discover your true nature
I believe strongly in this medicine’s ability to help us see and know ourselves, and feel a sense of belonging to the world.
It is an honor to facilitate others’ deep growth journeys, as I continue to integrate my own inner work with psilocybin.
I believe that it is our integration of lifestyle, healing modalities, and community that give the long term, life-changing results that psilocybin has come to be associated with.
about facilitation
Preparation with an experienced facilitator is extremely supportive for a journey that feels safe and meaningful.
In investigating who to choose as a facilitator, think about:
Do they have skills and tools I find helpful for my goals?
Does my body feel safe and comfortable in their presence?
Do I want to trust this person with my vulnerability?
If you’d like to inquire with me,
the work together begins with an inquiry form,
then an intake session,
If there’s a good mutual fit,
next comes a preparation session,
an administration session (journey),
and at least one integration session.
frequently asked questions
What is it like?
The experience of psilocybin, as all psychedelics, is hard to describe in words, though many have tried, including Aldous Huxley and Michael Pollan. Participants experience sensory and emotional novelty, often epiphanies about themselves and their life, and usually a sense of awe, wonder, expansive love, curiosity, and/or overwhelm, confusion, or intensity. It is possible to have a challenging internal experience, or to experience little or nothing. Yet, as a result of preparation work, the safe environment, and the presence of a compassionate and experienced facilitator, even challenging experiences are usually later understood and integrated as tolerable and meaningful. The psilocybin and the context are quite safe, even when the inner experience feels scary.
What populations of clients do you work with?
In general, all participants must be over the age of 21 and pass a safety screening before proceeding with psilocybin services.
I am passionate about working with those who have practice exploring their inner world and traversing their healing journey. I am also passionate about working with people who give a lot to others, including parents, healthcare workers, and all forms of care professionals. I love working with all genders and identities of people looking to explore safety, expression, and meaning in their life.
Knowing that my lived experience and chosen identities will inform the spaces I hold, I am always looking for participants with whom I share a spark of similarity and shared life force. This might look like a desire for ultimate self-discovery, a shared love of communication and authenticity, a plaguing sense of existential wondering, or a self understanding as an intellectual and interdimensional embodied animal. If some or all of this resonates with you, I would love to hear from you.
Will I be a new person afterwards?
Will I be healed?
In today’s world rife with instant gratification, spiritual bypass, magical thinking, and the popularity and media coverage of psychedelic healing modalities, it is extremely important for us to practice expectation management. While I believe in the power and value of this work, it is not a cure-all, nor a magic pill to solve all of your problems. It is one tool, one step on a lifelong journey of discovery and healing. I am looking forward to discussing your personal goals, needs, and expectations, and providing genuine feedback for what I personally believe is possible in our work together.
Where and when do your psilocybin services take place?
I am not currently providing psilocybin services, though there are service centers across the state of Oregon I may collaborate with, including in Portland, Hood River, Bend, and Ashland.
After completing your inquiry form and intake sesion, we will discuss dates and times for your session. Please expect to wait approximately 1 month before receiving services for both of us to get to know each other, book the session, and for preparation.
Can my partner/family member/dog come to the session?
Each process is individual, though healing is of course integrated with the support of community. I recommend that your close network of family and friends all learn more about this type of work so that they can best support and welcome you home. However, no guests are permitted, and all of our meetings will be one-on-one.
Are you the right guide for me? How do I find other facilitators?
Great question! Our intake and screening process is also designed to help us explore if there’s a good mutual fit for working together. It is never my intention to convince or persuade: it is a felt experience of “yes, I trust this person and their style and would like to work together” or “no, this isn’t right for me.” It is also okay to not know immediately. I have a broad and diverse network of other facilitators to refer you to, plus you can find the Oregon Psilocybin Services directory of licensees here. As this is such deep, vulnerable work, trust and fit are very important.
What is involved in receiving legal psilocybin services?
As a licensed facilitator through the state of Oregon, I am required to comply with a number of regulations oulined by the legal framework. You can find out more on this summary page. You can also go to Oregon.gov/psilocybin for even more information.
Can I have my psilocybin session at home or on vacation?
Currently, the law requires that all administration sessions (psilocybin journeys) take place at a licensed service center, with specific requirements for everyone’s safety and comfort. I am happy to recomment legal psilocybin retreats for a vacation experience in Mexico or Jamaica.
Do you offer integration sessions with other types of substances and journeys?
Yes. I am experienced with ritual and healing practices with a variety of substances, including ketamine, MDMA, MDA, LSD, 5-MEO, and mescaline. Most importantly, I have been through difficult and impactful journeys with various altered states and know what it’s like to need support. Read more about psychedelic integration here.
Why is it so expensive?
Because psilocybin is still federally illegal, the new branch of the state regulated Oregon Health authority, called the Oregon Psilocybin Services branch has been created through fees taken out of the pockets of the growers, the service center operators, and the facilitators. This includes the 2 years of legislative development, the creation of the program, then licensing, and running the program (including building inspections, testing, and more). All psilocybin sessions must take place in licensed and carefully adapted service centers with specific zoning and building laws, so renting is hard to find with an owner who's willing to cooperate, even if you manage to find a building that meets requirements. The license to operate costs $10,000 and needs to be repurchased every year. Liability insurance is high because of the "federally illegal" part of the equation. Taxes and banking are another huge ordeal. And a minimum of 2 specialty employees plus a backup facilitator PLUS the acting facilitator need to be paid at all times during sessions.
