Who We Are
We're a team of licensed therapists, ACT trainers, and psychedelic researchers with a deep passion for and experience with preparing, guiding, and integrating psychedelic experiences in both group and individual settings. We are committed to promoting an ACT-informed approach to psychedelic-assisted therapy in the service of our guiding values: Openness, Self Transcendence, Safeness, & Light-heartedness. Our role in these retreats is to act as “Setters” – those responsible for fostering a setting conducive to deep individual and group work. We are there throughout to help guide and support participants while they are in the role of sitter and doser. We also facilitate all preparation and integration sessions to help ensure that participants are able to make the most of their experience.
Our Approach
Ours is a pragmatic stance towards psychedelic science. We aim to create retreats that are practical and accessible for people wanting to learn to guide others in their use of psychedelics, deepen their practice of psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy, or simply be more equipped to better support and understand clients who want to talk about their own psychedelic experiences in therapy.
We acknowledge and have deep respect for the long tradition of psychedelics in indigenous communities worldwide and recognize the wisdom in spiritual and non-science-based approaches to these medicines. While we honor these perspectives and the rich cultural heritage surrounding the use of plant medicines, we seek to understand and apply a science-based approach to psychedelic medicines.
Our particular approach is one that is grounded in our best understanding of the science of how people thrive as well as how people overcome psychological struggles. Much of our psychological work is guided by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Contextual Behavioral Science. We integrate our knowledge of psychological science with a growing research base of psychedelic science and psychedelic-assisted therapy to inform how we prepare people for retreats, facilitate retreats, and conduct integration.
Our Guiding Principles
There are four guiding principles that have informed the design and implementation of our retreats. These principles were developed through a combination of experience and a review of the empirical literature on what variables most reliably predict positive outcomes in psychedelic-assisted therapy and retreat contexts.
Openness
Approaching whatever arises, including the challenging stuff with a posture of openness, curiosity, and trust in the unfolding present. In the language of ACT, we might also call this acceptance or willingness.
Self Transcendence
We seek to help people connect with being a part of something larger than our own limited self-conceptualizations. Transcending our limited self-stories allows us to appreciate both what is different among us and what is shared.
Safeness
Growth best occurs in a larger context of psychological and physical safety. This includes forming a sense of connection and belonging in the group, while also ensuring appropriate and effective interpersonal boundaries.
Light-heartnedness
While we believe in the importance of creating a sense of sacredness and seriousness, we also value play, laughter, and light-heartedness. We need lightness to blend the “deep” with play, pleasure, joy, and connection. We think of this as going on an adventure together
Meet Our Team - The "Setters"
Our retreats are designed and overseen by our "Setters" – experienced ACT psychedelic-assisted therapists and researchers, most of whom are actively involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy research trials.
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Jason Luoma, Ph.D
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Director of Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science (PIPS)
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Scientist and clinical psychologist with extensive experience in psychedelic research and therapy
Jason is CEO and co-founder of Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, and Training Center in Portland, OR, a social enterprise that generates revenue to support substantial research activities. His research focuses on shame, self-stigma, connection, and the application of ACT and psychedelic assisted therapy as an intervention for shame and for increasing self-compassion. He is currently principal investigator on two clinical trials related to psychedelics including a trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety disorder. He is also an internationally recognized trainer in ACT, former chair of the ACT training committee, and past president of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. He has over 80 publications including co-authoring two books: Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Values in Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Helping Clients Explore Values, Increase Psychological Flexibility, and Live a More Meaningful Life. His work on shame and compassion can be read at www.actwithcompassion.com
Jenna LeJeune, Ph.D.
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Clinical psychologist and researcher focused on psychedelic integration
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Clinical trial therapist providing psychedelic services
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Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer
Jenna LeJeune, Ph.D. is President and co-founder of Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, and Training Center in Portland, OR. As a licensed psychologist, Jenna is deeply interested in issues of meaning, purpose, and values. She is currently a study therapist on two clinical trials involving psychedelic-assisted therapy, one on the use of MDMA-assisted therapy for those with social anxiety disorder and another on the use of 5-MEO-DMT for those experiencing treatment resistant depression. She has also completed the full MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training program. Jenna is the co-author of the book Values in Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Helping Clients Explore Values, Increase Psychological Flexibility, and Live a More Meaningful Life, as well as numerous other book chapters, journal articles, and other publications focused on values, meaning, self-compassion, and shame. She is a peer-reviewed ACT trainer and provides ACT trainings for professionals around the world.
