She had come to learn more about psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, which underground guides like Steve facilitate illegally. Amid a broken healthcare system and rising rates of opioid addiction and suicide, Americans are searching for alternative paths to healing, which is where underground guides come in. Unlike psychotherapists, however, underground guides have no accredited educational institutions, no licensing and no way to publicly market their services. A self-described “recovering Catholic” with a southern drawl who, in 2009, became Indiana’s first state-certified wild mushroom expert, he had been offering underground psilocybin therapy sessions for years. During the trip, guides sit with the client, ensuring their safety, and, if necessary, helping them navigate what researchers call “difficult struggle experiences”.

Source: The Guardian December 06, 2018 09:00 UTC