Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, in Oregon. Voters passed Measure 109 in 2020, and since 2023 the Oregon Health Authority has licensed facilitators, service centers, manufacturers and laboratories under a regulated framework. Colorado and New Mexico have also formed their own state frameworks.

Psilocybin remains a Schedule I substance federally, and it is not legal to consume it outside of these state regulations. In Oregon, psilocybin may only be consumed at a licensed service center, with a licensed facilitator present.

No. Oregon's framework is not medical — there is no doctor's note, diagnosis, nor residency requirement. People travel here from other states and countries regularly.

You are required to complete a safety screening and several intake forms, which is part of the preparation before your journey takes place.

Some of the contraindications that may pose safety risks or interacting effects are:

• A personal or immediate family history of psychosis, schizophrenia, or bipolar I — psilocybin can trigger or worsen psychotic or manic episodes
• Certain heart conditions, and uncontrolled high blood pressure — psilocybin temporarily raises heart rate and blood pressure
• Lithium use in the past 30 days — combining lithium with psilocybin has been associated with an increased risk of seizures
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding — the effects on a fetus or infant have not been studied
• MAOIs — these can intensify psilocybin's effect on serotonin, with a risk of serotonin syndrome
• A history of seizures — psilocybin can lower the threshold for seizures
• Significant kidney or liver conditions — both are involved in processing and clearing psilocybin, so impairment can change how strongly and how long it acts
• SSRIs and SNRIs — most often a matter of blunted effects, though a medication's own side effects can also be amplified
• GLP-1 medications — these may delay and blunt onset
• Active suicidal or homicidal ideation — a destabilizing experience can intensify these feelings
• Acute instability, such as a recent loss, an unsafe living situation, or a crisis still in progress — usually a reason to wait until the immediate situation has settled

I am not a prescriber, and I will always recommend that you consult with yours about possible interactions between psilocybin and your current medication. I strongly recommend that you do not suddenly stop a medication before this journey without consulting your prescriber.

No, and this is a real distinction rather than a legal formality. Psilocybin facilitation is not psychotherapy nor medical care.

What I do offer is trauma-informed, somatically grounded support before, during and after a psilocybin session. Many of my clients also have a therapist, and I am happy to schedule a call with them before your session if you prefer. It is often best to have a team of support behind you, rather than just one professional.

No two are alike, and nobody can guarantee a particular experience. What arises varies enormously — imagery, memory, emotion, bodily sensation, insight, or sometimes stretches where very little seems to be consciously happening.

We do our best to create a space where you feel safe and that is conducive to your intention for the journey. I stay available the whole time without intruding. Most large-dose sessions run five to seven hours.

You will not be allowed to drive or bike afterward, so plan to receive a ride from a friend or a rideshare service, or to walk if your destination is nearby.

What people describe as a bad trip is most commonly referring to when resistance of any form comes up. Part of our preparation will be focusing on what tools you have at your disposal to help you move through resistance.

I will also be there to support you, and if you feel stuck, often changing the environment — turning down the music, opening the windows, introducing new scents — can give your brain enough of a shift to move out of it. Consciously preparing you for the session, and making sure you feel safe enough in the environment and with me, will mitigate the majority of the risk.

And if it is still hard after all of that, I will be beside you through it, reminding you that it is temporary and that it will end.

The body converts psilocybin into psilocin, which acts on serotonin receptors in the brain, particularly the 5-HT2A receptor. Brain imaging studies have observed changes in how different networks communicate while psilocin is active, including a quieting of the default mode network — the part of the brain that runs your inner narrative about yourself and your life.

Communication opens between parts of the brain that do not usually talk to each other. This can loosen fixed patterns of thinking and make room for new perspectives.

Imaging studies in people have found that some of these changes outlast the day itself. In one study, altered connectivity between the default mode network and the hippocampus was still measurable three weeks later. The research is early and the practical meaning is still being worked out, but it is part of why the weeks after a journey are worth using deliberately.

Legally, no. People have done this outside of regulated settings for a very long time, and different settings suit different purposes.

For many people, having the structure of a contained environment and a knowledgeable facilitator can allow the nervous system to feel safe enough to move deeper into the experience, and to open to more profound transformation afterward. Doing this within the legal framework also offers accountability, so that you can truly feel you have a safety net.

My fee covers preparation, your journey, and integration. The service center charges for the room rental and for the mushrooms.

The room rental fee depends on the service center you choose, and ranges from roughly $150 to $600 for a full day. I am contracted with several centers across the Portland metro area and can recommend one based on your preferences and budget. We will discuss your environmental needs and requests during the discovery call, and I will give you a more accurate total before you commit to anything.

The psilocybin is bought directly from the center in cash on administration day, at $4.50 to $6.50 per milligram depending on the strain you select. An average large dose is 25 to 40 mg, though this varies widely between clients, and Oregon's maximum allotted dose is 50 mg. Any unopened packets are refunded after your journey.

Service centers often offer scholarship rates on room rental and medicine, and I hold a limited number of scholarships myself. If cost is the obstacle, say so and we will review the options together.

The full breakdown is on the How It Works page.

It is a fair question, and the short answer is that the cost reflects a day of one-to-one work inside a licensed system with significant overhead.

What you are paying for is the preparation sessions, a full day in which I am with you and working with no one else, the integration that follows, and the reviewing and planning I do between sessions. Underneath that sit the costs of the framework itself: a $2,000 annual licensing fee for facilitators, a $10,000 annual licensing fee for service centers, an approved training program, continuing education, and high taxes. This is a young industry, and many of us are working to make it more affordable.

If cost is a prohibitive barrier for you, please be candid with me, and I will do my best to find a solution — an alternative payment plan, an available scholarship, or a referral to a facilitator with lower rates.

I have a cancellation and refund policy that I am happy to provide upon request, or before our first preparation session.