{"id":20796,"date":"2024-03-12T18:26:36","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T02:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/?p=20796"},"modified":"2024-03-12T18:27:10","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T02:27:10","slug":"psilocybin-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/psilocybin-facility\/","title":{"rendered":"Psilocybin facility"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor<\/span><\/p>\n

At one point, licensed facilitator Patrick Winczewski was the only full-time facilitator in the state of Oregon \u2014 one of two states able to provide legalized psilocybin, a psychedelic mushroom, for clients. Now, Winczewski is no longer the only one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inner Guidance, located in North Albany, allows for individuals or groups to experience psilocybin, which, according to the pamphlets offered in the lobby, is \u201cA naturally occurring compound found in many species of fungus\u2026 and has been used by humans for spiritual and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Psilocybin contains psilocin, which closely resembles serotonin, both as a molecule and the effects it has on the brain. It allows the brain to maintain neuroplasticity \u2014 which develops new neural connections, creating new habits for individuals or stimulating mental growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you imagine you\u2019re sledding down a hill, and if you always slide down the same route, that route \u2014 that rut \u2014 is going to get really deep and it (can be) really hard to get out of it,\u201d said Winczewski. \u201cThe metaphor is that (psilocybin) is like a fresh blanket of snow to help you pick new routes, help you get out of the rut you were in and find a different pathway. So if you\u2019re wanting to work on yourself, wanting to process trauma, get over whatever addiction concerns you have \u2014 that\u2019s the time to do it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At the location in North Albany, the mushroom is offered in three variations: capsule, powder and its natural growth. The powder is most popular, since it may be mixed in with applesauce or other substances, and the effects occur quicker in comparison to the other options.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s interesting because I think a majority of the people who do psychedelic mushrooms do have an excellent time,\u201d said Winczewski. \u201cA lot of people that we see are looking for a supportive space because they have things they\u2019re needing to work on. They have trauma they need to process and they want to do it in a supportive environment. We don\u2019t like to use the term \u2018bad trip\u2019 because even if an experience is challenging, which a lot of them are, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not productive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Winczewski is a facilitator \u2014 a far different job from a therapist. In his position, Winczewski sits with the clients \u201cjourneying\u201d and does not interject. Individuals are free to follow their experience without his influence, but facilitators will offer support when necessary alongside their non-directive approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

The facility offers various rooms \u2014 Earth, Sand, Water and Space \u2014 with instruments, coloring books, stuffed animals and more displayed for use. Clients may sit in comfy, reclining chairs, indulge in music or eat snacks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During preparation, the first appointment for any client, clients disclose their medical information to Winczewski and learn about psilocybin and the main goal of a facilitator, which is to make the client feel comfortable.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is the second appointment \u2014 known as administration \u2014 that the client will experience the effects of psilocybin. Clients must be dropped off and picked up before and after the appointment, which ranges for hours, with the highest dosage being a minimum of a six hour stay.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people think we\u2019re guides. We know a lot about it obviously, but I think some people expect to have more answers given to them, and interpretations given to them, but we\u2019re required not to do that,\u201d said Winczewski.<\/span><\/p>\n

The final appointment, which is optional, exists to provide consultation regarding the experience. Clients may meet with their facilitator to go over the event, something facilitators believe every person should have the opportunity to do. Winczewski recommends waiting a week before meeting for the integration appointment, leaving time to collect, reorganize and apply what they\u2019ve learned to their day-to-day life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Facilitators are required by Oregon state law to pass an Oregon Health Authority curriculum-approved training program, which, for Winczewski, took six months. The training consisted of indigenous presentations from Shamans on the drug, neurochemistry lessons, counseling, comfort training and ethics. The War on Drugs is evaluated alongside history surrounding psychedelics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Winczewski hopes that Oregon having legalized psilocybin in certain circumstances will allow for a reformed system across the nation. \u201cIt\u2019s a natural medicine. It has profound effects that no other pharmaceutical drug has or does. It\u2019s been used \u2014 it\u2019s proven safe. It\u2019s proven effective,\u201d said Winczewski. \u201cThis really connects people with their past, their ancestors, their earth, to their God, in a way that other medical systems do not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Winczewski admits he is a big fan of mushrooms \u2014 that a substance like psilocybin may cure America\u2019s lack of emphasis on preventative and natural medicine and change lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like my soul is on fire after a really good session,\u201d said Winczewski. \u201cPeople work through so much stuff. We have group sessions and they all just love each other so much \u2014 there\u2019s a camaraderie that\u2019s built.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Psilocybin is still a vastly unexplored tool, with clients not always understanding the true nature of the plant. \u201cPart of my job as a facilitator is also to reduce people\u2019s expectations. You can read one hundred different books on psilocybin journeys \u2014 most of them written by white men \u2014 but you\u2019re not going to get the answers for what your session will be like by reading all these stories,\u201d said Winczewski. \u201cBecause yours is going to be unique, but also beautiful, and we\u2019re here to support you in any way that is necessary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1094,"featured_media":20797,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1780,2260,2254,2264,2257,2258,2266,2256,2255,2262,507,2265,2263,2261,2099,2259],"class_list":["post-20796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-albany","tag-facilitator","tag-facility","tag-inner-guidance","tag-journey","tag-journeying","tag-life-trek","tag-life-trek-llc","tag-mushrooms","tag-north-albany","tag-oregon","tag-patrick-winczewski","tag-psilocybin","tag-psychedelic","tag-therapy","tag-winczewski"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1094"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20796"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20796\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}