Careers In The Psychedelic Renaissance | Psychedelic Concierge ep.5

Welcome to the Psychedelic Concierge Podcast. I'm Zappy Zapolin, and I'm excited to be here today with Lois Duncan, the program manager of Psychedelic Concierge. And not only is she amazing, uh, program manager, but her psychedelic story is one of the greatest I've ever heard from coming through trauma and knowing nothing about psychedelics to healing herself and then being an inspirational leader to a lot of people in the real world and on the online world, changed a lot of lives already. So that's amazing. And I've had the good fortune of sitting in ceremony with Lois up in Canada and Mexico. And then this coming week— next weekend, we're going to sit together in West Palm Beach at Gratitude Gardens and do another deep dive. It's like the third time we're going to be together doing medicine and hanging out. So I'm really excited. So welcome to the podcast.

Thank you. I'm very, very excited to be here and to be part of this incredible movement. So—

Yeah. So let's talk for a minute about the Psychedelic Concierge. Program before we go into a couple of like very unique features like our group ketamine practice that we do with our group and that those— that group does with their clients. Um, the most surprising thing for me, the most amazing thing for me beyond, you know, the curriculum that you and I and our team put together, that's world-class and accredited, but it really for me, it's all about the community, you know, these 70 people or so that are in our community now that are— we've hand-selected them because they have the right intention, they want to work in the industry, and, and now they're all collaborating. So tell me, uh, your thoughts about this, how this, this community and what that's all about.

It has been so exciting to be part of this community, and I love that we practice what we call sacred gatekeeping. And it isn't to keep people out, it's to to get the right people in so that we can create really safe containers. And this community has just been— it's growing and evolving. The curriculum is incredible. The foundation that we provide in the community is incredible. Bringing our guest faculty on, there's always— because this is a rapidly evolving and emerging industry right now. I mean, we're moving back into it, so things are changing as science comes out and And the community is so amazing 'cause everybody's bringing all their excitement, their passion, they're finding all these little pieces of information and knowledge and we discuss it and we talk about it and everybody has such a beautiful heart for wanting to work together, for wanting to see this industry be held with integrity and with care and with compassion and most people when they come in, they come in because they want the curriculum and then they get in there like, oh my gosh, what's really great here is the community and the people.

Yeah, they met their tribe, you know, that's what everybody says, like, oh my God, I finally met my tribe, and I am— I feel seen, and I, I, you know, so much cool collaboration happening now with retreats that are getting filled up, um, people that are, you know, shadowing an event or learning and then holding their own, and, uh, so that's so fun to see. I mean, I didn't I knew that was our vision, but to see it really happening is so fun.

Yeah, we have a group in Alaska, a whole bunch of our graduates and practitioners and students are all in Alaska right now having a retreat up there. It's just, they're just popping up everywhere. I was working with another student today who is planning a retreat in Peru and another one in Topanga, California, and another one in Costa Rica. So we're actually, they're taking what they learn and applying it in the real world and really getting out there and it's exciting to see and it's so fun to see the collaboration and the ideas and just how everybody kind of finds their own little niche and I think the people that come to psychedelic work, they tend to be a little different anyway.

Mm-hmm.

We kind of ride the edge of society and push the boundaries and I think the people in our group do it all in the most beautiful and correct way. Like a way that's very effective in generating real transformation, real healing, real connection. And I love that about this space.

