A 6-month experiential and educational program in collaboration with Dr. Gabor Maté, including a 6-day psilocybin-assisted retreat in the Netherlands, starting on June 4th, 2024.
Apply now to sign up for 2025 Waitlist!
Overview
The Psychedelics and Compassionate Inquiry program runs from June to November 2024.
In-person
The retreats are integrated into the middle of the program, taking place from July to September 2024. In this way, you have ample time for adequate preparation and integration, guided by the Kiyumi team.
- Option 1: July 13 - 18 Retreat Full
- Option 3: August 5 - 10 Retreat Full
- Option 4: August 13 - 18 Retreat Full
- Option 5: August 22 - 27 Retreat Full
- Option 6: September 7 - 12 Retreat Full
We use psilocybin containing truffles that are legal in the Netherlands. Our experienced practitioners support your preparation, journey, and integration process. For more information on psilocybin-containing-truffles, please read our FAQs.
Online
Online course will begin on June 4th, 2024
Live Virtual Sessions with Dr. Gabor Maté
Dr. Maté will guide an interactive group process in which he puts his approach into practice and shares his wisdom.
Compassionate Inquiry Circles
The circles are a gateway to understanding Dr. Maté’s approach and connecting it to your personal self-inquiry. This group is also your retreat group. This allows you to prepare and integrate with the same people.
Kiyumi Interactive Workshops
These workshops will provide insights into important aspects of the psychedelic journey, such as tools for navigating the experience, embodiment and expressions, the mystical experience, community building, and much more.
Online sessions:
Tuesdays and/or Thursdays @ 19:00 – 21:00 Central European Time (CET) from June to November.
For more information about the program please click here:
Components of the Program
6-Day Psychedelic Retreat with 2 Psilocybin Experiences
A 6-day all inclusive retreat with two psilocybin journeys, hosted at our beautiful center in the nature of the Netherlands. The retreat is a powerful and connective psychedelic-assisted process that deeply explores mind, body, and spirit.
6 Live Online Sessions
with Dr. Maté
Dr. Gabor Maté will facilitate 6 interactive online sessions over the duration of the program. Dr. Maté’s engaging and interactive approach to leading group sessions allows him to connect with individuals and what is alive in the space.
Kiyumí Psychedelic
Workshops
Our expert facilitators will share tools to prepare for, navigate through, and integrate the psychedelic journey in six online live-group workshops. The lively, experiential, and informative sessions will present different practices spanning from embodiment and…
Compassionate Inquiry Circles
& Video Material
In order to learn and experience the Compassionate Inquiry approach, you will participate in 10 CI circles throughout the program. Each session is 2 hours long and introduces you to the key concepts and practices in CI and initiates the process of self-inquiry.
Integration Program
In the phase of integration, we will assist you in exploring your experience, reflecting on the insights gained, and applying them to your life in a meaningful manner. Throughout, we will work towards finding balance in your path, encompassing mental, physical, and spiritual aspects…
Past Participants Have Expressed
- Cultivating a better relationship with themselves, others and with nature
- Finding a meaningful and clearer sense of purpose
- Accepting themselves more fully
- Connecting to a diverse group of people who are on a like minded path of personal growth
- Connecting to traditional practices within the field of psychedelics and plant medicine
- Reframing old habits and integrating practices that support ongoing long-term change
- Nurturing a sense of belonging through being part of the Kiyumí community
- Gaining tools to navigate the psychedelic space
Curriculum
Module 1
Psychedelic Journey
Preparation
We seek to create a safe space for an expansive psychedelic journey that harmonizes body, mind, and spirit. This module breaks down the journey step by step, mindfully addresses concerns, and provides tools for navigating the experience and anchoring yourself when challenges arise. This module empowers you to… read more
Module 2
Listening to the Body:
Embodied Experience
Through a range of somatic practices, we cultivate listening and tap into our body’s inherent wisdom. Participants engage with the self as a vivacious and full sensing organism. We discover and celebrate the body’s power of self-regulation and resilience. Deepening our relationship with our body, we explore how we exist… read more
Module 3
The Mystical Experience, Ritual,
and Ceremony
This module prepares for the ceremonial work encountered during the retreat, sharing information on its antecedents and inviting further engagement with ritual in daily life. Participants will explore what spirituality is for them, in what ways they relate to the great mystery, the unknown, and how to lean into it. We will study… read more
Module 4
Sound and Movement:
Play as Medicine
By freeing our expression through voice and movement, we can reconnect with joy, authenticity, deep emotional release, and modes of knowing beyond language. Together, within a safe community that invites and celebrates vulnerability, we will learn about playfulness, shame, and letting… read more
Module 5
Contemplative Practices
Contemplative practices enhance our awareness of what lies within as well as beyond our own body, and support simply being. Practicing going inward, sitting with what is, and accepting our states with equanimity serves as a powerful tool for navigating psychedelic spaces as well as our daily lives… read more
Module 6
Connection to Nature
Growing in vast networks below the mushrooms, mycelium functions as a resource-web allowing trees to share messages and nutrients. Mycelium exemplifies connection and mutualism, inviting us to bond with our interrelated nature and assisting us to remember we are integrated into the web of life… read more
Module 7
(Re)membering Community:
Power of the Group
Together, we seek to overcome the often isolating individualization of society and commune in a manner that nurtures empathy, connection, and a space for group processing. Being held in a group setting offers us a unique container to lean into our humanness and to be seen and heard with compassion. Similar to how our body’s… read more
Module 8
Integration
The integration process is an ongoing path intended to help digest and ground your journey in a meaningful way during the retreat and beyond. The weeks and months after a retreat can be a pivotal time of growth, change, turbulence, and celebration. Integration offers fertile ground to learn or unlearn habits and embody… read more
Testimonials
Participants share their retreat experience
Who is this program for?
