Frequently Asked Questions

Short: We vet Guides through a multi-step process including documentation review, multi-session interviews, in-person verification, references, criminal background checks, and ongoing quality review.

Our vetting includes documentation review and 2–4 Zoom sessions where we examine training, clinical or facilitation experience, emergency procedures, scope of practice, safety protocols, ethics, and preferred client types or conditions. We also conduct an in-person 2–3 hour visit to the Guide’s practice or setting, and we run criminal background checks. Guides must provide client and mentor references, demonstrate ongoing training, show trauma competency, and meet minimum experience thresholds. We perform annual reviews and collect match feedback to maintain quality.

Specific minimums & requirements (what we require and verify):

• Guide has an ongoing deep personal journey work practice of their own.

• Guide can demonstrate the ways in which they make safety & harm reduction a priority.

• Guide has guided at least 50 one-on-one guided journeys.

• Guide has worked with or under a mentor/experienced Guide with a review period for at least 3 years and provide at least 2 mentor references.

• Guide is experienced and accredited in additional modality training(s) that accompany journey work.

• Guide has trauma training accreditation.

• Guide offers at least 1 preparation and 2 integration sessions as an integral part of their journey work.

• Guide agrees not to work with anyone they don’t feel is ready or a proper fit.

• Guide has ethical standards that align with JourneyŌM (we are a pledge signatory to the North Star Ethics Pledge).
  We also run criminal background checks, verify insurance where appropriate, and require Guides to include emergency & escalation procedures and clear informed consent processes. We audit Guides annually and collect client feedback after matches.

Short: Personalized matching and support, with optional logistics help when requested.

Concierge means we handle intake and readiness assessment, curate matches, introduce you to Guides we think fit your needs, provide guidance about next steps, and follow up post-match to ensure quality. The Guide and seeker decide program specifics (medicine, pricing, prep, integration) directly and privately.

Short: Thoughtful, professionally accomplished adults who are taking psychedelic work seriously, not casually.

Our typical seeker is in their late thirties to early sixties, has done meaningful inner work already — therapy, coaching, meditation, somatic practice — and has reached a point where the familiar tools have stopped producing breakthroughs. Often it’s a professional plateau, a midlife transition, a relationship at a crossroads, or the slow realization that performing well at life is not the same as being well in it.

The common thread is not a job title. We work with executives, attorneys, physicians, founders, engineers, artists, and chefs. The common thread is the combination of professional pressure, real resources, and the emotional capacity to engage with this work seriously.

If that’s you, our self-evaluation at “Is This Right for Me?” will give you a clearer signal in about two minutes.

Short: People looking for a thrill, a shortcut, or a substance. We are not the right fit.

If you are looking to try psychedelics, we are not for you since we do not provide substances and we are not a directory. If someone else is pushing you toward this and you’re ambivalent, this isn’t the moment. If you cannot or will not engage with preparation and integration, you will not get value from what we do.

None of this is a judgment. It’s a fit signal. We’d rather tell you honestly than match you and watch the work fall flat.

Short: Our service is therapeutic in intent when clients request it, but a Guide is not always a licensed therapist unless they explicitly hold that credential.

Many Guides use therapeutic frameworks, and some are licensed clinicians. If you want care delivered by a licensed mental-health professional, tell us during intake so we can match you to clinicians who operate under HIPAA and local regulatory standards. For many clients we recommend a collaborative model where a licensed therapist handles clinical care and a Guide provides in-session environment and guidance.

Short: A typical journey pathway includes screening and preparation, the journey day with Guide-led support, and post-journey integration work.

Preparation usually involves a Guide’s medical and medication review plus 1–3 prep conversations – usually over zoom – to build rapport and set intention. The journey day is Guide-led in a safe prepared setting, with comfort and safety measures. After the journey, integration sessions help translate insight into change. Important distinction: Guides are accredited and many are licensed clinicians; Guides actively support and direct the experience; they are not passive observers.​

Short: We perform a basic eligibility screen to confirm you are appropriate for referral; the selected Guide performs the in-depth medical and medication review.

Our intake captures enough medical and psychiatric information to assess basic eligibility and readiness, and to flag obvious contraindications. If there are potential risks, we flag them for the Guide and, when needed, recommend specialist review. The selected Guide completes the detailed medication review and any required clinical clearance (ECG, labs, liaison with prescriber).

Short: Some conditions commonly preclude participation, including active psychosis, schizophrenia, and certain severe cardiac disorders.

Absolute exclusions commonly include current psychotic disorders and a personal history of schizophrenia. Unstable bipolar I disorder and severe uncontrolled cardiovascular disease typically preclude Guide work unless a specialized supervised clinical pathway is arranged. JourneyŌM will not refer a seeker if clear contraindications are present.

Short: Challenging experiences can occur; accredited Guides are trained in containment, grounding, and escalation, and integration reduces long-term distress.

Guides provide grounding, somatic and therapeutic containment, and escalation plans if medical or psychiatric intervention is needed. Guides may use nonpharmacologic strategies first and, if necessary, arrange for medication or emergency care per clinical protocols. Integration work is key to turning difficult material into growth.