For facilitators, training costs $9-15,000 and licenses cost $2,000 and need to be renewed every year. Rooms to give sessions (no sessions can occur outside of a licensed service center) usually cost $800-1500 per day to rent including insurance, and services (minimum one preparation session, one administration session, minimum one integration session) are approximately 8-12 hours in total. The average mental health therapist gets paid around $150 an hour. Then the mushrooms cost $20-100 including 15% tax and is a separate fee to the client.
So: $1500-2000 for service center rental for one day + $150/hour for facilitator services for approximately 10 hours work = $3k for a 1:1 session. Yes, it's extremely high and I cannot WAIT for the US government to reschedule psilocybin so that this model can be more accessible.
Despite the high prices, I am enthusiastic that the program is already doing so much good. I believe it's a helpful and accessible framework for the people who have not been inspired to access psilocybin casually.
Are you a therapist? Can you be my therapist?
I am not a licensed therapist, no. While this work includes some overlap of skills and practices of more traditional talk therapy, psilocybin facilitation is, importantly, non-directive. This means my role is to support you in your own self-discovery and the wisdom of your own unfolding process. I may ask questions and have deep conversations with you during our preparation and intake, but during the administration session, you and your inner healing intelligence are in charge of directing the session. I will be there with you for safety and to be a compassionate witness.
I highly recommend that you already be working with at least one other healing practitioner (therapist, counselor, doula, life coach, or others) before, during, and after our session to help with maximum integration and support with your experience.
How do I know if I’m ready?
Only you can decide, with the consent and wisdom of all parts of you. I find that a personal history of inner work and healing experiences is useful and translates well to psilocybin work. Examples of this include meditation practice, individual or group therapy, self development workshops, grief circles, and other healing work with practitioners. There is no necessary prerequisite except for the intake and preparation we’ll do together. A supportive community and tools for expression are also needed for integrating the session’s discoveries into your post-session life.
What dosage do I need? What about microdosing?
After reviewing your forms and discussing your intentions with you, and after you consult any medical professionals you’re currently working with for safety, I will advise a certain dosage for our session.
Microdosing, less than 0.5g of mushrooms or 5mg psilocybin, has a different administration protocol and doesn’t require an 8 hour administration session. We will also discuss this in your intake sessions.
about psilocybin
Psilocybin is a non-toxic chemical compound found in hundreds of mushroom species worldwide.
When ingested in a supportive context, it has been researched to provide profound effects on neuroplasticity, awe, and openness.
It has also been researched to have helpful relationships with disorders like addiction, depression, and severe trauma.
Here is a dry but current and informative research review completed by the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board.
While the risk of using psilocybin pales in comparison to that of many other substances and healing experiences, it is not a cure-all, and there are some serious contraindications for its use.
Reasons not to participate include: high blood pressure, other heart conditions, and a personal or family history of psychosis.
Here is an article about risks and benefits.
preparation and integration
Psilocybin journeys have the potential to be expansive, enormous, difficult, overwhelming, magical, awe-inspiring, breathtaking, emotional, rough, unexpected, profound, and everything in between.
When we meet for our intake and preparation sessions, we will explore what to expect, any intentions you have for the journey, and how we can both support your feelings of safety and relaxation.
After the journey is complete, the real work begins. As your system processes the experience, you have the opportunity to see your life from a new perspective, noticing what insights are useful to you moving forward. Our integration sessions will give you time to reflect on how you’d like to change your life.
reflections
“Carly is an incredibly powerful and attuned space holder. She has supported me in coming to know and feel myself more deeply through meditation, embodiment practices and reflective inquiry. Through working with her, I have felt more empowered to listen to my intuition, speak my truth and set healthy boundaries. She is an intuitive healer with a philosophical and psychology background that adds a beautiful foundation to her offerings. I feel so supported in our sessions and I cannot recommend her work more highly.”
-River, 26, she/they
“Carly is an intentional and authentic person who is practiced at holding space. She creates an atmosphere of ritual and divinity. Her method, which blends innate intuition with committed study, leads to experiences that are peaceful, stimulating, harmonious, and often astonishing. Carly listens to my body and to her own. She gives me the rare experience of surrender: of being allowed to simply receive.”
-Peter, 48, he/him
"Carly has been a huge catalyst in my journey of coming home to myself. She holds space for celebration, curiosity and welcoming of different emotional and somatic experiences, creating a container truly free from judgment where I can better access my own truth, needs and desires. Through her intuitive insights, energetic awareness, safe and loving co-regulatory touch, and affirming words of understanding and care, she has helped me to shift my relationship with myself to be more accepting and embracing of the power of my sensitivity. The space that she offers is a clear reflection of the work she has done with herself, and she is a testament to the fact that when we heal ourselves, we heal the world."
-Sage, 26, she/her
rates and pricing
It feels important to offer equitable pricing that honors both your resources and my energy.
I’ve created a sliding scale where participants can pay at the price point that best fits them.
This rate is all-inclusive, including a preparation session, an administration session, and an integration session.
Additional integration sessions and packages are billed by the hour, also at a sliding scale.
tier 1: SNAP/OHP eligible
tier 2: sustaining rate
tier 3: sponsorship rate
contact me
Please complete this inquiry form if you are interested in receiving services.
If you are another facilitator, service center, or otherwise interested in business collaboration, please
contact me here.