This training is open to healthy individuals and practitioners who are interested in acquiring comprehensive tools for self development and are willing to commit to an extensive personal-inquiry process supported by psilocybin containing truffles.
“ It hasn't been often in my life where I have felt that connected to myself and to other humans. I was able to experience deep grief and sadness in a safe and supported environment which has helped me process the passing of my wonderful Dad. I have learnt the importance of community - something I have been longing for. A place to feel safe where everything is welcome, to be supported and to support others. I feel more connected to my heart and the retreat as a whole has helped me on my path in coming home to myself.”
"I have connected with parts of myself that had been suppressed since childhood as well connecting with other group members so deeply. The love I have for myself and the other members feels for the first time so authentic. High lights were the ceremony and integration days and discussions with facilitators. In essence I took away what I needed to find and that was the ability to truly trust.
"There's a real gender binary, often in medicine circles. I feel like neither and both. It felt here like there's a fluidity with it all and a place for whatever kind of expression I bring. I haven't experienced that before in any other medicine circles. I felt seen, taken care of and I´m very grateful for this inclusive and safe environment."
" The retreat was profound and life changing for me. It was the most connecting and meaningful experience in many years. It helped me gain insight into underlying patterns and suffering, to my body and to feelings that I had long ago lost touch with. Kiyumi has a way of making you feel like you just came home to your tribe. Real attention and connection in everything they do. "
“I have been to a few psychedelic ceremonies, but never with such intense care, and such truly dedicated facilitators, and an understanding that healing happens in community, that sharing and integration is fundamental, and that play and dance and joy are part of it as well”
"I loved every single one of the facilitators! They all brought their own unique energy and skill set that combined to create a beautiful safe space that allowed us to do deep work, but also (and maybe more importantly?) have fun!"
“Releasing pain. Laughing. Connection. Peace. Stillness.”
“The different sessions were all excellently held, and I enjoyed the mix of things more meditative and more energetic. Everything felt thoughtfully and lovingly planned. It was an overwhelmingly positive experience. The facilitators were outstanding: warm, open, wise - it felt like you were all coming from the depth of your own experiences with this process. I can’t wait to see what the longer term impact might be!”
Meet the Team
Our interdisciplinary team of specialists is trauma-informed and here to support you on this in-depth journey. We come from a wide variety of backgrounds – clinicians, therapists, body/voice/movement-practitioners, researchers, and artists. The diversity of our team is essential to our work, safety, and inclusivity to support a very human experience.
Dr. Gabor Maté
Integrative Sessions Leader
Gabor Maté is a retired physician who, after 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s…
Amit Elan
Visionary Director | Facilitator
Amit Elan is leading the vision of Kiyumí. He is co-director of Altered – a conference exploring psychedelic research and consciousness in Berlin.