Yeah, no, I love it. I was saying to somebody today, you know, there's a guy, John, in the program, and he's like a pharmacist in Florida, and he always says to everybody, you know, he reminds them, like he says, "If you're ever having a tough time or your client is, even if it's 3:30 in the morning, call me, I'm probably awake." And if I'm not, I would love to wake up and help you to get through a journey or your clients. So it's like, you know, have those kind of resources, have retreat center owners, research scientists, uh, art integrators, people integrate with art therapy, um, trip sitters, you know, all retreat leaders. Um, it really is so special because, um, You know, like you said, it's hard to talk to your family, your friends, all these different people about what you're doing. But when you're in the community, we meet every Wednesday night. We have a couple-hour call on Wednesdays as a group. We have guest lecturers, we have sharing sessions. And then, you know, a couple times a month we've got our executive program because the people that are going through Psychedelic Concierge, these are people that want to have a career. So we're helping them to get all of their thinking in order, the ideal client, their customer relationship management system, their funnels, all the things that you need to do to market in this space. And our tech team that supports them, they have that exact direct experience. So they know what you can and can't say and how to position yourself. So we're really being selective. We're only taking people who want to be in the industry and We probably only let 10% of the people in. We've gotten 10 times the number of applications as we have students, but we're being very selective because we want it to be the right people. And so that just feels really good that we have, you know, and I started as low as, as you know, because I already had too many leads and I was like, oh my God, I need somebody in California, somebody in Michigan, somebody in Houston. And I was like, I got— what am I doing? You know? Yeah. To make sure that they're trained and to make sure that, you know, we know that they're trained up and they're ethical and we understand who they are so we can send them leads. That's what this is all about. Um, you know, and, uh, you know, to see now all these people who've graduated the program and are— some of them are doing this full-time, some are doing it part-time, you know, wherever they are on the path, they're having so much success because they're in a professional container. They've got peers to, you know, test things with and to, you know, stress test and all that kind of stuff. So it's— I really, I'm excited. If anybody out there is watching and you think, you know, I need a community where people understand me in this way and I can talk and I can share and be part of these things, um, you know, I would say get in touch with us. Go to psychedelicconcierge.com. Fill out the application. We're really looking for the right people and, and join us.

I think it's amazing the, the variety of people that we have in the program as well. Like, we have a lot of— we have several doctors in the program. We've got a lot of nurses, a lot of medical people. We have several therapists. We also have like the other side, like cultivators and things like that. You know, we have people that are a lot of different roles that you can fill. And then we have people that are not— they have no intention of ever serving or holding medicine, you know, and actually doing that, but they're amazing connectors like you. Like, you're the most amazing connector I know. You seem to just have that gift. And so we have a couple people in the program that, um, that's what they want to do is basically concierge. They want to connect people to the right medicines and the right people and And then we've got people that are looking to put together retreats and events and collect the people that are gonna staff it, you know, and you can trust the people in our program are properly trained to hold space and to understand. And I do love the fact, and I think that's something that differentiates Psychedelic Concierge from everything else out there, is that we have this incredible executive program.

Yeah.

That teaches you the business side of things and it's, It's, and it's, those sessions are more workshoppy. We actually sit down, do it together, you know, ask questions, and it's about your actual situation because not everybody wants to do the same thing in our space. So there's room for lots of, like, I really think if I were a nurse, I would become a psychedelic nurse. Like, I would, I'm not a nurse, but if I were, that's something that is so so needed. There's just so many different things.

And yeah, I, I think, I think a nurse— that's a good point— a nurse, you have such an advantage because whenever I do a ceremony and I have a nurse there, everybody just feels that much better. They go deeper because of that. Uh, if you're a coach, you know, if I were a coach, I would get my psychedelic training because, you know, to coach people in the regular world, it's like, it's so difficult. They're not neuroplastic where they're gonna actually take your advice. Every time you get on the phone with them, it's like the same thing. But to have real breakthroughs, being a coach that integrates psychedelics is like a no-brainer for me right now. Therapist, every therapist should have this understanding. And what I love about the course, and Lois, you know, you've been an amazing part of helping to put that course together. What I love is that— Thank you. We teach people all the medicines because there's a lot of programs out there and they work on specifically one medicine. And the reason that philosophically we want you to know about all of them is that when you are conciergeing somebody and they come to you and they say, "Hey, I wanna do some kind of medicine or I'm having this problem, what should I do?" When you triage them and you know how to bring them through that process of exploration, that we teach, you might say, "Oh wow, you know what? I'm an expert in mushrooms and MDMA, but this person, it seems like they need ayahuasca or San Pedro or DMT or ibogaine because they're addicted," whatever the different thing they need that we're in a position where we know about it and we can say, "Hey, you know what? I think you need," say, "San Pedro, and I have a person for you to work with." in your area. And so to have all these people who have all these different specialties, but for everyone to know about all of the medicines, I think that's the most important thing. And then I just want to add to that, that a lot of the complaints that I've heard about the other training programs is that you go through, you get trained, uh, you pay a bunch of money and now you're trained and you're like, okay, but like, where do I get my clients? Well, how do I do that? And it's like, Oh man, that's tough, you know, because you really need, you know, to be chaperoned and use the right language and all that. And so the fact that we're bringing that to people means that they're going to be successful. And for our program, I mean, if you got just 2 or 3 clients, you would have paid it back and now you're rolling along and you've got yourself a career. So I think it's, you know, whatever way it goes down, I think it's important to know about all the medicine.

