Alexis Gross

When deciding to embark upon a psychedelic journey for healing, the level of preparation for and integration from the experience is directly tied to the depth and length of its impact. Psychedelics are a powerful tool. But they’re just that: a tool. They cannot do all of the work for us. They can show us what’s possible: how it’s possible to feel, what we’re capable of, our deep interconnectedness, and so much more. But we must do the work, day in and day out, if we want to live in the state of connectedness, power and inherent self worth that psychedelics are capable of showing us. This is where preparation & integration coaching comes in.

PREPARATION
During preparation, I help clients prepare for their journey mentally, emotionally and physically so they can best navigate the experience itself, as well as the insights and potential challenges that may arise afterwards. By preparing ahead of time for potential obstacles to healing and growth that may come after the journey, the opportunity for lasting change is much greater. In this way, integration actually begins before the psychedelic experience.

Preparation coaching includes:
• Understanding your “why” for coming to the medicine
• Intention setting
• Preparation for navigating the medicine experience itself
• Beginning to explore and unearth some of the themes that may come up during the
journey, some of which are unique to the individual, and some that are more universal
• Planning for integration (getting clear on the lifestyle and other changes that can help you make the most out of you medicine journey)

INTEGRATION
“Integration is an essential part of psychedelic journeys if one wants their results in the process of healing and change to last. It sets the stage for new things to spring and grow and extends the insights and healing gained through medicine work into the mind and life of an individual. Without integration, these experiences just come and go with little to no lasting benefit. [Psychedelic] experiences open the door to real change, but the degree of benefit, lasting rewards, and results come through integration.” ~ Deanne Adamson, Founder of Being True to You

Psychedelics can play an incredibly powerful and transformative role in our healing and growth. They can help us heal old wounds, have new realizations about our behaviors and ways of being and act as a catalyst for profound change within ourselves and our lives. How powerful and how long-lasting those shifts are depends on how well we are able to integrate the experience back into our lives. True integration from a psychedelic experience allows us to translate what we’ve come to see and understand during our psychedelic experience into actionable and sustainable change.

Psychedelic integration coaching may include methods such as:
• Traditional life coaching techniques. These include intention and goal setting, holding space for the client to process their experience, active listening, asking powerful questions, reflection, accountability, and more.
• Mindfulness and somatic techniques. These include mindfulness techniques, breathwork, body scans, awareness of bodily sensations, breath and more. These techniques not only set the groundwork for a consistent daily meditative practice, but allow the client to reconnect with, ground into and listen to their bodies, both within and outside of the medicine journey.
• Internal Family Systems (IFS). IFS is a technique that recognizes that each of us has various sub-personalities or parts of our psyches, referred to as “parts.” As we experience traumas of all sizes, particularly in our youth, these parts take on burdens, or roles that often create less-than-ideal beliefs, patterns or ways of being within us. IFS allows us to access these parts subconsciously, thereby helping us to unburden them, heal our internal system, unblock obstacles we may be facing and move forward in creating an intentional life.
• Heart-centered communication. This technique is a powerful form of uncovering beliefs from childhood and the patterns that stem from those beliefs. By revisiting the memories or moments during which those feelings began, the client is able to re-parent themselves and begin to heal the root emotions.