Dr. Rosalind Watts
Clinical Psychologist | Integration Specialist
Dr Rosalind Watts is a clinical psychologist and the founder of ACER Integration. Her contributions to the field of psychedelic therapy…
Leor Roseman
Psychedelic Researcher
Leor is a researcher at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London. He received his MRes and PhD under the mentorship of…
Julian Vayne
Occultist | Psychonaut | Writer
Julian is a co-organizer of the psychedelic conference Breaking Convention, and a Trustee of The Psychedelic Museum Project. A founding member of the…
Lisa Wessing
MA Clinical Psychologist | Facilitator
Lisa Wessing has a Master in Clinical Psychology and was trained in psychology, anthropology, and biology in her BSc. Lisa has been …
Dr. Julia Javkin
PhD | Psychiatrist | Screening Director
Dr. Julia Javkin graduated as a physician from the U.N.R in Argentina. She graduated as an Acupuncturist at that same University. She specialized as…
Lia Amit
Somatic Psychotherapist |
Voice & Movement Teacher | Facilitator
Lia is a somatic therapist, voice and movement teacher. Lia is facilitating spaces for healing through empathic connection. Holding space for Mindful…
Públio Valle
Integration Therapist |
Facilitator
Públio is an integration therapist, yoga and meditation teacher. His initial contact with Ayahuasca in the Peruvian Amazon inspired him to do deeper investigations in Asia…
Asha Passalacqua
Integrative Body Worker |
Facilitator
Asha Passalacqua is an integrative bodyworker, aquatic therapist, and movement facilitator. A believer in holistic, human-centered, and social-justice informed approaches…
Dr. Allison Creech
PhD Psychology, Naturopathic Dr |
CI Facilitator
Dr. Allison Creech, M.Ed, ND is a Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner, Facilitator, and Mentor. She has worked as a licensed doctor of naturopathic medicine…
Dr. Vimalasara (Valerie) Mason-John M.A (hon.doc)
Author | CI Facilitator
Dr Vimalasara (Valerie) Mason-John M.A is a founding facilitator of Compassionate Inquiry, and is the author of 10 books, including the award winning book…
Lara Longo
Psychotherapist | CI facilitator
Lara is a Compassionate Inquiry Founding Facilitator and Practitioner. As a psychotherapist and trauma therapist, her approach to therapy is…
Lilian Gscheidel
BSC Psychology, Hospice | Facilitator
Lilian Gscheidel is a gestalt- and dance therapist as well as a trained facilitator for transpersonal breath work and heroes journeys. Besides that, she gives…
Santiago Madero
Psychiatrist | Facilitator
Santiago Madero is a trained physician from Colombia who works as psychiatrist and therapist in Barcelona, where he is starting a center…
Matt Russell
CI Facilitator
Matt Russell is a Compassionate Inquiry Facilitator and a Marriage and Family Therapist based in Sacramento California. He has trained in…
How to take part?
Investment
In order to give you a comprehensive program, carefully consturcted learning material, expert facilitators, and top quality venues, the financial investment is:
Early Bird Price
5500€
(SOLD OUT)
Regular Price
6500€
Additional costs:
90€ Psilocybin Truffles
90€ shuttle to/from retreat (optional)
To make our program more accessible you can also pay in installments. Payment plans are available once you are accepted.
To reserve your place, the deposit is 1,500 €. Registrations are closing soon.
Equity Scholarship
In line with Kiyumi’s vision of building an inclusive and mixed platform, we have set up the Kiyumi Equity Fund to be able to provide equitable access to safe psychedelic experiences to people who would otherwise not be able to afford participating.
We welcome applications from all perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences; however, members of the following groups are especially encouraged to apply: Members of LGBTIQ+ communities, members of ethnic minorities, persons with a deep financial need, single parents, and differently abled persons (provided they can participate in the activities of the program and retreat). Additionally, we would like to support people at the beginning of their career with a professional interest in psychedelics or whose experience may impact their potential to cause positive change.
Scholarship Entries Closed for 2024
Apply now to sign up for 2025 Waitlist!
There is limited capacity for the program
Applications are accepted pending an approval process. Please note that the use of psilocybin is not suitable or advisable for everyone. There are some instances where we are unable to accept an application due to potential psychological, medical, or pharmacological contraindications.
Focus on self growth
This is an educational, experiential, and developmental program. It is not suitable for people seeking therapy or as a substitute for therapy and it cannot be used in place of psychological/therapeutic support.
It is recommended that you talk to your therapist about your intentions to participate in the program if you are currently in therapy. It can be useful to discuss your experiences and further explorations of the online program with your mental health professional for further insight.
FAQs
If you have questions about our other programs, please read our general FAQ, and for any other questions, you can always reach out to us via contact@kiyumi.org.
Psychedelics & Compassionate Inquiry Program
Dr. Gabor Maté will be teaching via 6 live-online meetings in which he will support the preparation and integration process of the program. In interactive sessions with Dr. Gabor Maté, he will discuss intention setting, beliefs, and triggers through the lens of his modality, Compassionate Inquiry. In these live sessions, Dr. Maté will also interact with participants and answer questions.