I agree. You know, I did the whole traditional path, right? I have a degree in psychology, that's in— and I did the whole therapy. I did talk therapy for years and years and years. I have a lot of trauma. And I don't now though. Like, I'm grateful for all of it now. Like, every terrible thing that ever happened in my life, I've been able to take it and turn it into something beautiful. And that was the —through psychedelics because for me, like, I did all the therapy and I just kept getting worse. And I came to this path, you know, completely never have done any type of drugs or anything like that. And psychedelics cracked me open. It created space for me to step out of the prison of the stories and the beliefs that I was holding that kept me stuck. And it's— Yeah. It liberated me, like it opened my mind and expanded me in a way that I don't think that my daughter, when my daughter who introduced me to psychedelics said I was the most close-minded person she'd ever met. And at the time I really was. And psychedelics, I still don't use substances, you know, other than in very intentional settings. But I went from being totally anti-drug, To like really just, I think that every single person on this planet should have a psychedelic experience to see the magic and the potential that it brings and that it opens up. But to be able to do it in a space where it's safe. So many people go out and they have these experiences and it's not done with a proper set and setting and it becomes traumatic and then it re-traumatizes or further traumatizes. I was very fortunate to land initially in a space with somebody that really knew what they were doing. And that's why I care so deeply about making sure that our students are well prepared, they have a deep understanding of what can come up and how to handle things and when to say, "Okay, this is too big for me to handle," and hand it off to somebody else, and when to say, "This is my zone of genius." Mm-hmm. And that's part of what I really try to help everybody in the program do as kind of tribe mama, and that's kind of my role, tribe mama, I guess, is to figure out where they fit and what works for them and what is natural to them and what they can really highlight within themselves to make this something that is fulfilling and rewarding and they're creating safety for all people that come into their container.

Mm-hmm.

And I love that about our program. I love our community.

Yeah. Well, luckily your daughter's a brilliant researcher at Johns Hopkins. So, you know, when it was your time to find out about this stuff, you, you know, learned from the best and you found the best facilitators and now that's your mission in life. So we're so blessed to have you here. I wanna, you know, just in the short time that we have, describe this incredible resource that we've put together for our group. To have ketamine experiences for themselves, but also to be able to put their clients through. Because right now, you know, as a lot of people have found out, ketamine is amazing for breaking suicidal ideation. It's great for, you know, solving grief and all kinds of things like that. And so, uh, by when the pandemic hit, uh, we switched over— us in the ketamine community switched over to the lozenges that melt in your mouth.— and we've come up with a really powerful way to use them to, you know, we've got a unique soundtrack people listen to. We hold space in a certain way and integrate in the, in the way that we train. And so we've been doing these ketamine groups over Zoom in our own houses with Lois and some other people holding space. And, and now those people get to put their clients, their family, people they run into who are in a tough situation through our ketamine protocol and with Lois's help and the doctor's help, because it's something that has to be done medically. We have a system to put people through and really cost-effectively change their life because it is priceless what happens in those ketamine experiences. So maybe Lois, you wanna describe like what, how the ketamine, virtual ketamine and— Yeah. How that works?

