Beyond the Medicine : The Critical Role of Training and Safety in Psychedelic Therapy with Joe Moore and Kyle Buller | EP16 | with Psychedelics Today

In this episode of The Psychedelic Couch, host Clare Faulkner is joined by Joe and Kyle, the co-founders of Psychedelics Today, to discuss the rapidly evolving world of psychedelic therapy. The conversation focuses on the growing importance of proper safety protocols, education, and comprehensive training for facilitators working with psychedelic substances such as MDMA, psilocybin, and ketamine. Joe and Kyle emphasise how vital it is for facilitators, whether in underground or legal settings, to be thoroughly prepared to ensure both safety and effective therapeutic outcomes for their clients.

A key theme in the discussion is the ongoing legal and medical advancements surrounding psychedelics in the U.S. The episode touches on the groundbreaking steps being taken in places like Oregon, where psychedelics have been fully legalised, and the upcoming FDA decision on MDMA-assisted therapy. Joe and Kyle highlight how this shifting landscape requires innovative training approaches that integrate both traditional therapy methods and newer, more flexible models that embrace non-directive frameworks.

The podcast also delves into the challenges of the current lack of standardised accreditation for psychedelic therapists. With new state regulations beginning to take shape, there is hope that these standards will provide clearer guidelines for training future facilitators. Throughout the conversation, Joe and Kyle stress the importance of ongoing personal development and community support for those guiding others through psychedelic experiences. Facilitators must engage in their own inner work, cultivate patience, and seek mentorship to ensure ethical responsibility and trauma-informed care.

Ultimately, the episode underscores the complexity of psychedelic therapy and the need for facilitators to be not only skilled in therapeutic techniques but also deeply aware of the broader cultural and ethical implications of working with psychedelics. For those interested in pursuing a career in this field, the episode provides information about Psychedelics Today’s training programs, including their comprehensive 12-month course.

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Joe Moore co-founded Psychedelics Today in 2016 with Kyle Buller. As CEO, Joe has co-created one of the planet's best-known psychedelic podcasts and training platforms. He combines over 20 years of avid psychedelic study and training with over 20 years of experience in software and multinational project management. Joe is a leading expert in transpersonal breathwork, a board member of the Psychedelic and Pain Association and the Psychedelic Medicine Coalition, and a sought-after international speaker on the intersecting subjects of psychedelic medicine and healing, breathwork, drug policy, medical innovation, international justice, and environmentalism.

Kyle's interest in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness began at the age of 16 when he suffered a traumatic snowboarding accident. After this near-death experience, Kyle’s life changed dramatically. Kyle subsequently earned his B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology from Burlington College, where he focused on studying the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness by exploring shamanism, Reiki, local medicinal plants and plant medicine, Holotropic Breathwork, and psychedelic psychotherapy. Kyle has been studying Dreamshadow Transpersonal breathwork with Lenny and Elizabeth since October 2010.Kyle earned his M.S. in clinical mental health counselling with an emphasis in somatic psychology from Prescott College. Kyle is a Licensed Associate Counsellor and offers psychotherapy services specializing in psychedelic integration, spiritual emergence, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Kyle’s clinical background in mental health consists of working with at-risk teenagers in crisis and with individuals experiencing an early episode of psychosis and providing counselling to undergraduate/graduate students in a university setting.

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