Psychedelic STUDIES INTENSIVE Program

About Me

Over the course of the last 30 years, Zach has found himself in the center of the psychedelic movement with a front row seat for the modern renaissance while also having first hand knowledge of the historical legacy of the counter cultures influence on psychedelic exploration.

After spending many years as a digital marketing expert for some of the worlds largest brands, Zach had a wake up call 13 years ago that thrust him back into the center of the psychedelic cyclone thanks to the influence of his primary teacher and mentor, Ram Dass. Since, then he has found his own unique voice and method in being able to contribute to the revolutionary new psychedelic movement of the 21st Century.

As a health and wellness facilitator, integration coach, session therapist, podcaster, writer and seeker of all things mystical – Zach has worked with nearly 200 people one on one to help them heal with the assistance of psychedelic medicines. And as a teacher, Zach has taught over 100 people his unique approach to psychedelic studies, safe use and harm reduction, the history of psychedelics and how to be a well rounded, knowledgeable and safe practitioner.

Zach currently hosts The MAPS podcast and has in depth knowledge of psychedelic assisted facilitation, is a trained meditation teacher, a student of bhakti yoga, an IFS enthusiast and expert in the history of psychedelic culture and its many methodologies.

Zach is also a facilitator at Heroic Paths to Light, an Austin based healing church that serves veterans and first responders.

As an author, Zach’s first book “Your Extraordinary Mind – Psychedelics in the 21st Century and How to Use Them” will be published by SoundsTrue in late 2024

PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES INTENSIVE

Program Dates and Enrollment: 

 The next cohort is from May 1, 2024- June 27, 2024. 

Practical Information:

Classes meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4 pm CST

Course Fees – $2500

EARLY BIRD PRICING of $2000 through March 15th!!

The class size is limited in order to provide as much personal interaction as possible. Every class is done over ZOOM so please be comfortable with that technology. There are NO pre-recorded classes or videos offered behind a paywall, this class is 100% live, personal and interactive! 

Please read the information below to gauge if this program is right for you. NOTE – This program is designed to serve as a harm reduction method and takes a psycho-spiritual approach to psychedelic guided therapy and overall psychedelic medicine studies. It by no means certifies you as a medical professional. 

STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND FEE OPTIONS – If you wish to enroll in this program or have questions on class fee options please fill out this form

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The Psychedelic Studies Intensive Program is an 8 week course designed to deliver a holistic, modern yet mystical approach in assisting others with their healing using psychedelic plants and medicines. The curriculum is designed as a mystically and scientifically oriented deep dive into psychedelic studies and culture, so if you aren’t sure that being a guide is right for you at this stage in your journey that’s ok. This course will bring you closer to whatever stage you are in the journey of psychedelic healing.

I’m confident that this program is a well rounded educational, interactive and spiritually conscious deep dive that explores the many aspects of what it takes to be an effective guide, experienced psychonaut or harm reduction advocate. It combines my own experience with clients, my personal study with Ram Dass, the MAPS protocols, the research done at Johns Hopkins, NYU and other institutions, the feedback given by students and traditional contemplative practices.

The course is 8 weeks, with 2 classes per week, each conducted over ZOOM. Each week is a different class module that covers the different requirements of what it takes to be a safe, compassionate and effective psychedelic guide as well as giving you the knowledge to understand the last 60 years of psychedelic research and culture. This is not a “trip sitter” approach – rather, it uses a methodology that brings the student to a place that rests in the middle of traditional therapy and mystical healing. Psychedelic healing is the essence of the “new thought, ancient wisdom” paradigm and puts into action methods from the West and the East. It is my hope that you will take this course to expand your personal knowledge of psychedelic plants and medicines but also be equipped in assisting others with their needs. 

The 8 class modules are:

Week One – Understanding you and your role – what a guide does and establishing your own “set”. 

Emphasis is often put on the “set and setting” for the psychedelic user, but what about the guides “set”? This module explores your intentions for wanting to become a guide, what your approach is and the dos and don’ts for conducting a successful and meaningful guided session. 

Week Two – Client types, intakes and assessments

Working with a wide variety of clients is a good thing but it’s important to understand the various reasons why someone might want to undergo psychedelic therapy. Here we look at the common types of disorders that has seen successful treatment with the use of psychedelic compounds. We also explore in detail how a client assessment should work and the subsequent intake. 

Week Three – Psychedelic compounds – various types, their histories and dosage protocols

For thousands of years, mankind has used a myriad of psychedelic plants and medicines. Being an effective guide means that you should be intimately aware of the medicines histories, indigenous culture use, modern cultural applications, the modern psychedelic research revolution and how best to work with them. This includes dosage protocols, contra-indicators, the importance of psychedelic compound purity and so much more.

