What now?
Integrate your experience into your day-to-day life
It can feel so powerful to get a different view of yourself and of the world.
But your psychedelic experience is only transformative if you figure out what to do with it.
- Do you need to adjust your priorities?
- Do you want to shift how you interact with the people in your life?
- Are you considering making a major life change, like leaving your job or getting out of a relationship?
I can help you integrate your new insights with your life and values. I can be your sounding board to work through what feels different to you and what it means, then support you as you craft a plan to maintain momentum toward the new viewpoints you’ve experienced and the realignments you choose.
I’m not your guide. Instead, I support you on your unique path, helping you choose from your possible options, create a workable plan and overcome obstacles.
If you’ve had an intense experience using medicine for personal growth or healing, you might come out of it and have everyday life take over, either because your daily priorities overshadow your newfound feelings or you can’t figure out how to start. You aren’t a different person because of your experience. You still have a home, a job, a family and friends … and at least some of those things will make it feel easier to stick with the status quo.
I take a holistic approach, working with you to get clarity on your values and goals, existing and evolving, rather than narrowly interpreting only your psychedelic experience.
I can help you be intentional about your direction, so you evolve in the ways that suit you.
Colleen is the bird’s eye view you’re looking for. She’s the hand-on-the-shoulder you want and the kick-in-the-pants you need!
~ Sarah Rose Siskind, host of the NYC-based educational comedy show Drug Test
Am I the right coach for you?
You might think I’m an unlikely integration coach. You’re not wrong. But my path here is one of my strengths as an empathetic coach.
I believed all the Just Say No propaganda in the ’80s. I was convinced if I took acid that I’d claw my own eyes out before jumping off a building. The first time I smoked pot, I was 30. I was in the parking lot behind my mom’s wake, with my family. Not exactly counterculture rebellion material.
My curiosity about psychedelics came not via college drug experimentation but through reading about pagan and Wiccan beliefs, which led to learning how many of the world’s cultures have used plant medicines in a reverent, spiritual way. That made me question what Western society might be missing for insights and healing.
While I look more like a bougie mom going to brunch than like a later-day Ken Kesey acolyte, I’ve become a student and advocate of psychedelics, absorbing knowledge and sharing what I’ve learned. I’ve blogged for more than a decade about living life intentionally, so I have been especially struck by the spirit of self exploration and curiosity in this community. Contrary to the lingering Timothy Leary stereotypes and my anti-drug brainwashing, we aren’t people escaping reality. Quite the opposite, we are using these tools to better understand and to improve our realities.
Your experience might be totally different than mine. I can show you respect and support your journey if you’ve gotten here a different way. But I believe arriving here later in life, with no small measure of skepticism and fear, gives me an appreciation for the profound gift of midlife transformation and a special empathy for those who are just tentatively dipping a little toe in.
Do you want to work with someone who will:
- Listen to your insights and experiences in a supportive but removed third-party way, without judgment or emotional attachment?
- Understand both your desire to change and the practical reasons you might want to preserve your status quo?
- Be your cheerleader and champion, as well as challenge you and hold you accountable?
Then I might be the right choice to help you understand and implement your experience.
I am not a fit for you if:
- You are looking for a guide, a trip sitter or a shaman.
- You want someone to provide you substances or tell you if you should use a substance.
- You need a licensed psychotherapist to work with you through trauma or mental health concerns.
If you aren’t sure, let’s talk. I only take on clients I feel confident I can help, and I’ll tell you honestly if I don’t think I can get you where you want to go.
How I Have Helped My Clients
Testimonials
You shared many insightful and useful tips (I for one will need to work on my “tactical patience” and trying not to catastrophize) and provided valuable resources for those who want to dig deeper.
And, as you do so well, you fostered a trusting environment where people felt safe to share and ask questions.
I was feeling stuck in my career and unsure how to move forward. Colleen helped me get clear on what wasn’t working for me and what I should focus on.
She also helped direct me to defining my values and strengths. This was a fun but important discovery, and everything fit and described me well. It felt good to get to know myself more in this way.
With her coaching and recommendations, she has led me to having more fulfillment in what I do each day.
Your coaching sessions help me stop and reflect on what I’ve done (I finally tell myself ‘good job!’) instead of immediately tackling the next mountain), and give me a chance to look forward.
I know I wouldn’t have had many of the successes I’ve had over the past several years without them. That is an absolute fact!