Short: Beyond medical contraindications, there are patterns that signal a seeker isn’t yet ready. We’d rather tell you honestly than match you anyway.

Some of the signals we watch for during intake:

• Active substance dependency. We refer to appropriate treatment first; psychedelic work asks more than an unstable foundation can hold.
• Looking for a quick fix. Psychedelics are not shortcuts. Seekers who are unwilling to engage with preparation or integration rarely get what they came for.
• Being pushed into it. If someone else wants you to do this more than you do, this isn’t the moment.
• “Too busy” to prepare. Preparation and integration take time. If you can’t carve that out, the experience won’t land the way you hope.
• Stretching financially to the point of corner-cutting. If the full supported experience is genuinely out of reach, we’ll point you to free and lower-cost resources rather than match you to a thinned-out version.

In every case, we offer alternatives or resources. “Not now” isn’t “never.”

Short: Disclose all medications. Pay special attention to MAO inhibitors, lithium, serotonergic antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and QT-prolonging drugs.

Below are typical categories and examples so seekers recognize common names. Guides will do a full clinical review and coordinate with prescribers when necessary.

Short: JourneyŌM’s concierge and matching services are legal. The legality of specific substances depends on local, state, and federal law. Ketamine is legally available through licensed medical channels in all 50 states.

Laws vary by state, city, and country. Decriminalization reduces enforcement risk in some jurisdictions but does not change federal status. JourneyŌM provides guidance about local risk and prioritizes referrals that reduce legal risk (licensed clinical programs) when requested.  You can check our full Legal Disclaimer here.

Short: We take client privacy seriously, and we match you with HIPAA-compliant providers when clinical-level protections are needed.

JourneyŌM uses secure communications for intake, limits staff access to necessary records, and documents consent. When clinical therapy is part of the program, we match you to practitioners who operate under HIPAA.  Check our HIPAA Practices here and our Privacy rules here.

Short: We have a formal reporting, investigation, remediation process, and serious violations lead to removal from the network.

Reports are investigated; outcomes may include remediation, retraining, suspension, or permanent removal. We will assist affected seekers with clinical and legal resources.

Short: Start with either a complimentary 15-minute call or directly with the paid concierge consultation. After consultation we introduce you to two recommended guides and you schedule with the one who fits best.​

The path:

1. Optional 15-minute call. Complimentary. A short Zoom with our concierge to answer preliminary questions and assess fit.
2. Concierge consultation. 60-minute paid intake — see the pricing question below for current rates. We cover goals, basic medical history, and scheduling, then identify two guides we believe fit.
3. Guide introductions. We make warm introductions to both guides. You meet them and choose.
4. Matching fee. Charged before we make introductions, since this is what funds the matching work itself: curating your shortlist, vetting fit, and warming up the introductions. If we are unable to find a suitable match, the matching fee is refunded in full.
5. You and the guide finalize prep, journey, and integration directly.

Typical lead times for large-dose journeys: 2–8 weeks. Microdosing and coaching programs often schedule faster.

Short: Our fee is split into two parts: a consultation fee paid upfront, and a matching fee charged only after mutual fit is confirmed with a guide. Guide program fees are separate and arranged directly between you and your guide.

Current rates:

• Individual: $250 consultation + $450 matching ($700 total).
• Couples: $350 consultation + $650 matching ($1,000 total).

What this covers: thorough intake, basic eligibility screening, curated identification of guide matches, warm introductions, post-match follow-up, and ongoing access to our concierge through your engagement.

What this does not cover: the guide’s own program fees (preparation, journey, integration, and any travel, lodging, or testing) which are negotiated directly with your guide and typically range from $2,000–$6,000 depending on program structure.

See our pricing page for the full breakdown.

Short: Because real matching is the work. Anything cheaper is a directory.

The discount version of this service is a directory, a list of names you sort through yourself. That’s not what we do. Our consultation is a real 60-minute conversation that surfaces what you actually need and what would not serve you. Our matching is curated by people who know each guide in our network personally and have spent countless hours vetting them. We follow up after introductions. We stay accessible through your engagement.

The split-fee structure exists for a reason. You pay the consultation fee to begin the work, the intake, the screening, and the initial curation. You pay the matching fee when we move into active matching, vetting guides specifically for you and setting up introductions. In the rare case we can’t find a suitable match, the matching fee is refunded. That structure keeps our work and your investment aligned with the outcome you actually came for.

Short: Some Guides offer payment options; tell us during intake if payment flexibility is needed.

Financing availability varies by Guide; we’ll match you with Guides who offer sliding scales or payment plans if requested.

Short: Our consultation fee is non-refundable once the intake is delivered. The matching fee is charged before guide introductions to fund the matching work, and is refundable in full if we are unable to find you a suitable match. Guide-level program fees are set by each guide and are not part of JourneyŌM’s policy.​

Specifically:

• Consultation fee. Non-refundable once the consultation has been conducted. If you need to reschedule before the call, contact us and we will work with you.
• Matching fee. Charged before we make introductions. If we are unable to identify a suitable guide match for you, the matching fee is refunded in full. Once introductions have been made, the matching fee is non-refundable.

