50+ people graduate to be licensed for psychedelic-assisted therapy in Colorado

COLORADO, Colo. (KRDO) - Using psychedelic substances to treat PTSD, anxiety, and depression is not exactly a new idea. What is new however, are recent changes to Colorado law that have legalized such treatments in a supervised clinical setting.

Recently, 51 people became the first in Colorado to become certified psilocybin facilitators; pioneers in a new form of treatment.

Graduate Lisa Snyder says the practice of mushroom healing is nothing new, but as psychedelic treatment centers prepare to open across the state, receiving that treatment from a licensed and trained professional will be more important than ever.

"It's old medicine, but it's in this iteration, it's in its new state and I don't agree with people who are not trained in any way, shape or form to be messing with people's psyches," Snyder said.

Snyder has studied the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy for years. She says there is immense potential there, but proper guidance is key, "People have found like this to be such a profound healing experience for those who suffer with ptsd, veterans who've been in combat, people who are healing...mind you, this isn't necessarily this isn't therapy."

Snyder says it's a sensitive practice, one that should only should be performed by a licensed natural medicine facilitator due to the powerful effects of psychedelics, "It opens up the mind and it turns down the volume on this part of the brain that kind of protects and manages things and allows our brains to talk to different pieces that it doesn't normally get a chance to have a conversation with."

She says having someone who's received the proper training to bring someone into that space, can make all the difference adding that the type of schooling she has now gone through is crucial if psychedelic-assisted therapy aims to be viewed as legitimate going forward.

"There's no accountability in underground, community accountability. We don't really know how far that goes, but accountability with the state is a completely different experience. And I think people are going to feel safer coming into this space, into the legal space, if they know that people can and will be accountable for their actions," Snyder said.

She is one of the first from her InnerTrek class to take the final step, and be licensed by DORA; the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

However, all 50 of her fellow graduates are now eligible to take that step as well and begin their work with clients in healing centers.