Frequently Asked Questions

The questions worth asking first.

To seek truth requires one to ask the right questions.Suzy Kassem

If you’ve been quietly carrying this for a while, the burnout, the stress that won’t switch off, the distance from yourself, you likely have questions, and good ones. This answers what seekers ask us most: how matching works, who this is for, what it costs, how we screen for safety, and what happens before, during, and after a journey.

JourneyŌM is a concierge matching service that connects you with vetted, ethical guides where services are legal. We are not a directory, and we do not provide substances.

If you are in crisis, please call your local emergency services or dial 988 (US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

Two hands cradle a steaming cup beside a lit candle and dried lavender in warm, calm light.
Before we begin

Take the time this deserves.

About JourneyŌM

What is JourneyŌM?+
We are a concierge matching service that connects you with vetted guides who support safe, intentional psychedelic experiences where services are legal.

We focus on personalized matching, making it easy for thoughtful adults to find guides who fit their intentions, readiness, and logistics. We are not a directory, and we do not provide substances. There are two ways to begin, depending on where you are:

  • Start with a conversation. A complimentary 15-minute call with our concierge if you have preliminary questions or want a sense of fit before paying.
  • Concierge consultation. A paid 60-minute intake where we clarify your goals, basic medical history, and scheduling, after which we recommend at least two guide matches and introduce you directly.

You can also start by taking our two-minute self-evaluation, Is This Right for Me?, before either step. After the introduction, you and your guide finalize program details directly.

What does “concierge” actually mean here?+
Personalized matching and support, with optional logistics help on request.

We handle intake and readiness assessment, curate your matches, introduce you to guides we believe fit, advise on next steps, and follow up after the match to confirm quality. You and your guide decide program specifics, medicine, pricing, preparation, and integration, directly and privately.

How do you vet guides?+
Through a multi-step process: documentation review, multi-session interviews, an in-person visit, references, criminal background checks, and ongoing review.

Vetting includes a documentation review and two to four interviews where we examine training, facilitation experience, emergency procedures, scope of practice, safety protocols, ethics, and preferred client types. We also conduct an in-person two to three hour visit to the guide’s practice. Every guide we recommend meets a high bar that we verify, not just claim:

  • Maintains a deep personal journey-work practice of their own
  • Can demonstrate how they make safety and harm reduction a priority
  • Has guided at least 50 one-on-one journeys
  • Worked under a mentor for 3+ years, with at least 2 mentor references
  • Holds trauma-training accreditation and additional modality training
  • Offers at least 1 preparation and 2 integration sessions as standard
  • Agrees never to work with someone they don’t feel is ready or a fit

We also run criminal background checks, verify insurance where appropriate, require clear emergency and informed-consent processes, audit guides annually, and collect client feedback. We are a signatory to the North Star Ethics Pledge.

Is this for you?

Who is this for?+
Thoughtful, professionally accomplished adults who are taking this work seriously, not casually.

Our typical seeker is in their late thirties to early sixties and has already done meaningful inner work: therapy, coaching, meditation, somatic practice. They have reached a point where the familiar tools have stopped producing breakthroughs. Often it is a professional plateau, a midlife transition such as divorce, an empty nest, or a career pivot, 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 thread is professional pressure, real resources, and the emotional capacity to engage seriously. If that sounds like you, our self-evaluation will give you a clearer signal in about two minutes.

Who is this not for?+
People looking for a thrill, a shortcut, or a substance. We are not the right fit.

If you are looking to simply 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 are ambivalent, this is not 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 is a fit signal, and we would rather tell you honestly than match you and watch the work fall flat.

What might mean this isn’t the right time for me?+
Beyond medical contraindications, a few patterns signal a seeker isn’t ready yet. We would rather tell you honestly than match you anyway.
  • Active substance dependency. We refer to appropriate treatment first; this work asks more than an unstable foundation can hold.
  • Looking for a quick fix. Psychedelics are not shortcuts, and seekers unwilling to engage with preparation or integration rarely get what they came for.
  • Being pushed into it. If someone else wants this for you more than you do, this is not the moment.
  • “Too busy” to prepare. Preparation and integration take real time. If you cannot carve it out, the experience will not land the way you hope.
  • Stretching financially to the point of cutting corners on safety. If the full supported experience is genuinely out of reach, we will point you to free and lower-cost resources rather than a thinned-out version.

