Red Flags in Psychedelic Facilitation: A Guide for Retreat Participants
In my work as a psychedelic integration guide, I see and hear too many people reporting harmful experiences with facilitators, retreat leaders, or shamans, sometimes right after a ceremony, sometimes months or even years later. This matters because plant medicine retreats put people in emotionally and psychologically vulnerable states, where psychedelic experiences can bring up complicated or traumatic material from one’s past. Bad facilitation in these moments can have lasting consequences.
The harm I’ve witnessed ranges from financial exploitation to emotional, physical, and sexual boundary violations. Often it isn’t one dramatic incident. It’s a series of things that didn’t sit right at the time but only made sense in hindsight: boundaries getting crossed, pressure to comply, confusion being reframed as “part of the process,” or discomfort being dismissed as resistance. Parts of the retreat scene are run by people who are inexperienced or underprepared at best, and at worst, clearly crossing ethical lines.
It is therefore essential to make informed choices and distinguish good facilitators from harmful ones. Working with a trustworthy facilitator while in this vulnerable state isn’t just important. It’s crucial, as the wrong choice may have long-lasting consequences.
The Current Landscape
In the current retreat scene, many centers hire volunteers with little experience with the medicine, facilitation work, or the psychological risks involved for participants. But even extensive experience does not shield participants from harm, as facilitation ethics and knowledge vary wildly, and frankly, are often inadequate. Moreover, it is not uncommon to encounter retreat leaders with inflated egos, as psychedelics can foster this.
What a Facilitator Should Be
A facilitator’s role is to hold space so that participants feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually safe and are able to work with the medicine. The facilitator helps clarify whatever is unclear and offers a supportive structure. The facilitator is usually not a therapist, but offers non-intrusive support in addition to the medicine work.
This article does not aim to assign blame, but rather to raise awareness among future retreat and ceremony participants — and in the facilitators themselves — about what can be harmful to participants.
The following list of red flags is not exhaustive, but rather a selection of concerning behaviors you may encounter at retreats or ceremonies. Some of these, taken alone, may not necessarily be cause for concern. Every participant should use their own judgment regarding the quality of a facilitator and when they may be at risk of harm.
The Red Flags of Facilitation
Boundaries and Consent Violations
Does not respect boundaries and/or questions or blames participants for their boundaries
Does not discuss consent
Touches participants during ceremony without permission
Pressures participants to take the medicine or encourages them to drink more
Asks personal questions and pries for intimate details while participants are under the influence
Lectures or plants ideas while participants are under the influence of the medicine
Sexual Misconduct
Encourages or attempts to engage in sexual intimacy with participants
Creates a climate of sexual promiscuity
Has or has had sexual relations with participants in the group
Dates participants during or after the retreat
Makes sexual, misogynistic, or discriminatory jokes
Safety and Preparation Failures
Conducts no medical screening
Does not prepare participants or warn of risks
Does not disclose the contents of the substance being ingested
Mixes other substances without warning participants
Offers participants substances different from those announced
Is completely unavailable for questions or support during and/or after sessions
Power Dynamics and Superiority Complex
Claims to have special powers
Positions themselves as a higher being, superior, or enlightened
Talks down to participants
Treats their staff with contempt
Gets angry at criticism
Emotional Manipulation and Gaslighting
Blames participants for lack of perceived benefits from the medicine
Blames participants for their trauma
Shames participants for their reactions
Frames doubt as “resistance” or “ego”
Gaslights participants’ intuition or gut feelings
Uses spiritual justifications for abusive behavior
Encourages emotional or spiritual dependence
Tries to separate people from their loved ones
Lack of Professionalism and Ethics
Does not do what they promised to do
Disregards participants’ privacy, shares personal details with others, or gossips about them
Does not respect participants’ belief systems
Gives special treatment to certain participants
Misrepresents their credentials, background, and/or experience
Does not seem to be part of a professional network; works in isolation
Integration and Aftercare Issues
Does not discuss the importance of integration
Is unavailable for support after the retreat
Disregards participants’ concerns
Financial Exploitation
Pressures participants for extra financial support
Promises healing and miracles
Threatening Behavior
Threatens participants at any moment without legitimate reason
What to Do If You Spot Red Flags
Everyone has blind spots, but a good facilitator will welcome having them pointed out and will work on themselves to gain awareness of their own shadows and limitations.
If you spot one or more of these red flags, consider whether you can safely address them with the facilitator or retreat organizers. If not, seriously consider leaving the retreat. Your safety comes first.
Conclusion
Choosing a facilitator for psychedelic work is one of the most important decisions you can make in your healing journey. While no facilitator is perfect, the presence of multiple red flags, or any severe violations, particularly around consent, boundaries, sexual conduct, or safety, should not be overlooked or rationalized away.
Trust your intuition. If something feels off, it probably is. A good facilitator will respect your concerns, maintain clear boundaries, prioritize your safety, and support your autonomy throughout the entire process. You deserve nothing less than ethical, professional, and compassionate care.
Remember: you have the right to ask questions, voice concerns, and walk away from any situation that doesn’t feel safe. Your wellbeing is paramount, and no ceremony or healing promise is worth compromising your physical, emotional, or psychological safety.
If you’ve been harmed by a facilitator, shaman, or retreat space, what you experienced matters, and it was not your fault. Abuse in psychedelic or spiritual contexts often leaves confusion, shame, and a loss of trust that can be difficult to process alone.
Working with a qualified psychedelic integration guide or therapist can help you make sense of what happened, restore a sense of safety, and reconnect with your own discernment. This work is not about minimizing harm or reframing abuse as “medicine,” but about supporting clarity, boundaries, and self-trust.
If you’re seeking support, I offer one-on-one, trauma-informed psychedelic integration work in a grounded and ethical framework. Whether with me or another professional, you deserve care that respects your experience and puts your wellbeing first.
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