Who Wants to Be a Psychedelic Practitioner?
The conversation that should come first
There is no shortage of psychedelic trainings to sign up for, and they vary widely in length, clinical rigor, cost, and what they actually prepare you to do. From the outside it is hard to know whether a given program fits your license, your scope, and your practice, or whether you are ready to choose one at all.
This talk maps what is legal now and what is coming, lays out the practitioner pathways and what each one really costs, names the ethical terrain most trainings skip, and closes with a guided discernment process so you leave with a clearer sense of your own next step. Even if that step is "not yet" or "not this."
It is not a certification, not a training, and not a sales funnel into one.
Preview the slides
The full talk adds live commentary, current research, and a facilitated self-assessment. These are the slides as the room sees them.
How the 90 minutes is spent
What attendees walk away with
- A realistic picture of the psychedelic field and the practitioner pathways into it
- A framework for evaluating training programs before committing to one
- A curated resource list of established programs, with honest notes on cost and scope
- A clearer sense of their own next step, through a guided process of self-inquiry
Open to psychotherapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses and physicians, coaches, chaplains and spiritual care providers, bodyworkers, peer supporters, and students. No prior experience with psychedelics required. Continuing education credit has been available for licensed therapists at live sessions.
About Michael
Michael VanderWaal, LCSW is a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy practitioner, retreat facilitator, and founder of Caring Practitioners Circle, a vetted network of relational practitioners. Licensed in five states with an active KAP practice, he works closely with practitioners exploring whether and how to enter the psychedelic field.
He is more interested in helping people make a well-informed decision than in selling them on a path.
First presented live in July 2026 in collaboration with Expansive Education, as the opening session of an ongoing series shaped by attendee questions.
Bring this talk to your group, or talk it through
Available as a live webinar or in-person session for practices, training cohorts, conferences, and communities. Individual career coaching and consultation are also available for practitioners exploring psychedelic work.
vanderlcsw@gmail.com Free 30-minute consultation