In every case we offer alternatives or resources. “Not now” is not “never.”

What to expect

Is this “psychedelic-assisted therapy”?+
It is therapeutic in intent when you want it to be, 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 and we will match you to clinicians who operate under HIPAA and local standards. For many clients we recommend a collaborative model: a licensed therapist handles clinical care while a guide provides the in-session environment and guidance.

What happens during a journey?+
A typical pathway is screening and preparation, the journey day with guide-led support, then integration.

Preparation usually involves a guide’s medical and medication review plus one to three prep conversations to build rapport and set intention. The journey day is guide-led in a safe, prepared setting, with comfort and safety measures in place. Afterward, integration sessions help translate insight into lasting change. Guides actively support and direct the experience; they are not passive observers.

How should I prepare, physically and mentally?+
Follow your guide’s preparation checklist: medication review, sleep and diet stabilization, reducing other substances, and intention work.

Typical preparation includes a prescriber medication review, stabilizing sleep and hydration, avoiding recreational substances per your guide’s guidance, and intention-setting through journaling or therapy. A calm, equanimous mindset in the days leading up to a journey meaningfully shapes the experience.

What happens during integration?+
Integration sessions help you process insights and turn them into practical steps you can live by.

Integration may include therapeutic conversation, somatic work, journaling prompts, referrals to clinicians, or coaching. It may happen with the same guide or with a licensed therapist. This is where insight becomes durable change rather than a fading memory. Learn more about Integration here.

Can I skip preparation or integration?+
No. Guides in our network require both as standard practice.

We do not accept guides who fail to take preparation and integration seriously. Preparation reduces risk on the day; integration is where insight becomes durable change in your daily life.

Safety & screening

Will you screen my medications and health conditions?+
We perform a basic eligibility screen; your selected guide performs the in-depth medical and medication review.

Our intake captures enough medical and psychiatric information to assess basic eligibility and flag obvious contraindications. Where there are risks, we flag them for the guide and, when needed, recommend specialist review. The guide completes the detailed medication review and any required clinical clearance, such as an ECG, labs, or liaison with your prescriber. Learn more about screening here.

Which medications are most important to disclose?+
Disclose all medications. Pay particular attention to MAO inhibitors, lithium, serotonergic antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and QT-prolonging drugs.

These categories carry the most significant interaction and safety considerations. Your guide will complete a full clinical review and coordinate with your prescriber when necessary. Nothing on this list is automatically disqualifying; it simply needs to be reviewed properly before any journey.

Are there conditions that exclude me?+
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 and severe uncontrolled cardiovascular disease typically preclude guide work unless a specialized, supervised clinical pathway is arranged. We will not refer a seeker when clear contraindications are present.

What if I have a challenging experience?+
Challenging experiences can occur; vetted guides are trained in grounding, containment, and escalation.

Guides provide somatic and therapeutic containment and keep escalation plans for the rare case where medical or psychiatric intervention is needed. They use nonpharmacologic strategies first and arrange medication or emergency care per clinical protocols only if necessary. Integration work is key to turning difficult material into growth rather than lingering distress. Learn more about challenging experiences here.

Fees & logistics

How does scheduling work?+
Start with a complimentary 15-minute call or directly with the paid consultation. After it, we introduce two recommended guides and you choose.
  • Optional 15-minute call, complimentary, to answer preliminary questions and assess fit
  • 60-minute concierge consultation covering goals, basic medical history, and scheduling
  • Warm introductions to two guides we believe fit; you meet them and choose
  • You and your guide finalize preparation, journey, and integration directly

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

What is included in the fee?+
A consultation fee paid upfront, plus a matching fee charged only after mutual fit is confirmed. Guide program fees are separate.
Individual$250 consultation+ $450 matching$700 total
Couples$350 consultation+ $650 matching$1,000 total

This covers thorough intake, basic eligibility screening, curated matches, warm introductions, post-match follow-up, and ongoing concierge access through your engagement.

It does not cover your guide’s own program fees (preparation, journey, integration, and any travel, lodging, or testing), which are arranged directly with your guide and typically range from $2,000 to $6,000. See the pricing page for the full breakdown.

Why does this cost what it costs?+
Because real matching is the work. Anything cheaper is a directory.

