{"id":8349,"date":"2021-02-27T10:04:25","date_gmt":"2021-02-27T09:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mapsofthemind.com\/?p=8349"},"modified":"2022-05-25T15:40:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T13:40:15","slug":"best-practices-for-tripsitters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mapsofthemind.com\/2021\/02\/27\/best-practices-for-tripsitters\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices For Tripsitters"},"content":{"rendered":"

As psychedelics continue to gain popularity, there are more and more people beginning to offer their services as a tripsitter. At this point in history we are in a transitional phase where lots of people are using psychedelics, but there aren\u2019t really any established structures and training programmes around to support safe use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As it stands, fully licensed, legally practising trip sitters are extremely rare. Outside of clinical research, on the whole, psychedelics are still illegal in most parts of the world. In the few cases where they are legal, there are no licences or recognised authorities to hand out qualifications in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

This means that almost anyone working as a tripsitter is unlicensed, and if they are not operating in a country or state where it is legal, underground. I have previously worked underground, and now fall into the category of an unlicensed tripsitter, though my tripsitting work takes place in the Netherlands, so it is legal. There are many people working in this same category of unlicensed but legal, and organisations like The Guild Of Guides<\/a> are working to take care of this area. However, they will still not cover underground guides.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Underground Guides<\/h2>\n

I know there are people currently practising underground who probably will continue to do so for a good few years to come. I have made my share of mistakes on my learning curve as a guide and I would like to share what I\u2019ve found to be best practices. This article will cover some practices that I think all practising tripsitters should follow, but I especially hope that they will be of use to underground sitters. I believe this area of practice to be a larger cause for concern at this point in time due to the inherent isolation and secrecy of their work, which tends to result in a lack of accountability and open channels for feedback and critique.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recommendations for Best Practices<\/h1>\n

Acquire Knowledge & Experience<\/h2>\n

The first thing is to learn, and gain both knowledge and experience, on two levels: firstly, personal experience, secondly, as a tripsitter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowledge may come through reading books, taking courses, or finding a coach. Be studious. Do your research. Personal experience may come in many forms: organising sessions with friends, going on a retreat, working with a professional facilitator or psychedelic coach.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is really about developing your own practice and learning about how to use psychedelics through first hand experience. Imagine you were seeking a ski instructor. If they didn\u2019t have any knowledge and experience of skiing themselves, would you want them as your guide?<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to tripsitting, again seek knowledge where you can. Read books (see recommendations at the bottom of this post) and become well versed in practices from different traditions and cultures of using psychedelics. You then might start by facilitating sessions for friends and family members. After that, you might volunteer at a retreat centre.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The path I have followed has been along these lines. I had my own journeys, and began reading books on the topic, whilst slowly incorporating what I was reading into my practice. Along the way I organised sessions with friends, which developed into tripsitting people close to me, before reaching out and working at Myco Meditations in Jamaica. I first went there as a volunteer, eager to gain experience, and in due course I was offered a paid position. I continued to organise sessions with friends, and this expanded to tripsitting people in my community, before I decided to set up New Moon Psychedelic Retreats<\/a> and took on a role as a lead facilitator. This dual approach of seeking knowledge and experience, exploring and experimenting, and steadily evolving my practice is the approach that I still use to this day. Most recently, pre-corona, I worked as a tripsitter on a Truffles Therapy retreat in late 2019, and in 2020 I underwent a course of psilocybin therapy as part of a replica of a study at Johns Hopkins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Screen<\/h2>\n

A basic level of screening is the first step to sitting someone. Information that you should gather before moving forward includes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n