Guide program fees. Each guide sets their own cancellation, deposit, and refund policy. You’ll see those terms directly from the guide before you commit.

Short: No. Guides in our network require preparation and integration as standard practice.

JourneyŌM does not accept Guides who do not take prep and integration seriously. Prep reduces on-the-day risk; integration helps translate insights into lasting change.

Short: Follow the Guide’s preparation checklist: medication review, sleep & diet stabilization, substance reduction, and intention work.

Typical prep includes prescriber medication review, stabilizing sleep/hydration, avoiding recreational substances per Guide guidance, journaling, or therapy.

Short: Integration sessions help you process insights and create practical steps to apply learning.

Integration may include therapeutic conversation, somatic work, journaling prompts, referrals to clinicians, or coaching. It may occur with the same Guide or a licensed therapist.

Short: Yes, with two conditions: both of you have to want this individually, and we have to assess each of you separately before recommending a guide.

Couples work is real work. It is not a shared recreational experience, and it is not a way for one partner to fix the other. The strongest couples we work with come in clear-eyed about why they want this and ready to do their own piece of the preparation. The hardest pattern we see is one partner dragging the other; we treat that as a signal to slow down, not a reason to push through.

How couples intake works:

• Both partners participate in the consultation, either jointly or separately depending on what feels right.
• Each partner is assessed individually for readiness, medical fit, and intention.
• We match to guides who specialize in couples work and have the relational training to hold both partners.
• For complex situations we may recommend pairing the journey work with a licensed couples therapist.

Couples pricing is different from individual pricing because the work itself is different. See the pricing page or the fees question above for current rates.

Short: Couples pricing reflects two intakes, two readiness assessments, and matching to a guide with specific couples-work training. The total is $1,000, split as $350 consultation and $650 matching.

We do not charge double, because the consultation and matching are partly shared work. But it is meaningfully more work than an individual engagement as we assess two people, we hold two intentions, we filter for guides with couples experience, and we account for differences in readiness between partners. The structure mirrors individual pricing: consultation fee first, matching fee before introductions, with the matching fee refundable if no suitable match can be found.

Short: Yes, on request we match seekers with licensed mental-health professionals for clinical oversight and integration.

We prioritize clinicians with relevant credentials and experience and make their scope of practice clear.

Short: We welcome therapists and coach referrals. JourneyŌM coordinates with clinicians when consent is provided.

If you would like to refer a client to us, please contact us by visiting our Contact form; we coordinate shared-care arrangements with client consent.

Short: No. Outcomes vary by seeker, Guide fit, preparation, and integration.

The evidence base shows meaningful effects for some conditions in controlled clinical settings, but real-world outcomes vary. We share peer-reviewed studies when requested during intake to inform seekers.

Short: There is a growing clinical literature supporting psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine in certain contexts.

Here is a curated reading list of notable resources:

• Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research
  Authoritative hub for clinical trials and reviews of psilocybin and other psychedelic treatments, led by a major academic medical center. Link

• MAPS — MDMA Research & Clinical Trials (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies)
  Primary source for MDMA-assisted therapy research, Phase 3 results, and regulatory updates (FDA breakthroughs / approval pathway). MAPS MDMA Research  | MAPS Research

• Imperial College London, Centre for Psychedelic Research
  Longstanding academic research center focused on mechanistic and clinical studies of psilocybin and other compounds. Link

• Key peer-reviewed trials / landmark papers 
  • Griffiths et al., randomized psilocybin trials (cancer-related distress) — PubMed entry.
  • Ross et al., psilocybin anxiety/depression in serious illness — PubMed entry.
  • Suggested general PubMed search URL

• Regulatory / Practical Guidance — FDA & professional statements
  For readers wanting the regulatory / safety angle: FDA pages on breakthrough therapy designations and statements from national psychiatry bodies (useful when discussing legality, safety, and prescriber coordination). Link (search “MDMA breakthrough therapy” or “psychedelics breakthrough therapy”).

Short: Follow your guide’s advice but generally comfortable clothing, required meds, water, and emergency contact/prescriber info.

In addition, guides often request blankets, eye masks, comfort items, and written emergency contacts. Do not bring unauthorized substances.

Short: Minimum ages vary; many Guides restrict to adults 18 or 21+. Pregnancy & breastfeeding are typically excluded.

Older adults may need cardiac screening. Special populations require clinical clearance in many cases.

Short: You can travel; you do not need to carry substances with you. JourneyŌM encourages traveling to the Guide you are best matched with; some Guides can travel to you.

Travel reduces logistics friction; legal risk varies by jurisdiction. Seek legal advice if concerned. JourneyŌM never advises illegal transport of substances.

Short: Use the report link on this page or contact support; we investigate and act as appropriate.

We document and investigate reports, apply remediation, and may remove Guides. We help affected seekers access clinical and legal resources.