The discount version of this service is a list of names you sort through yourself or it may be a recommendation from a friend or family member which may or may not be the right fit for you. That is 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 personally and have spent many hours vetting them. We follow up after introductions and stay accessible through your engagement.

The split-fee structure exists for a reason. You pay the consultation fee to begin the work, the intake, screening, and initial curation. You pay the matching fee when we move into active matching, vetting guides specifically for you and arranging introductions. In the rare case we cannot find a suitable match, the matching fee is refunded.

What is your cancellation and refund policy?+
The consultation fee is non-refundable once conducted. The matching fee is refundable in full if we cannot find a suitable match.

If you need to reschedule the consultation beforehand, contact us and we will work with you. The matching fee is charged before introductions to fund the matching work; once introductions are made it is non-refundable. Each guide sets their own cancellation, deposit, and refund terms, which you will see directly from the guide before you commit.

Do you offer financing or payment plans?+
Some guides offer payment options; tell us during intake if flexibility is needed.

Availability varies by guide. We will match you with guides who offer sliding scales or payment plans if requested.

Couples & clinicians

Can my partner and I do this together?+
Yes, with two conditions: both of you have to want this individually, and we 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 arrive clear-eyed about why they want this and ready to do their own piece of preparation. The hardest pattern we see is one partner dragging the other; we treat that as a signal to slow down, not push through. Learn more about couples work here.

  • Both partners participate in the consultation, jointly or separately, depending on what feels right
  • Each partner is assessed individually for readiness, medical fit, and intention
  • We match to guides with the relational training to hold two people
  • For complex situations we may recommend pairing the work with a licensed couples therapist
How is couples pricing different?+
It reflects two intakes, two readiness assessments, and matching to a guide with couples-work training. The total is $1,000 ($350 consultation, $650 matching).

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

Do you work with licensed clinicians?+
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, so you always know who is providing what kind of care.

How can therapists refer clients to JourneyŌM?+
We welcome therapist and coach referrals, and we coordinate with clinicians when consent is provided.

If you would like to refer a client, contact us through our concierge. We coordinate shared-care arrangements with the client’s consent and keep you in the loop where appropriate.

Outcomes & evidence

Can you guarantee results or success rates?+
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 on request during intake so you can make an informed decision. We never overpromise.

What is the evidence base?+
There is a growing clinical literature supporting psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine in certain contexts.

A few authoritative starting points:

Our resources page goes deeper, with books, films, and further reading.

Practical details

What should I bring to a journey?+
Follow your guide’s advice, but generally comfortable clothing, required medications, water, and emergency contact and prescriber info.

Guides often suggest blankets, an eye mask, and a small comfort item, along with written emergency contacts. Do not bring unauthorized substances.

Are there age limits or special-population rules?+
Minimum ages vary; many guides restrict to adults 18 or 21 and older. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are typically excluded.

Older adults may need cardiac screening, and special populations often require clinical clearance. Your guide will advise based on your circumstances.

Can I travel for a journey?+
Yes, and you do not need to carry substances with you.

We encourage traveling to the guide you are best matched with, and some guides can travel to you. Travel reduces logistics friction; legal risk varies by jurisdiction, so seek legal advice if you are concerned. We never advise the illegal transport of substances. Learn more about why traveling to a journey matters here.

How do I report a safety concern or misconduct?+
Contact our concierge, and we will investigate and act as appropriate.

We document and investigate reports, apply remediation, and will remove guides from the network where deemed necessary. We also help affected seekers access clinical and legal resources.

Example programs

What does a microdosing program look like?+
Typically 6 to 12 weeks, with a structured schedule, intake, periodic check-ins, and at least one integration touchpoint.

One example is an 8-week program: an initial intake, a 6 to 8 week microdosing schedule, weekly 15 to 30 minute check-ins, a midpoint assessment, and a final integration session. Pricing and specifics are agreed directly between you and your guide.

What does a macrodose or ceremonial journey look like?+
Typically 1 to 3 preparation sessions, the journey day, and 2 to 4 integration sessions over 4 to 12 weeks.

One example: intake and medical clearance, two 60 to 90 minute preparation sessions, the journey day, then three integration sessions over the following month. Travel, lodging, and testing are extra where required.

Still have questions?

Let’s talk it through.

Book a complimentary 15-minute call and we will tailor answers to your situation, or take the two-minute self-evaluation first.