Speaking
Powerful, informed presentations to your professional organization, consultation group, college class or psychedelic society
Beth is an experienced psychedelic integration coach with a Masters in Counseling Psychology. She finds joy in exploring all facets of human existence and is known for having just the right way of explaining things. Join us for frank discussion on these engaging topics. Bring questions!
Animism for Psychedelic Integration
Everything was alive. A tree was talking to me! Have you ever had a psychedelic experience and then bam: regular consciousness set back in? The spirit realms seemed inaccessible again. Perhaps this left you with more self-doubt than peace. If so, this talk is for you.
As modern journeyers, we typically lack a certain spiritual infrastructure. As we have collective confronted the fast-paced demands of modern life, the relationships between living things, which were obvious to our ancestors, have fallen dormant in our awareness.
As a result, some of the profound insights and encounters of psychedelic journeys can be hard to perceive and appreciate once the ceremony is complete.
Not to worry! Animist awareness can ground these experiences deeply in our being. Animism is an inherent human capacity and can be developed with practice and patience.
In this talk, Beth will define animism, how it aids in psychedelic integration, and how to establish animist practices to support journeys. She will give examples from her own practices, which descend from the Dagara of Burkina Faso, and will share concrete suggestions for your path.
A spiritual framework helps us generally in life, and this method has the benefit of being quite easy to plug into our human consciousness. It is the approach that most entheogenic-using cultures throughout human history have embraced. Animism comes naturally!
Psychedelics 101 for Therapists
Are your clients reading Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind?
Are they experimenting recreationally with psychedelics?
Are they attending ayahuasca ceremonies and coming back with significant (and maybe confusing) experiences?
Join us to learn:
The basics of psychedelic integration
The settings, norms, risks, pitfalls, and opportunities of psychedelic usage
Basic safety recommendations you can make to your clients
Assessing helpful vs. dangerous usage
The differences between recreational, underground-guided, aboveground, religious, and ceremonial settings in the U.S. and abroad
When and to whom to consult or refer clients
Intentional Psychedelic Use For “Recreational” Users
Been to Burning Man? Do you frequent art parties, go to a lot of contact dance or thrive in therapy? You’ve been a fixture in the conscious community and have taken your fair share of psychedelics. You have experienced fantastic insight and benefit therein. This talk is for you!
You may have more than one friend who has been to an ayahuasca retreat or has worked 1:1 with a guide. You may be wondering: what’s the point of taking psychedelics in a guided or community space? How is it similar or different from my experience? We’ll explore this together.
Psychedelic Ceremony Spaces 101
Do you find yourself confused, or just feeling a little silly, by hearing the language used in intentional psychedelic spaces? What is a “process,” and why are people telling you you’re in one? What is a “container", and why is it important? And how exactly would one “hold space”?
Psychedelics have a subculture all their own. And like all subcultures, there’s some embedded wisdom there – and some real goofiness. It can feel like you’re already supposed to know all this lingo, and it may feel taboo to ask someone or question the assumptions of the model.
Here, feel free! Bring your honest questions and the topics you may feel hesitant to talk about. We will have a frank, nonjudgmental discussion about the terms you’re likely to hear bandied about at psychedelic societies, conferences, integration groups, and underground ceremonies. We’ll explore, in Beth’s opinion, what is useful and what is kind of extra.
Animism In The Contemporary American Experience
Once upon a time, and still in many places, plant medicine existed in the context of animist practice: the recognition of spirit in all things, plus a codified (and protected) set of methods to connect with the spirit realms.
In the West, we are missing this culturally-coherent set of methods to connect. Our plight is one of longing, of being alone out at sea. We feel our ancestors move within us, yet we are disturbed by our lack of community. What now?
We can step into ancient wisdom in situ: in the place, time, and bodies that we actually inhabit.
But how? Join us for a talk and open floor time to allow this exploration. Beth will share empowering, engaging practices and reflections that have worked for her and for her clients. Let’s surface collective wisdom on this topic.