Highly Recommended San Francisco & Oakland Psychedelic Integration Therapist | Ron Burg, Ph.D.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach to treating mental health problems, combining a psychedelic experience with structured psychotherapy. There are three main components:

1. Preparation phase

In preparation sessions, your provider will assess your symptoms and readiness, educate you about what to expect, help you set intentions for your experience, and create a safe therapeutic relationship to support the dosing session.

2. Medication/dosing session

This is where you actually take the psychedelic substance, prescribed by a physician. You will take the dose either at home during a virtual session or in your therapist’s office.

3. Integration phrase

The integration phase—which is what I provide in—is where you work to understand and apply what came up during your experience. 

All three phases are important, but integration is where the real work of lasting change happens.

Psychedelic integration is the process of making sense of a psychedelic experience. It does not involve taking a psychedelic substance in the presence of the therapist. 

Integration is exploratory work that helps you figure out which insights are useful to your healing journey, how they connect to patterns in your life, and how to actually change based on what you learned.

Most psychedelic substances remain illegal at the federal level in the United States, though the legal landscape is beginning to shift, so it’s important to stay informed about current laws in your area.

Ketamine, one type of psychedelic, is a legal, FDA-approved substance that has been used for decades as an anesthetic. A nasal spray version has also recently been approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder.

Other types of psychedelics remain illegal, though certain jurisdictions have begun to decriminalize these substances.

Outside the U.S., countries like Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Jamaica, and Portugal have varying degrees of legal access to psychedelic therapy. Australia legalized MDMA and psilocybin for therapeutic use in 2023. 

More research is needed to determine who and what psychedelics can be helpful for, but there are ongoing studies and clinical trials that show promise.

Yes, several universities now offer training and research programs in psychedelic therapy. Johns Hopkins has the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. UCSF, NYU, and Yale all have active psychedelic research programs. 

The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)—where I completed my own psychedelic therapy training in 2022—offers a certificate program in psychedelic-assisted therapy and counseling. 

These programs are helping to bring psychedelic therapy into mainstream medicine through rigorous research and professional training.

A great starting point is Michael Pollan's book "How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence." It's well-researched, accessible, and gives a balanced view of both the history and current renaissance of psychedelic research. Pollan does a good job of presenting the science without overselling the benefits.

Psychedelic experiences can be powerful, but they're not risk-free. They can trigger psychosis in vulnerable individuals, especially those with a personal or family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. They can also bring up unprocessed trauma in ways that feel overwhelming or destabilizing. Some people have experiences that are genuinely frightening or that leave them feeling worse for a period of time.

It's also crucial that if you do choose to work with psychedelics in a therapeutic setting, you're with someone you trust completely. There have been cases of boundary violations and abuse in psychedelic therapy contexts, so choosing your facilitators carefully is essential. This is one reason why the field is working hard to establish proper training and ethical standards.

I'm not here to endorse or encourage psychedelic use. My role is to help you make sense of experiences you've already had, whether they were helpful, difficult, or somewhere in between.

Integration therapy works best for men who are committed to doing the real work of change, not just talking about insights. It's particularly effective for those who've had meaningful experiences but feel stuck translating them into action. 

This clinical trial found that over 70% of participants no longer met criteria for PTSD after participating in MDMA-assisted therapy. While more research is needed, studies like these illustrate just how effective psychedelic-assisted treatment potentially can be.

If you're looking for someone who'll give you straight talk rather than endless validation, who values getting results over just processing feelings forever, and who understands that change takes real work, then we'll probably work well together. I'm a good fit for guys who want practical guidance and aren't afraid to be challenged a bit.

Start by booking a free intro call with me. We'll spend about 15 minutes talking through your experience and what you're hoping to get out of integration work. This gives both of us a chance to see if we click before committing to anything. If we feel like a good fit, we'll set up regular sessions and get started on your integration process.