All online classes will be held in the Kiyumi Zoom rooms. Participants will receive links upon signing up.
CI Circle Sessions will be held online in groups of up to 16 people, with whom you will also attend the retreat. Kiyumi workshops and live online sessions with Dr. Gabor Maté will be conducted online, with all program participants in attendance (96 people).
The program will begin on June 4, 2024. All groups will start with the online material, CI circles, Kiyumi workshops, and sessions with Dr. Gabor Maté before attending a retreat. This gives sufficient time to prepare for the retreat and supports familiarity within each group. The program is also structured in such a way that there is sufficient assisted integration time after the retreats.
Workshops and sessions with Dr. Maté will alternate between Tuesdays and Thursday. They will always be held from 19:00 – 21:00 CET.
Your retreat group corresponds to your CI circle group. The CI circles will be held on Tuesdays or Thursdays, depending on the retreat option you choose.
Participants attending retreat options 1-3 will attend CI circles on Thursdays, 19:00 – 21:00 CET
Participants attending retreat options 4-6 will attend CI circles on Tuesdays, 19:00 – 21:00 CET
During your application, you will be asked to select retreat dates. We will have a cohort of approximately 90 people that are split up into 6 groups. Each group will do one retreat during the 6 months.
You choose one retreat from the following options:
- July 13 – 18 Retreat Full
- August 5 – 10 Retreat Full
- August 13 – 18 Retreat Full
- August 22 – 27 Retreat Full
- September 7 – 12 Retreat Full
The Kiyumi workshops and the sessions with Dr. Gabor Maté will be recorded.
As the CI sessions are an intimate group process, there will not be recordings available for these. However, participants will still receive full access to all the written and video Compassionate Inquiry material that accompanies each session.
Yes. After your application is accepted, you will receive an email detailing how you can pay in up to four monthly installments.
Application & Data Protection
You will apply to the program online. In the application, we ask different questions about your personal history so that we can support you accordingly and assess whether this program is suitable for you.
Once we send the confirmation via email, you will receive a payment link to reserve your spot. Your spot will be reserved as soon as we receive your payment, or your first payment if you pay in installments. Please see our cancellation procedure below.
You will receive more information for your preparation for the program closer to the start of the program.
Your application helps us gain insight into your intention for working with us and the needs you may have during the entire process, meaning before, during, and after the retreat.
We thank you for your honest and detailed responses to our questions. We are aware of the sensitivity of the information you provide and take data protection very seriously. Your information will only be shared amongst the relevant members of our team and no one outside of Kiyumí will be given access to your personal data.
We use a customer relationship management tool in order to securely store and access your digital information. This is only accessible to members of the Kiyumí team.
Cancellations & COVID-19
Your retreat fee includes a €300 non-refundable deposit, which covers application processing and administrative fees. If you have any questions, please reach out to contact@kiyumi.org. Our office team will be of assistance.
Should you decide to cancel your participation in the full program after you have been accepted and paid your fee, you can let us know by April 1st, 2024 at latest. Please note that no refunds will be available for cancellations made after April 1st, 2024.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide a refund or change the dates of your retreat, if you are unable to attend the retreat that you signed up for. We invite you to still participate in the online part of the program. This is important for the safety of the container of the group.
If you are paying in installments and need to cancel for any reason after the deadline, then your full payment is still due in the previously agreed upon dates.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide a refund or change the dates of your retreat if you are unable to attend the retreat that you signed up for. We invite you to still participate in the online part of the program. This is important for the safety of the container of the group.
If you are paying in installments and need to cancel for any reason after the deadline, then your full payment is still due in the previously agreed upon dates.
We follow the local regulations in the Netherlands. Currently, there are no restrictions for our retreats.
We follow the local regulations in the Netherlands. Currently, there are no restrictions for our retreats.
Participants are responsible for confirming that they are able to travel and enter the Netherlands. We encourage you to regularly verify travel policies and local restrictions before and after applying to our retreats. Please find the latest rules and travel regulations for visiting the Netherlands here.
Psychedelic Substance and Dosages
We use truffles in our retreats. Psilocybin-containing-truffles are legally sold in the Netherlands, while Psilocybin-containing-mushrooms are not. Truffles may have a different appearance, yet they share the same active ingredient as the so-called “magic mushrooms”.
Fungi are complex beings in which the mushroom is only one part of the whole. The mushroom is the fruiting body of fungi and is visible above the ground. The larger part of fungi is actually below ground and is called the mycelium. This is a web of thin fibers that grow through the soil, wood, and organic matter. The mycelium connects plants and trees within a forest, exchanges minerals and food with plants, and digests and breaks down plant matter. Some species of mushrooms have adapted to droughts by creating tough knots of mycelium beneath the ground, which are commonly called truffles.
