The Synthesis Institute presents:

Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training

A foundational certification program for professionals (September 2026 cohort)

Program begins: September 21st, 2026
Super Early Registration, available until Sunday July 26th

Tuition: $11,497 → $9,497 (save $2,000)
Payment plan: 12-month payment plan available

Exclusive offer from The Psychedelic Society

Join this training with $700 off using code PPCTPSYCHSOCIETY.


As increased access to psychedelics continues to expand and reshape how we approach debilitating mental health and treatment-resistant conditions, the need for professionally trained practitioners is growing. Over the past several years, psychedelic research has surged under rigorous clinical conditions, pointing toward a major shift in mental health care and accelerating the need for facilitators who can support safe, ethical, well-prepared experiences and strong integration afterward.

The Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training is a 13-month educational journey for professionals seeking a research-backed, wisdom-rich, somatically informed, heart-centered approach to facilitation. It’s designed for people who want to contribute to the psychedelic field with integrity, grounded in best practices, supported by community, and oriented toward ethical service.

Why this training now

Psychedelics are increasingly being studied and discussed as countries and states reevaluate regulations and explore therapeutic potential. Hundreds of clinical trials are currently investigating psychedelics for conditions such as depression, PTSD, and addiction, with psilocybin remaining at the forefront due to promising safety and efficacy signals across multiple areas of need.

Alongside these research developments, regulated access is emerging in some places, creating real demand for practitioners who understand screening, preparation, navigation, safety, ethics, and integration, not just the experience itself.

A training built from real-world experience

Since 2018, The Synthesis Institute has guided more than 1,100 participants through legal, professionally facilitated group and individual psychedelic journeys. This Core Training reflects Synthesis’ best practices, cultivated through diligent focus and shaped with supervision from experienced psychedelic experts, so you can develop the competence, confidence, and discernment to work responsibly in this evolving space.

Colorado alignment and accreditation

Synthesis’ training aligns with Colorado’s state-mandated requirements and has been approved as an accredited training center under the state’s regulatory framework for future psychedelic facilitators. As Colorado’s regulated landscape continues to take shape, this training is built to prepare graduates to operate within legal and ethical guidelines as frameworks evolve.

“Legal, professionally-organized retreats and trainings like (the ones) Synthesis offers can be a safe way for people to experience the transformational potential of psychedelics, and they can also be a great source of data for research centers like our own, helping to further advance the field. I'm excited to continue working alongside Synthesis to provide high-quality services and meaningful scientific research for the psychedelic community.”
- Robin Carhart-Harris, Ph.D. (Founder of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London)

Who it’s for

This program welcomes professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and industries who demonstrate maturity, commitment, focus, and readiness for deep self-exploration. Enrollment is by application only, and the application process assesses intentions and fit, including areas such as professional experience, self-care practices, group learning compatibility, and (if applicable) prior psychedelic experience.

What makes this program different

This is more than earning a credential. The training emphasizes that the safest, most effective facilitation is grounded in the practitioner’s ongoing inner work. You’ll learn the science and best practices and develop personal practices and professional support networks that help you become a flexible, compassionate, collaborative, ethical facilitator.

A key differentiator is the program’s intimate learning model:

Small-group “pod” learning (approximately 8 to 10 participants)

Each pod is supported by an experienced learning facilitator

The structure supports deep reflection, feedback, supervision, skill-building, and integration

Many participants report their pod becomes one of the most meaningful parts of the entire experience

What you’ll learn and develop

In the Psychedelic Practitioner Core Training, you will:

Develop a foundational understanding of guiding a safe and ethical psychedelic journey, from screening and readiness to preparation, navigation, and integration

Gain awareness of relevant clinical research and evidence-based best practices

Broaden your understanding of established and emerging wisdom and traditional approaches

Build your capacity to hold space for a wide range of experiences, while recognizing the limits of your current scope and the next steps for growth

Establish consistent personal practices in self-care and self-reflection

Assemble a toolkit of professional skills that support transformation, accountability, and ethical practice

Recognize internal prejudices and unconscious bias and learn to create culturally sensitive, trauma-informed containers

Deepen your understanding of ethical questions around cultural appropriation, extractivism, restorative justice, and generative reciprocity

Join a peer network and connect to Synthesis’ international professional community and global network

Note: Earning a completion certificate does not authorize you to lead or facilitate psychedelic journeys. Regulations vary and change rapidly, and participants are responsible for following laws in their place of residence.

Hear From Seven Graduates on Their Training Experience and Work in the Field

The Four-Lens Approach: honoring many ways of knowing

Synthesis’ curriculum is organized around a clear organizing principle: there is no one-size-fits-all method for facilitation. The program trains you to hold complexity by exploring each topic through four lenses:

Embodied Wisdom: ongoing somatic, spiritual, and self-reflection practices, values, personal ethics, integration of learning

Cognitive Wisdom: history, philosophy, neuroscience, psychopharmacology, harm reduction, and facilitation best practices

Sacred Wisdom: meaning-making traditions, nature-based and spiritual approaches, and the wisdom of cultures navigating liminal spaces across time

Relational Wisdom: relational skills, boundaries, community responsibility, and how to be deliberate in bringing this work into the world

This framework is designed to help you build a strong foundation while developing an authentic, personalized approach rooted in ethical and safety standards.

Program structure (September 2026 cohort)

Welcome and Orientation (first 2 weeks)

Program begins Monday, September 21st, 2026

Orientation includes video content plus meeting your learning facilitator and pod group during that week

Nine monthly modules (spanning 12 months)

9 themed coursework modules, each one month long

Built-in breaks in November, December 2026 and April 2027 for rest, self-care, and integration

Weekly rhythm

Weekly recorded teaching sessions (approximately 60 to 90 minutes)

Weekly live pod sessions (2.5 hours) with facilitated discussion, skills practice, professional supervision, and group exercises

Assignments estimated at 10 to 15 hours per month

Bonus learning (optional)

Monthly live bonus workshops with a rotating roster of thought leaders, wisdom elders, and visionaries

Assessment, closing, and completion

Portfolio review and a final oral examination during the integration and assessment phase

Closing and celebration upon completion

Colorado Module (optional add-on)

If you are seeking licensure in Colorado, you can opt in to an additional Colorado Module covering state-required learnings (25+ hours of lectures, assignments, and materials), completed at your own pace alongside the Core Training.
Additional tuition: $497 (separate from Core Training tuition)

Financial aid and inclusivity

Scholarships are available at 25% and 50% for qualified applicants. As part of a commitment to inclusivity and diversity in psychedelic care, at least 30% of participants in each cohort receive financial aid, with priority for those demonstrating financial need and those impacted by systemic oppression across identity markers, including race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, ableism, and more.

Ready to apply?

Enrolment is by application only. Apply now to be considered for the September 21st, 2026 cohort and to access early registration savings (through Monday, March 8th.), and don’t forget $700 off with code PPCTPSYCHSOCIETY.