Miranda Morris, PhD
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Clinical psychologist providing psychedelic consultation and integration services
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Ketamine-assisted therapy provider
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Peer reviewed ACT Trainer
Miranda is a licensed psychologist and the co-founder of True North Therapy & Training, a group practice in Bethesda, MD, committed to providing and training practitioners in evidence-based therapies. As a Peer Reviewed Trainer in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), she conducts regular workshops in ACT and other contextual behavioral therapies. She currently serves as Past President on the Board of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) and is President Emeritus of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the ACBS. As a long time student of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy (PAP) and ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP), Miranda is on a mission to integrate ACT and PAP/KAP. To this end, she is a co-founder and board member of the local group Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Healing (PATH) a new not for profit organization committed to making legal KAP affordable for all.
Brian Pilecki, Ph,D
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Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator in Oregon
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Clinical Services Manager, Portland Institute for Psychedelic Sciene
Brian is a clinical psychologist at Portland Psychotherapy specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders, trauma/PTSD, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. He practices from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) orientation and has extensive experience in the areas of mindfulness and meditation. At Portland Psychotherapy, Brian is an active researcher and a study therapist on several clinical trials including the investigation of the use of MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of social anxiety disorder. He provides training and workshops to clinicians in areas related to psychedelics and is an instructor for Fluence, a leading psychedelic training organization where he provides training to psilocybin facilitators in Oregon and to study therapists in clinical trials across the country. He is founder of Entropia and provides psilocybin facilitation to individuals and groups in the state of Oregon. Brian is the author of the book ACT-Informed Exposure for Anxiety and co-host of Altered States of Context, a podcast about psychotherapy and psychedelics.
Temple Morris, LCSW-C
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Therapist/clinical investigator across multiple psychedelic clinical trials
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Therapist providing psychedelic consultation & integration services
Temple is a co-founder of True North Therapy & Training, a group dedicated to sharing contextual behavioral therapies with clients, practitioners, and the broader community. As a therapist, her primary modalities are Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration therapy (PHRI) – models in which she provides clinical supervision and consultation. In addition to her private practice, Temple is a Consultant Therapist at Sunstone Therapies, where she provides MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapy to study participants with treatment-resistant PTSD and Major Depression. Recently, she helped co-found Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Healing (PATH) – a not for profit group working to make legal psychedelic therapy available and affordable to all – where she currently serves as board president. She also serves as co-chair of the board of the ACBS Psychedelic Special Interest Group.
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The Pheasant
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Self-appointed grounds supervisor
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On-site wildlife entertainment coordinator
Our resident pheasant – as yet unnamed – is a creature of discerning taste and questionable motivations. The property owner insists that he is not a permanent resident. Perhaps he's a bird of expensive tastes, only showing up when the caliber of guests meets his exacting standards. Or maybe he's trying (in vain) to tell us something of significance. The jury's still out.
His presence is a study in contradictions. He maintains a careful distance, yet insists on announcing himself at regular intervals. His enthusiastic crowing serves as an unsolicited timekeeping service for guests - particularly effective, if unwelcome, at dawn.
Despite his aloof demeanor, the pheasant takes his self-appointed role as property watchbird seriously. He surveys his domain with the dedication of a middle manager gunning for a promotion. His presence is noted as both an honor and a test of early morning patience. In the end, he remains an enigma wrapped in feathers.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
By embracing and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, we strive to create a more holistic, effective, and transformative experience for all who participate in our programs. This commitment is intrinsic to our guiding principles, particularly "Safeness" and "Self Transcendence." We believe that by creating a truly inclusive environment, we enhance the sense of safety that is crucial for growth and self-exploration. Moreover, our focus on self-transcendence naturally extends to recognizing and celebrating our inter-connectedness across all dimensions of human diversity, while still acknowledging our differences. We are committed to making our services and retreats as accessible as possible and actively work to reduce barriers that might exclude people from traditionally underrepresented or marginalized communities. This includes considerations of financial accessibility, physical accommodations, and culturally sensitive practices. Toward this end, we offer scholarships to people who cannot otherwise attend our retreats and encourage people to ask about those when they apply.