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The Guiding Presence

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An online educational program and resource offering interviews, manuals, and training materials from experienced psychedelic practitioners about holding space and best practices for psychedelic-assisted sessions. It provides audio/video presentations and a manual (edited by James Fadiman) as a free master class on psychedelic care.

IntroductoryOnlineFreeContinuing educationFacilitation trainingHarm reductionIntegration trainingOtherCurious publicAspiring practitionersLicensed cliniciansFacilitatorsOther

Blossom’s read

The Guiding Presence sits in the older, lineage-heavy wing of psychedelic education rather than the newer clinical-certification market. It seems best suited to people who want to learn the practical and ethical craft of holding space from veteran practitioners, especially those interested in sitter, guide, chaplaincy, integration, and spiritually informed work. The tone is strongly practitioner-led and historically rooted, with notable names such as James Fadiman, Stanislav Grof, Ralph Metzner, the Mithoefers, and Eli Kolp shaping its credibility.

Who The Guiding Presence is for

Best for therapists, facilitators, chaplains, and serious curious learners who want a broad overview of psychedelic session support and the viewpoints of established pioneers. It also appears suitable for people exploring this work from a non-clinical or spiritually oriented angle.

Prerequisites

No formal prerequisites or licensure requirements were stated on the sources reviewed. One page notes a more limited scope is available for those seeking CE credits, but entry conditions for the full programme were not specified.

Accreditation & recognition

The programme offers 4.5 hours of CE credit for psychologists, social workers, marriage and family counsellors, and nurses. CEs are provided through R. Cassidy Seminars, require separate CE registration and completion of designated modules and a test, and are available only after registering for The Guiding Presence.

Cost

The main programme is described as free for new participants from 2024 onwards, with streaming audio and video, over 50 hours of recordings, written materials, and checklists included. Older pages also mention a $149 fee supporting the Chaplaincy Institute, presenters, and hosting platform, so the pricing appears to have changed over time; the CE registration fee is additional.

What you walk away with

Learners gain a large archive of interviews and presentations on screening, preparation, session conduct, ethics, music, safety, integration, and meaning-making. The site frames the experience as a master class rather than a formal licensure pathway or accredited degree, and CE credit may be available for a narrower set of modules.

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