Join the MycoMeditations Team

Reports To: The Lead Therapist will report to the Retreat Leader.

Job Overview:  The Lead Therapist provides emotional and therapeutic support to guests during sessions, integration, and general interactions.

Responsibilities and Duties: While other team members may also be Therapists, there is only one Lead Therapist per retreat. Lead Therapist assignments are made on a retreat-by-retreat basis. The Lead Therapist must hold a valid and active license in Counseling, Psychotherapy, Clinical Social Work or similar designation.

Administrative:
Licensed Therapists who work as a Lead Therapist are responsible for rotations in screening incoming applicants for suitability in attending retreat in accordance with existing policies and procedures. This will include a review of applications submitted, follow up phone calls to obtain any clarifications, zoom conferences with guest and review of medications and medical history.

Coordinate retreat activities in accordance with scheduled itinerary and work closely with the Operations Team.

During Retreat:

Before Sessions:

• Greet all guests upon arrival
• Lead guided meditation prior to dosing session

During Sessions:

• Ensure needs of the guests and Retreat Leader are met
• Provide support to guests during dosing, with specific emphasis on the most difficult cases
• Communicate with the Retreat Leader to ensure guest safety and to provide necessary information. The Retreat Leader is mobile, traversing the dosing space and observing each
  guest’s status. The Therapist will communicate updates to the Retreat Leader as he/she enters the Therapist’s area.
• If a guest is having a challenging experience, it is the responsibility of the Therapist to assist. If the Therapist encounters situations that are beyond their expertise, they are to reach out to the Retreat Leader, without leaving the guest unattended. If the Therapist hears something from a guest that the Retreat Leader should know, they should communicate the information. This would include anything that indicates a guest is experiencing a challenging situation and requires additional support.

As with every team member, the Therapist is expected to be attentive and present during the entire session. The Therapist should not use their cell phones during the session or appear bored or restless. The role of the Therapist is to remain a calm, grounded presence for the guests.

Continually scan the environment to determine if any of the above responsibilities need to be completed.

During Integration Sessions:

• Lead group integration sessions; take and type up therapy notes or assign to another therapist or senior facilitator (with the approval of the Retreat Leader).
• Maintain attentive presence in the integration
• Support the discussions by adding relevant insights
• Attempt to bring the guest deeper into their reflection
• Introduce helpful frameworks of knowledge as applicable

During All Other Times:

• Attend breakfast and dinner at the scheduled time
• Maintain friendly communication with guests in their downtime and during breakfast/dinner
• Practice active listening with guests at all times
• Be available to all guests for individual therapy sessions and support throughout the week

During downtime outside of the sessions, the goal for the Therapist is to be present with the guests and to help create a friendly, nurturing environment. It is essential for the Therapist to make an effort to communicate with all guests throughout the retreat week and to cultivate a supportive and therapeutic relationship.

Post Retreat:

• The Lead Therapist will conduct follow-up group integration calls via Zoom. The first session shall be scheduled 2 weeks post-retreat, and the second session 6 weeks post-retreat. Each
  session shall last approximately 2 hours for up to 8 guests; 3 hours if more than 8 guests.

Qualifications:

• Master of Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, or similar field.
• Active License in Counseling, Social Work, Psychotherapy or similar designation.
• Post-graduate training on one of the following: Internal Family Systems, Somatic Therapy, Transpersonal Psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• Training in psychedelic-assisted therapy through Fluence, MAPS, CIIS, IPI, etc.
• At least fifteen years experience working with individuals and groups
• Ability to build rapport quickly while maintaining healthy boundaries with guests
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Empathetic presence
• Ability to take control in a crisis situation
• Detail oriented
• Strong ability to manage time and prioritize tasks
• Ability to work within a team environment
• Personal experience in the trip space with psilocybin and/or other hallucinogens, enabling understanding of guest experiences