Psilocybin Therapy: What to Expect and Who Benefits


Since Colorado legalized psilocybin therapy in 2022 with the passage of Proposition 122, more people are discovering this powerful approach to healing trauma that traditional therapy couldn’t touch. If you’re a Denver resident who’s tried talk therapy, medication, or other treatments without finding lasting relief, psilocybin-assisted therapy might offer the breakthrough you’ve been searching for.


A Breakthrough Therapy in Denver, Colorado

What Is Psilocybin Therapy?

Psilocybin therapy combines the consciousness-expanding properties of “magic mushrooms” with trauma-informed psychotherapy to create profound and lasting healing. Unlike recreational use or standalone psychedelic experiences, therapeutic psilocybin sessions are carefully structured with comprehensive preparation, guided journeys, and deep integration support.

At Sona Collective in Denver, we integrate psilocybin therapy with EMDR, somatic therapy, and Internal Family Systems work. This means you’re not just having a psychedelic experience, but that you’re engaging in sophisticated trauma therapy that addresses the root causes of your suffering at the nervous system level.

How Psilocybin Heals Trauma

Trauma doesn’t just live in your memories or thoughts. It lives in your body, stored in your nervous system, creating patterns of hypervigilance, disconnection, and chronic stress that talk therapy alone often can’t resolve. Psilocybin therapy works differently from traditional approaches because it temporarily softens the rigid defenses your nervous system has built to protect you from overwhelming emotions and memories.

Research shows that psilocybin fundamentally rewires the brain’s default mode network, or the neural circuitry responsible for self-referential thinking, rumination, and stuck behavioral patterns. This neuroplastic window allows you to access deeply suppressed emotions and traumatic material with increased compassion and reduced defensiveness. Many people describe psilocybin journeys as finally being able to see their trauma from outside the pain, with a fresh perspective and self-compassion they couldn’t access before.

Who Benefits from Psilocybin Therapy in Denver?

Psilocybin-assisted therapy is particularly effective for Denver residents struggling with:

Treatment-Resistant Depression: When multiple antidepressants and years of talk therapy haven’t provided lasting relief, psilocybin creates rapid and sustained mood improvements through genuine neuroplastic change.

Complex Trauma and PTSD: For those carrying childhood trauma, multiple traumatic events, or combat-related PTSD, psilocybin combined with trauma therapy helps process stuck memories while your nervous system feels safe and regulated.

Existential Anxiety and Loss of Meaning: Psilocybin therapy helps people grappling with questions of purpose, mortality, or spiritual disconnection find a renewed sense of meaning and connection to something larger than themselves.

Stuck Relationship Patterns: The expanded consciousness psilocybin provides allows you to see your relational patterns with fresh eyes, accessing compassion and vulnerability that rigid thinking patterns have kept locked away.

You might be a good candidate for psilocybin therapy if you’ve tried traditional therapy and understand your trauma intellectually, but your body still doesn’t feel safe. You’re ready to do deep work, committed to preparation and integration, and genuinely called to this medicine rather than just seeking quick relief.

What to Expect: The Psilocybin Therapy Process

Preparation Phase: Before your psilocybin journey, we meet for several preparation sessions where we discuss your history, intentions, and what you hope to heal. We’ll teach you nervous system regulation techniques, establish safety agreements, and build the therapeutic relationship that will hold you through challenging moments during your journey.

The Journey Session: Your psilocybin session takes place in a safe, comfortable setting designed to support deep introspection. You’ll take psilocybin in a therapeutic dose while your therapist remains present throughout the 4-6 hour experience, offering somatic grounding, EMDR processing when appropriate, and gentle guidance as needed. Many people experience profound emotional releases, spiritual insights, or new perspectives on longstanding patterns during the journey.

Integration Phase: The real work happens in the weeks following your psilocybin session. Research shows that psilocybin creates a window of neuroplasticity lasting several weeks, during which your brain is remarkably malleable and forms new neural pathways. Integration sessions help you make sense of your experience, embody the insights that emerged, and consciously shape the new patterns forming in your nervous system.

What Makes Trauma-Informed Psilocybin Therapy Different

You may have heard about psilocybin “facilitators” or guides who help people through psychedelic experiences. At Sona Collective, we offer something deeper: true psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy with a facilitator who specializes in somatic, EMDR, and mindfulness-based therapies.

The difference is integration and depth. Our trauma-informed approach means we understand how to work with what emerges during your journey, whether that’s stuck trauma, fragmented parts of self, or somatic material held in your body. We weave together EMDR processing, somatic grounding, and Internal Family Systems parts work to ensure your psilocybin journey becomes a catalyst for lasting change, not just a temporary experience.

Is Psilocybin Therapy Legal in Colorado?

Yes. Following Proposition 122, Colorado created a regulated framework for licensed healing centers and trained facilitators to provide psilocybin therapy legally. At Sona Collective, we operate within Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act, ensuring your treatment is both legal and conducted to the highest therapeutic standards.

Ready to Explore Psilocybin Therapy in Denver?

If you’re tired of just understanding your trauma without actually feeling better, psilocybin-assisted therapy might offer the breakthrough you need. This sacred medicine, combined with skilled trauma therapy, can help you move from surviving to truly thriving.

The best way to know if psilocybin therapy is right for you is to schedule a consultation. We'll discuss your history, what you’ve tried before, what you're hoping to heal, and whether your nervous system is ready for this depth of work.

Contact Sona Collective today to learn more about psilocybin therapy in Denver and take the first step toward transformation.


Learn More About Trauma Recovery:


Kirsten Hartz, MA, LMHC, LPC

Kirsten Hartz, MA, LMHC, LPC, is the founder of Sona Collective, a trauma-informed therapy practice specializing in ketamine-assisted therapy, EMDR, psilocybin therapy, and somatic healing. With over 7 years of experience treating complex trauma and treatment-resistant depression, Kirsten helps highly sensitive and high-achieving adults move from survival mode to thriving through nervous system-informed care. She practices in Seattle and Denver, offering in-person sessions to clients in Seattle and virtual sessions to clients in Colorado. Click here to learn more about her.

Next
Next

Breakthrough Options for Treatment Resistant Depression