Mind Medicine Australia in partnership with Alalaho and Dr Lauren McDonald present
5-DAY PSILOCYBIN TRAINING RETREAT IN THE NETHERLANDS
WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPERIENCE PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPIES LEGALLY?
JOIN US IN 2024:
22 – 26 July
In 2024 MMA is partnering with Alalaho Retreats – the pioneering provider of legal psilocybin-assisted retreats in Europe – to offer psilocybin training retreats for healthy participants in the Netherlands.
This is a wonderful opportunity for practitioners who wish to experience these medicines in a safe and legal environment.
About the Retreat
The MMA X Alalaho collaboration offers a unique program that blends Alalaho’s approach to psilocybin retreats with the training philosophy developed in MMA’s Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (CPAT). The psilocybin journey is supported by a diverse range of preparation and integration techniques, tailored specifically to the group by a facilitation team with many years of experience between its members. Training elements are introduced to ensure participants can integrate insights from the experience into their work as a PAT practitioner. This is a unique opportunity for both personal exploration and experiential training in the use of psilocybin and is not to be missed.
We welcome practitioners at any stage of their journey towards working in the psychedelic space to apply. This includes those practitioners with no previous training or experience, who are simply considering whether psychedelics are right for them.
Cost: 4,850€ (incl. 20% VAT) for a 5-day / 4-night, all-inclusive retreat*
- Accommodation: stunning venue, surrounded by nature, with a wood-fired sauna and a little lake to swim in
- Exquisite healthy food
- Shuttle service from/back to Amsterdam
- Some private rooms available for an extra 75-100€/night
*cost for the psilocybin truffles isn’t included, for licensing reasons. 45€ to be paid to Kokopelli Smart shop where the group meets before getting on the shuttle bus to the venue.
What’s Included
- 1 psilocybin ceremony
- A ratio of 1 facilitator for every four participants
- One-on-ones with experienced facilitators before and after the ceremony
- A range of contemplative, embodiment, and transformative practices, such as therapeutic enquiries, meditation, movement, nature connection, small group practices, and authentic relating exercises
- Preparation & integration materials sent before/after the retreat
- 1x Group Preparation call before the retreat
- 3x Group Integration calls after the retreat
Upcoming Dates
- July 22-26
Who the Retreat is for
The retreat is for practitioners training to work in psychedelic-assisted therapy at any stage of their training. This includes practitioners who have yet to begin training and wish to have a psychedelic experience before deciding whether this is the path for them.
Who the Retreat is not for
Alalaho does not provide therapeutic or clinical support and can only safely hold space for participants in good mental and physical health.
Reasons for not being able to participate in our retreats include serious cardiovascular (e.g. recent stroke or heart attack) or neurological issues (e.g. epilepsy or brain trauma), use of antidepressant (e.g. SSRI/TCA), mood stabilising (e.g. lithium) or antipsychotic (e.g. Abilify) medications or significant mental health difficulties (e.g. psychosis, bipolar disorder, personality disorder).
How to Apply
Click the link below to visit Alalaho’s application page. From it you can book a 30-40 minute intake call to secure your spot. This call is an opportunity to jointly explore whether participating in a group psychedelic ceremony is the right decision for you at this point in your life.
You will be asked to pay a 300€ deposit, to be credited towards the overall cost of your retreat package. In the event that your application is not accepted, we will issue a full refund (minus a 25€ processing fee).
Please note that all applications and fees are processed by Alalaho.
About Alalaho
A Values-Led Approach to Transformation
At the heart of Alalaho is a deeply values-led ethos. While our work revolves around psychedelics, our focus extends beyond their use. We aime to support, enhance and sustain their beneficial effects through a synergetic blend of complementary practices. These include elements from the Western clinical model, somatic and transpersonal psychology, as well as from ancient wisdom traditions from around the world. Ultimately, Alalaho is dedicated to catalysing a shift towards greater self-awareness, empowering individuals on their transformative journey of healing and growth.