Week Four – Understanding the science – explorations in psychedelics effects on the brain, our neurochemistry and physiology

The past 20 years has gifted us with a near endless wellspring of revolutionary studies into how psychedelics treat certain disorders and work on the brains neurochemistry. In this module we explore many of the important studies including those from Imperial College of London, Johns Hopkins and others. 

Week Five – Client sessions – creating a blueprint, tips for holding space and infusing ritual and spirituality

I firmly believe that there is no one way to conduct a guided psychedelic journey and that the over standardization of the practice is detrimental to the future of psychedelics. Yes, there are agreed upon standards and practices for working with clients but there is no generic blueprint that every seeker should undergo. Exploring different client needs, desires and intentions combined with infusing your personal authenticity is worthy of much discussion. Additionally, holding space and infusing mystical ceremony is discussed here.

Week Six – Part 1: Challenging Trips, what to do and not to do. Part 2 – Successful Trips and how to make sense of them

“Bad trips” are a thing of the past. Even when psychedelic journeys show us challenging parts of our psyche it is important to recognize why they are being shown to us and what to do with that information. 

On the flip side, revelatory psychedelic visions can come in so many forms. Some of them may certainly stay true to your intentions while others appear as an abstract gift from both your subconscious and spirit. Knowing how to make sense of them so that they can be applicable to your everyday life is an essential skill set for an effective guide.  

Week Seven – Role playing, guide and seeker exchanges and mock sessions

Here we take the past six weeks worth of knowledge and put it into preliminary practice by conducting mock client/guide sessions. As a student, you will find yourself in both roles – conjuring up the possibilities of what might happen and how best to deal with them in that moment. 

Week Eight – Integration – MIR methodology and why integration may be the most important element in psychedelic healing

After a journey is over, the worst thing we can do is to set the client on their way and hope for the best. It is essential that we change the focus that implies the journey itself is the only important part of the psychedelic experience by making sure an integration methodology is applied. This ensures the end-user that their psychedelic experience can be as long lasting as possible in turn reducing the harmful effects of having to “come up” and “come down.” 

Also included in the course:

  • Numerous peer reviewed studies from sources including: MAPS, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Imperial College of London and others
  • Complete downloadable versions of essential psychedelic texts from Dr. James Fadiman, Terrence McKenna, Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Rick Strasman and others
  • Comprehensive video library that uses some of the most essential psychedelic talks from recent years
  • Workbooks, questions and study guides to help the student along the course
  • Collaborative online workspace: ASANA is used to share boards, module syllabi, reading materials, video links and white papers
  • Ongoing access, group and individual break-out discussions with meDec 6 

Engaging and Interactive Tools

Collaborative Workspace on ASANA
Interactive Zoom Classes

For more information including samples from the course syllabus, costs, scheduling and booking please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Thank you! I hope to share this journey with you.

Integration Methodology and Sessions

The new psychedelic movement has seen great promise in so many areas of research and within the personal application of psychedelic efficacy. However, it is so important as a community that we don’t repeat the mistakes of our past by the misuse of these tools by the over use (frequency) and the need to keep chasing the experience without stopping to reflect and integrate to allow the transformation to take place. The key is in bearing witness to the transformation, not chasing the revelatory effects of the drugs themselves.

If you are interested in working with me personally in a variety of contexts please email me

I’ve developed a protocol that I believe can act as a standardized framework for psychedelic pre-journey intention setting and post-journey integration no matter where the client fits within the psychedelic spectrum. An experienced life long psychonaut or a new seeker who’s using psychedelics to treat a specific issue can use this methodology as a self-guided practice to get them more focussed, aware and ready to apply long term psychedelic efficacy into their lives.

Set, Setting and Sustainability – A new model for the 21st Century

My upcoming book, “Your Extraordinary Mind – Psychedelics in the 21st Century and How to Use Them” will cover this in great detail and provide a full methodology framework and accompanying research. 

The basics…

 MAPPING and DISCOVERY- How best to map out your own consciousness and determine your own “set” by discovering how you lived your life and the parts that make up up who you are

INTENT – How to become clear, deliberate and in spiritual alignment with your own intentions around wanting to use psychedelic drugs

REPETITION – After the journey is over, practicing conscious reflection on how your intentions were brought to the surface during the journey, a series of repetitive steps are suggested that help to engrain the transformation into your daily life

For more information including self-guided workbooks on how to use MIR and for integration sessions please email me.