher dose or series of them, or somewhere in between.

    Our circles offer a chance to give voice to what you need or want to share, to be heard, and to hear about others’ experiences. You can ask for input or not – the choice is always yours. Integration circles are a powerful way to come together in community and take stock of where you are currently at, what you need to let go of and what’s emerging in your life.

    There is no specified goal (although you may be working on one, or several!) and you can attend just one, or a series, or simply whenever you desire the support and community of like-minded and like-hearted women.

  • Yes we can – we can offer support both before and/or after your retreat. One word of caution though – most trustworthy retreats offer some form of integration aftercare, so we’d recommend you double check to make sure you’re confident of your retreat provider and happy with the level of support that’s on offer.

    Please drop us a line at any time to discuss how we can support you to fully integrate your experience.

FAQs
on what we offer &
who we work with

  • We work with all women who desire to have impact in this world at all stages in their personal journey. The majority of our clients are women entrepreneurs and change-makers from all around the globe.

    From corporate escapees who’ve started their own ethical, purpose-driven businesses and consultancies, to developing and seasoned therapists, coaches and healers who want to make a difference, the women we work on share one thing in common: an all-in commitment to do the personal work that’s needed in order to fully embody their unique purpose and power, amplifying the positive impact they’re truly capable of making in the world.

  • We’re not therapists, and we don’t offer psychedelic assisted psychotherapy. If you are struggling with treatment-resistant depression, severe anxiety, PTSD, or addictions, we recommend you seek out a qualified psychotherapist to support you - a useful resource is the Third Wave’s Therapist Directory.

    Use of psychedelics is not recommended if you are pregnant, have a history of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe cardiovascular issues or are taking drugs like SSRIs or MAO-I antidepressants. We use a medical screener as part of our coaching application process: safety always comes first with psychedelics.

  • All of our group containers are women only. However if you’re a man and you feel called to work with us, please get in touch, as we do offer 1-2-1 coaching.

  • All adult women – that’s anyone who has a female body or identifies as a woman – are welcome. Women Are The Medicine offers inclusive experiences, no matter your sex at birth, age, sexual orientation, race, or country of origin. Please note that all of our containers and courses have a strong focus on the female experience and the Feminine – if you are transgender or genderqueer and would like to discuss whether this is a safe space for you, or you simply have any questions, please get in touch.

  • We’re not shamans, therapists or doctors: we’re both experienced integration coaches whose aim is to create safe, transformative containers within which women can explore their own consciousness, innate healing and inner power. To this end, we actively seek collaborative relationships with experienced facilitators, practitioners, healers and medicine women who are also experts in their field.

    Our speciality is supporting women to prepare for and integrate psychedelic experiences fully into their lives for lasting change. If you’re interested in working with us, collaborating on a joint experience or offering, or just having a chat to get to know us better, please get in touch.

  • Yes. We offer psilocybin retreats in countries where psychedelics are legal.

    We don’t offer any standalone retreats: all of our retreat packages come with a full programme of preparation and integration support sessions.

  • Your safety and privacy is paramount to us.

    We adhere to the Code of Ethics set out by the Association of Entheogenic Practitioners, and are signatories of the North Star Ethics Pledge