Well, yeah, so ketamine is the legal way that people can experience psychedelics in the United States right now. There's been a lot of, a lot of research done, and it is available. It is something that you do have to go through a medical doctor, so we have a relationship with a clinic, and we put you through a process that allows you to get cleared. You sit and do a consultation with the doctor. All the medicine, all of that is handled. And if you're not— if ketamine is not appropriate for you, you will be, you know, turned down from this process. So it's only people that are— that it's safe and that it is supportive for them. And then typically most clinics, they just send you the lozenge to your house and you do it on your own. And that can have a benefit, but what we found is our group process where you're you know, following the instructions of your doctor, but doing it together and collectively held in a group of other people that are also, you know, wanting to expand their consciousness to deal with their issues. Something about healing in community is so powerful. So these groups are beautiful. The music is carefully curated, the space is safely held, and it gives you an opportunity to not have to do it alone. Mm-hmm. And so many people that are struggling with depression, with anxiety, one of the biggest things that is creating that is their aloneness. Like, we are so lonely. We're the most connected society ever with social media and all these things, but we're so lonely. And this gives you an opportunity to come together with a like-minded group of people that are also in their own processes and care deeply about your healing and do it in community. Mm-hmm. Do it safely, do it legally, no gray areas involved. Everything is handled, and we made the process super simple. So yeah, this is amazing.

I— you make a good point. The group experience accelerates this. I just did one at Harvard with 18 students from Harvard, every school at Harvard, and the feedback was that because of the group, they went so deep, deeper than they even imagined, and had incredible healing. And so, uh, this is magical, and I'm glad we streamlined it for our people and their clients. And, and then next weekend, Memorial Day weekend, we are doing— Lois and I are hosting with, uh, another mobility oracle, Elizabeth Shear. We're, we're hosting a Memorial Day weekend retreat at Gratitude Gardens in, uh, West Palm Beach, this dome village. And medically supervised. It's going to be an incredible experience, but it's that group container. And when you do a weekend, a reset weekend like this, it's the equivalent of going to Peru for 2 weeks. And I've done that. And I can tell you, this is just as deep, just as powerful, just as transformative. And so a lot of opportunities for our Psychedelic Concierge group and their their clients to come to events and experience different medicines, be in the right set and setting, and then be in a position to share that with other people because they, you know, learned and they apprenticed and things like that. And then they're in a position to hold space for these different medicines. So it's so exciting. I mean, this is like, we really are in the greatest moment ever. We've got the psychedelic renaissance happening. Ai. All coming together at this moment. And I just want to urge people, you know, if you're thinking about psychedelics, you really want to be in the right set and setting because, you know, it's like going to the gym. You can go to the gym and you can get the best body in the world. Absolutely. You don't need anybody else. But if you work with a trainer or somebody who's a professional, knows what they're doing, you're probably going to get a lot more out of it. Yeah. You may avoid a bunch of mistakes that they made, avoid injuries, all those kind of things. So psychedelic conciergeing, guiding, it's in the same genre. It's like, you can go get some psychedelics and do it yourself, and God bless you, but if you do it with a trained facilitator, somebody who can help you to prep and guide you and then integrate you, you can get as much out of it as possible. And Lois and I have seen that 1,000 times each. Mm-hmm. And so I would urge anybody who's interested, check out Psychedelic Concierge. As I said, we're looking for the right people. It's— there's nowhere to buy this thing online and just jump in there. It really is a process because we want the right people because of that collaboration and because of that, you know, really strong community that we have. So join us. And Lois, any— anything to add there before we wrap here today?

I think that being coachable and coming into this space and with a really open heart, for people that really want to have a heart for service, those people are going to really shine in this field. But learning how to do it in a way that— and one of the things I love about our program is we teach people how to be able to do this and be well-resourced in the process with connections, with people, with understanding, and breaking through the money wound, which is often the something that comes up often in this space. There's just nothing like having community and having people and having support in the program and learning to be a psychedelic concierge, and then also in life and as a client wanting to sit with the medicines. I think that community is where it's at. That's why I love these group experiences that we're making available to people, and it's just, it's exciting to see the world finally have access to real healing. Like for me, I changed every aspect of my life. Like literally my relationships are healthy, my body's healthy, my mind is healthy, my heart is healthy. Like I'm spiritually grounded and every aspect of my life is better because of psychedelics.

Wow, love that. Yeah. And Lois, just, you know, we're so grateful to have you. You're a genius, you're a wizard. And you are the mother of this, uh, group here, and you're really doing an important thing, holding space in the way that you do. So I look forward to seeing you, uh, in the real world. I'll see you this weekend. We're gonna have a lot of fun. And, uh, we'll see you soon on the Psychedelic Concierge podcast. We'll see you next time. Peace. Peace.