I’ve been looking forward to seeing some integration work in action. Part of me wished we would have caught the first session after the client’s psychedelic experience, but I really loved seeing Rosie work with literature prompts and refer back to the experience via the trip report. I also really valued the insight into how Rosie invites her clients to prepare for the experience ahead of the retreats she runs. Overall a really fascinating session in what promises to be a growing field!
At this point I also want to point you to my podcast “Talking about Coaching and Psychedelics” as well as the related Facebook group, home of our Interest Group Coaching & Psychedelics.
Curious to know more? Have a peek at this month’s Lab Report below or consider membership to access the recording of this and many more exciting coaching sessions (including a 45min debrief and Q&A with coach and client).
Yannick’s Coaching Lab #22 —Rosie Peacock
Lab Report by Daniel Lev Shkolnik
Summary
Rosie Peacock is a Psychedelic Integration Coach and Holistic Positive Psychologist who runs the Conscious Being Programme (https://www.consciousenterprise.co.uk/consciousbeing), a psychedelic retreat based in the Netherlands. Her client Jenny attended one of Rosie’s retreats and is now working with her as part of an 8-session series to help integrate her experience. In the session, Rosie used poetry, Jenny’s trip report, and other coaching techniques to help her arrive at a declaration that Jenny found both important and freeing.
Key Insights
Coaching Despite Trauma — Alongside her coaching work with Rosie, Jenny works with a therapist to address her husband’s suicide 2.5 years ago. The coaching work takes place in parallel to therapy in a responsible way by supporting Jenny’s journey rather than trying to heal her or focus on the source of the trauma. As a coach, Rosie managed the boundaries well and both were clear on what was best discussed with her coach vs. with her therapist.
Using the 90-Day-Windows — Evidence suggests that brain’s neuroplasticity remains elevated for 90-days after a psychedelic experience. In this time, the mind more easily forms new habits and behaviors, making it ideal to integrate insights and make personal changes in a coaching setting. Following the example of clinical trials, Rosie times her integration work to align with this 90-day window.
Working with Poetry — Rosie offered Jenny the poem “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters” by Portia Nelson as a prompt for reflection. Jenny was able to connect with the metaphors in the poem, finding ways in which she could “walk down a different street” instead of falling into the same hole.
Using the Trip Report — At an important point in the session, Rosie read a portion of the trip report Jenny created back to her: “There was a place in the trip I felt acceptance … free from my overwhelming past. … Then, it was as though I couldn’t stand the serenity… I plunged back into the nightmare and into the abyss.” Jenny reacted strongly to this and recognized how this pattern plays out in her daily life and how she’d have to break this pattern in order to move forward in her life.
A Declaration — When Rosie asked what it would look like not returning to the nightmare or abyss, Jenny declared that, after she completed the three job contracts she had committed to, she would never take on another interior design job. Afterwards, Jenny said “It was incredibly important for me to say that.” The transition of “interior design” to take on new psychological meaning was significant.
Takeaway
Integration work after a psychedelic experience is incredibly important to the healing process and can pair well with a coaching environment. A coach can help a client deepen into and better understand their experience as well as integrate their insights in actionable, practical ways so they become part of their daily life. In addition, coaching in the 90 days after a psychedelic experience can take advantage of increased neuroplasticity so clients are better able to form new habits, behaviors, and even come to new insights long after the psychedelic experience. Words of caution and ethics were offered when attempting to coach clients to prepare for and/or integrate such powerful psychological experiences.
Watch the recording of this session and debrief by becoming a member: https://bit.ly/CoachingLabMembership
The complete vault of recordings can be found at https://bit.ly/LabRecordings
Many more exciting Labs are on the horizon: https://bit.ly/FutureCoachingLabs