The recommended dosage is between 1 to 1.5 packs (between 22gr to 33gr) of a specific strain to maintain safety and consistent results. This contains around 20-35 mg psilocybin. Ultimately, the dose will depend on your medical history, body weight, personality type and previous experience with psychedelics.
Participants will ingest the truffles in a ginger tea infusion which allows fast absorption and helps reduce the possibility of nausea.
Retreat Eligibility
It is important that your application reflects your actual state as well as your medication. Some might have contraindications, and we need to make sure we can safely work together before, during, and after the retreat.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept people who are currently using SSRIs/ SNRIs, MAOI antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants, or antipsychotics. For eligibility, it is necessary to have stopped using these types of medications for at least 3 months before participating in our retreats. We do not advise you to stop using any kind of medication without the advice and support of your mental health practitioner/ medical doctor.
According to research on the use of psychedelics and mental health there are certain conditions for which psychedelic use is not advised. These are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. There are also mental health challenges for which group retreats are not suitable and for which therapy would be more appropriate (e.g. people actively struggling with substance use disorder, suicidal thought patterns, etc.). These guidelines ensure the well being of our participants and we hope for your understanding. Through our application process seeks to support each person in the best way possible.
Unfortunately we cannot accept anyone taking antidepressant medication at this time. This is because SSRI and SNRI antidepressants work on the same receptor system as psilocybin and block the effects of it. Trying to overwhelm the medication with the truffles is not a sensible approach.
The Kiyumi staff is trained in first aid and we will have necessary first aid equipment present on-site. We have a safety protocol in place for any emergencies beyond our scope in which both medical and/or psychiatric support can be called onsite. If you have any allergies, we recommend bringing an epi-pen for extra safety.
We make decisions on each application on a case by case basis. Our safety team takes care in reviewing the psychological and physical health, medications, etc. in order to assess whether an applicant can be approved. We may ask you for an interview with our psychiatrist before confirming your application to rule out any possible complications.
Certain mental or physical health conditions or the medications that are used to treat these conditions may interact in potentially risky ways with psilocybin. Please provide a detailed description of any diagnoses so we can take appropriate measures and keep you safe.
Travel, Accommodation and Catering
Booking transportation to and from Amsterdam:
Arrival: Before 14:00 CET
Onward travel: After 17:00/18:00 CET
The retreat group will meet earliest at 14:00 CET at the Kokopelli Smartshop. The smartshop is located about a 5 minutes walk from Amsterdam Central Station. Here, the group will gather and also buy the truffles for the retreat. A facilitator will meet you there and bring you to the shuttle.
You may also choose to make your own way to the venue. The address of the venue will be in your preparation kit sent one month before your retreat.
The retreat ends around 13:00 CET on the last day. Arrival in Amsterdam will depend on which retreat venue you are at. You will arrive at Amsterdam Central Station between 16:00 – 17:00. Please book your onward travel accordingly.
What to bring:
You will receive a digital preparation kit from us approximately a month before your retreat. You will receive information about what to bring and how to prepare for the retreat.
Unfortunately, it is not possible for participants to arrive a day late or leave a day early. The retreat is constructed in a way to create a safe container for all participants and in which all parts are important for the individual as well as group experience. We also recommend taking some time off after the retreat, a day or more, to allow for a smooth transition back into daily life.
We offer a shuttle bus to and from the venue. The shuttle will pick you up close to the main station in Amsterdam. This is a great opportunity to get familiar with the group and a facilitator will be present to accompany the ride. There is an additional cost of Є90.
You are also able to make your own way to the venue. All needed information about times and addresses will be sent as part of the Welcome Package, which you will receive at the beginning of the program.
Yes, depending on availability and the date of your request/booking. There are a limited amount of private rooms. There is an additional cost of 250€ all together for the 5 nights. If, for specific reasons, you need to obtain a single room and do not have the funds for it, write to us at contact@kiyumi.org or ask for a call with one of our team members.
This is a plant-based retreat (vegan). The meal plan is specifically adapted to the retreat, taking into account the specific nutrition needed before and after your psychedelic journey. Nutrition is important for health and joy in life, and Kiyumí emphasizes delicious and healthy food as part of a happy life. Please indicate any special dietary requirements during your application so that our chefs can adapt to your needs.
More Questions?
For any other inquiries, please email us at contact@kiyumi.org