A Journey of Innovation and Excellence
Our story began in 2016, when our team pioneered the first European programme of its kind. Since then, we have safely guided over 1200 individuals, across more than 80 retreats. What sets us apart is the remarkable cohesiveness of our team – a collective that has grown and evolved together through years of shared experiences. Each facilitator brings deep personal experience of personal transformation, honed through extensive training in both Western therapeutic modalities and authentic spiritual traditions such as Tibetan Buddhism and the Shamanic lineages of the Americas. While we uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism in our work, we equally cherish and maintain an atmosphere of authenticity, joy, and playfulness. This ensures that our retreat spaces are not just transformative but also welcoming and heartwarming.
Navigating the Psychedelic Renaissance with Expertise and Care
In this psychedelic renaissance, the potential for global healing is immense, but so is the need for experienced guidance. Alalaho recognises both the opportunities and the inherent risks involved. We are deeply committed to sharing our expertise with healthcare practitioners, particularly as psilocybin-assisted therapies gain legal acceptance worldwide. Our role in this movement is not just as facilitators, but also as educators and guides dedicated to ensuring safe and effective practices in this emerging field.
Beyond the Psychedelic Experience: Insights from Our Participants
Our impact is best evidenced by our 99.5% five-star rating, with participants often expressing that the retreat experience far surpassed their initial expectations. Many share that while the psychedelic journey is undoubtedly profound, it is the comprehensive nature of the overall retreat programme that stands out as being equally transformative, if not more so. This skilful integration of psychedelics with a range of psycho-spiritual practices lies at the core of Alalaho’s mission to facilitate deep, meaningful personal growth.
Testimonials
“Truly nothing short of a transformational experience. What was so impressive was how well the retreat was curated. From the initial application call, I could tell how genuine, kind and supportive the facilitators were. During the retreat, the complementary practices and exercises were equally as meaningful as the psychedelic journey itself! The venue was a very magical location, well kept and clean/tidy. A pleasant surprise was how great the food was as well! All in all an exceptional 5 days in the Netherlands, and I would not hesitate to recommend to friends and I would attend again in the future!!”
Aaron, October 2023
“The retreat was beautiful, nourishing and inspiring. I felt safe, looked after and cared for by the team through the week. Every aspect of the retreat, from the pre-retreat preparation journaling and zoom call through to the psychedelic experience and integration work was so thoughtfully and skilfully planned. The venue, the facilitators and the care for every detail meant that I had the most supportive, meaningful and magical first experience with psychedelics.” Maddy, February 2023
“Alalaho’s retreat was of the most transformative, deep, insightful and healing experiences of my life and overall one of the best experiences of my life. The keys to the experience were the facilitators, who made us all feel safe and open, the group, full of amazing individuals keen to open up and show a vulnerability that takes a great deal of strength to display, and the venue itself, that was inspiring and just perfect for the experience we were living.” Sonia, October 2023
Retreat Facilitators
Dr Lauren Macdonald (UK)
BMBS, BSc, PGCert
Dr Lauren Macdonald is a psychiatry doctor and therapy guide at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London. She currently works on trials studying psilocybin-assisted therapy for anorexia nervosa and fibromyalgia, and DMT for treatment-resistant depression. Alongside her clinical work she is a retreat facilitator and co-founder at Essence Medicine, an organisation providing psycho-spiritual care to people facing life threatening illness. She has degrees in Medicine and Psychology, and has undertaken further training in Integrative Medicine, Compassionate Inquiry, Yoga, and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies).
Jennifer Tessler
Jennifer began her in-depth inquiry into the nature of reality and the inner workings of the human mind(heart) after a life-changing backpacking journey to Asia in her late teens where she discovered both Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred use of psychedelic medicines. Over the last 15 years, she has spent close to one thousand days in meditation retreat – studying and training under the close guidance of her Tibetan Buddhist teacher. She has also trained as an integrative transpersonal psychotherapist. In 2017, she began facilitating psilocybin-assisted retreats and co-directing the Psychedelic Society’s Experience Retreats programme, eventually leading to the founding of Alalaho. For her, this precious work is all about supporting the unfolding of the infinite vitality, wisdom and potential that lies at the core of our being… just like the blossoming of a lotus.