BONUS Episode: Integration 101 with Dr. Ryan Westrum
In today’s special bonus episode, we’re discussing integration with Dr. Ryan Westrum. Many guests on this show talk about the importance of integration as part of a psychedelic journey. However, integration is not always understood for what it is. As you’ll hear, it can serve as important scaffolding for a psychedelic experience, making it more meaningful than it might be otherwise.
Dr. Westrum is the co-author of The Psychedelics Integration Handbook and an internationally recognized psychedelic integration expert. For more than fifteen years, his primary focus has been working with individuals and groups to facilitate experiential therapy and integrate psychedelic journies into healing and personal transformation.
In this conversation, Dr. Westrum explains exactly what an integration therapist is. Simply put, they help prepare the patient for the psychedelic experience and assist in processing it afterward. What they do not do is actually administer the drug itself. In this role, what an integration therapist does can actually vary greatly. Whether they’re doing dream-work, CBT therapy, or even yoga, the integration therapist provides a degree of support and interpretation to make the experience more effective and meaningful.
In this episode:
What integration is and what an integration therapist does
How an integration therapist helps tailor a specific experience to a particular patient’s needs
Some of the factors that contribute to psychedelic experiences
Some integration exercises that help make meaning of a psychedelic experience
The importance of intention setting and mindset in a psychedelic journey
Considerations for group versus individual experiences
Quotes:
“We’re not trying to put a square peg in a circular hole. We’re trying to individualize it.” [6:30]
“Psychadelic experiences can bring out a tremendous amount of information that we’re not necessarily aware of. So any preparation is going to support that.” [9:14]
“All experiences are challenging; they’re not bad. But if you invite yourself to compare and do the appropriate preparation within integration, you’re going to get something fruitful out of it.” [22:53]
Links:
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