What to Expect from Your First Psilocybin Therapy Session
If you’re considering psilocybin therapy at Sona Collective in Denver, you may be wondering what to expect from the process. Unlike recreational psychedelic use or medical-only treatments, psilocybin-assisted therapy is a comprehensive therapeutic process that focuses on the therapy. This requires preparation sessions for you to build rapport with your therapist, begin any necessary trauma work, and set intentions for your session. You can also expect to have at least one integration session after.
Understanding Psilocybin Therapy vs. Other Approaches
Before we dive into what your first session will look like, it’s important to understand what makes psilocybin therapy at Sona Collective different from other options you may have heard about. We don’t just facilitate psychedelic experiences; we offer psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Our therapist, Tali Wertheimer, LPCC, brings specialized training in EMDR, somatic therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), combined with extensive personal and professional experience with psilocybin medicine. This means when difficult material emerges during your journey, whether it’s stuck trauma, fragmented parts of self, or somatic material held in your body, we have the clinical skills to help you work with it therapeutically, not just witness it.
The difference between working with a trained facilitator versus a licensed trauma therapist is significant. We weave together EMDR principles, somatic therapy, and IFS parts work to help you make sense of your experience and embody the insights that arise. This holistic approach addresses not just your symptoms, but the root causes of your suffering.
The Preparation Phase: Building Your Foundation
Your first psilocybin experience doesn’t begin on the day you take the medicine; it begins weeks before, during the preparation phase. This is where we lay the groundwork for a safe, transformative journey.
During preparation sessions, we’ll discuss your history in depth: what you’ve tried before, what traumas you’re carrying, what patterns keep you stuck, and what you’re hoping to heal. We’ll talk honestly about your relationship with control, your capacity to surrender, and any fears you have about the process.
We’ll also teach you nervous system regulation techniques that will serve you during the journey. Learning to recognize when you’re activated, how to ground yourself in your body, and how to work with intense emotions before your psilocybin session means you’ll have tools available when you need them most.
Crucially, we’ll work together to establish your intentions for the experience. What are you hoping to explore? What are you ready to release? What clarity are you seeking? While we’ll encourage you to hold these intentions lightly (psilocybin has its own intelligence and may take you where you need to go rather than where you think you want to go), setting intentions creates a framework for your journey.
The Journey Session: What Actually Happens
Your psilocybin session takes place in a carefully prepared space designed to support deep introspection and healing. We pay attention to every detail of “set and setting.” This is not just the physical environment, but the entire relational and psychological context that allows transformation to unfold safely.
The session typically lasts 4-6 hours from the time you take the medicine until the effects fully wear off. You’ll take psilocybin in a therapeutic dose that we’ve determined together based on your intentions, history, and readiness. Some people choose to wear eye masks and turn inward with music; others prefer to keep their eyes open and engage with their therapist.
Throughout your journey, your therapist remains present, not as a passive observer, but as an active guide. We offer somatic interventions when you become overwhelmed, EMDR processing when traumatic material surfaces (when this makes sense), and gentle guidance as you navigate expanded states of consciousness. If difficult emotions arise, we help you stay with them rather than pushing them away. If you encounter fragmented parts of yourself, we help you approach them with curiosity and compassion.
Many people describe psilocybin journeys as both deeply emotional and spiritually revelatory. You might experience a profound connection to something larger than yourself, encounter suppressed emotions with newfound compassion, or gain sudden clarity about patterns that have kept you stuck for years. You might cry, laugh, feel waves of grief or joy, or simply rest in a state of peaceful awareness.
What’s important to understand is that there’s no “right” way to have a psilocybin experience. Whatever arises is exactly what needs to arise for your healing. Our role is to hold space for whatever emerges and help you work with it therapeutically.
The Integration Phase: Where Real Change Happens
Here’s what many people don’t realize: the psilocybin journey itself is just the beginning. The real transformation happens in the weeks following your session, during what we call the integration phase.
Research shows that psilocybin creates a window of neuroplasticity lasting several weeks after your journey. During this time, your brain is remarkably malleable, forming new neural connections and pathways that can shift long-held beliefs, emotional responses, and ways of relating. This neuroplastic window is why integration work is so crucial; it’s your opportunity to consciously shape the new patterns that are forming.
In integration sessions, we help you make sense of what you experienced. We explore the insights that emerged, work with any difficult material that surfaced, and help you translate mystical or symbolic experiences into practical wisdom you can apply to your daily life. We also address anything that felt incomplete or confusing during your journey.
Integration isn’t passive reflection, but active embodiment work. We use somatic practices, EMDR when appropriate, and parts work to help you actually embody the insights from your journey rather than just intellectually understanding them. This is how temporary peak experiences become lasting transformation.
Is Psilocybin Therapy Right for You?
Psilocybin therapy works best for people who are genuinely ready to do deep work and not just seeking quick relief. It’s important to be committed to the preparation process, to surrender during the journey, and engage in integration afterward.
You might be a good candidate if you’ve tried traditional therapy or medication but still feel stuck, if you understand your trauma intellectually but your body still doesn't feel safe, or if you’re struggling with treatment-resistant depression, complex trauma, existential anxiety, or relationship patterns that haven’t shifted through other approaches.
The best way to know if psilocybin therapy is right for you is to schedule a consultation. We'll discuss your specific situation, answer your questions, and determine together whether your nervous system is ready for this depth of work.
If you’re ready to explore psilocybin therapy in Denver with experienced, trauma-informed guides, contact Sona Collective today to begin your healing journey.
