Integrity Commitments

The Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies (NCPS) is an innovative center of excellence for psychedelic-assisted care and sacred encounter, with an ecology-centered mission to relieve suffering and enhance the human experience. Grounded in mindfulness and compassion practices, NCPS believes contemplative training is crucial for ethical and engaged psychedelic therapists. NCPS offers a range of psychedelic education opportunities focused on the transformative healing potential within this emerging field. Our approach is deeply rooted in an intersectional, anti-oppression, and social justice lens, which is considered essential for the ethical delivery of psychedelic medicine.

Naropa’s Commitment to Diversity 

Naropa University draws on the vital insights of the world’s wisdom traditions and is simultaneously Buddhist-inspired, interreligious, and nonsectarian. A commitment to diversity flows from these overarching values and is carried forward throughout the institution, informing and enriching education. Through our admissions policies, hiring practices, teaching, and more, we strive to offer an environment that focuses on belonging with differences. These policies are given life through the active inclusion of persons representing a variety of groups defined by race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, diversity of thought, socioeconomic background, age, ability, national origin, and religion, among others. 

Learn more about Naropa’s Purpose, Vision, Mission & Values and Office for Inclusive Community.

About Psychedelic Harm Reduction

The Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies (NCPS) integrates a holistic educational approach with a strong commitment to harm reduction principles. Harm reduction, which includes policies and practices for safer, managed, or abstinent drug use, is vital in our work. It aligns with our goals to create an intersectional, anti-oppressive, and decolonial learning environment. This commitment is infused within our curriculum, aiming to reduce risks and enhance outcomes for our trainees and their future clients.

We also uphold a firm harm reduction policy during experiential retreats or any other NCPS programming, prohibiting trainees from bringing or using any outside substances, even when psychedelic medicines are part of the program under supervision. This ensures the safety, control, and integrity of our training environment, allowing for legal, responsible, and ethically guided psychedelic experiences for our trainees. Adherence to this policy is critical for the effectiveness of our programs and reflects our dedication to responsible psychedelic use in therapeutic settings.

For those interested in learning more about harm reduction, we recommend exploring resources provided by organizations such as:

• Fireside Project, which offers psychedelic peer support
• Zendo Project, focused on psychedelic harm reduction
• MAPS, a leader in psychedelic research and education
• DanceSafe, a harm reduction organization that offers education and drug testing

Psychedelic Studies BIPOC Scholarship Fund 

As part of Naropa’s commitment to help promote diversity, equity and access in the emerging field of psychedelic studies, and with generous support from donors like you, we are pleased to offer various types of financial assistance to program participants, including Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Scholarships, as well as support for specific program aspects and training opportunities.

The Psychedelic Studies BIPOC Scholarship Fund supports qualified professionals enrolled in Naropa University’s psychedelic studies programs. Preference is given to those qualified enrolled professionals who are members of historically underrepresented groups, as well as trainees who serve these communities.

Acknowledging Indigenous Land in Colorado

The Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies recognizes and honors the deep indigenous roots of Colorado. Belinda Eriacho, Diné (Navajo) and A:shwii (Zuni), MPH and MT, our Native American Advisor, shares:

“There are several tribes who called Colorado home, including the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho), Tsêhéstáno (Cheyenne), Oc’eti S’akowin (Sioux), Kiowa, Čariks i Čariks (Pawnee), Sosonih (Shoshone), Ndee (Apache) and other Ancestral Puebloan nations.”

She further emphasizes the significance of the region’s tribes:

“Within the State of Colorado, there are two federally recognized tribes, the Ute Mountain and the Southern Ute. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, also known as the Weenuche Band of Ute Nation, are located on the western side of the Rocky Mountains. … The Southern Ute are comprised of the Mouache and the Caputa bands with their headquarters located in Ignacio, Colorado. We celebrate our neighbors the Ute tribal nations, who refer to themselves as the Núuchi-u or Nuche, meaning the ‘Mountain people’.”

Through Belinda’s insights, we emphasize the importance of acknowledging and respecting the indigenous history and present-day communities of the lands where Naropa University is located. Read Belinda Eriacho’s full statement, “Honoring Diversity in Native America,” on The Pilot Light, Naropa’s official blog.

Honoring the Origins of Sacred Medicines

Belinda Eriacho, Diné (Navajo) and A:shwii (Zuni), MPH and MT, our Native American Advisor, offers this acknowledgement of sacred medicines:

Statement Regarding Abuses of Power and Sexual Misconduct in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Spaces

Naropa University acknowledges and condemns abuses of power in the psychedelic therapy community, including sexual exploitation of clients by therapists and researchers. 

Naropa University faculty or staff have not been implicated in these or other allegations of misconduct by clinicians, researchers or staff.  Nevertheless, the Center for Psychedelic Studies leadership recognizes that Naropa is part of a larger professional community of accountability. This larger community has work yet to do in order to adequately address abuses of power and prevent future harm from taking place. Naropa reaffirms our stated commitment to engage in courageous conversations and to take such actions that will challenge us to remain continually vigilant and use our growing position of leadership and influence to prevent abuse in the field of psychedelic assisted therapy and to take immediate steps to address any abuses about which we become aware.

Responses and subsequent actions to hold perpetrators and their institutional homes accountable must be transparent and commensurate with the harm caused, regardless of impact.  This is an essential component of professional ethics standards we adhere to as educators and as clinicians. Naropa University has experienced its own challenges arising from persons in positions of power and influence. The institution has not always dealt with the issues and the impact on victims as skillfully as we might have and we commit to meaningful and honest self-examination of our own training program as we grow in the psychedelic education space. We seek to join a community of colleagues who will be vigilant and steadfast in the creation of training programs that take seriously the responsibility to train psychedelic practitioners who embody a strong commitment to ethics and right relationship to power.

Perspective on Privacy and Data Collection

The Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies (NCPS) is committed to ethical, compassionate, and responsible practices in this field. This commitment is deeply rooted in our aspirations for an intersectional, anti-oppressive, social justice and ecology-centered approach to this work, which we consider essential for the ethical delivery of psychedelic services.

NCPS acknowledges the complexities involved in the implementation of adult supported psychedelic services standard of care and regulations. With that in mind, we wish to outline some key areas of support:

• Ensuring Client Confidentiality: NCPS advocates for the right to confidentiality and privacy of clients seeking psychedelic services. We support firm privacy policies in the realm of adult supported psychedelic services, ensuring client data is protected throughout the period of receiving services and beyond.
• Proactive Measures Against Data Exploitation: Recognizing the potential for data exploitation, NCPS advocates for proactive measures. This includes ensuring that rules and regulations meet high standards of data protection and privacy, prohibiting for-profit and other exploitive uses of data.
• Safety and Reporting Standards: NCPS supports comprehensive safety data reporting in adult supported psychedelic services. We advocate for transparency in service delivery, informed consent, client safety, and matters related to dosing and potency. Collecting and reporting basic safety information, including service averages, adverse events, and demographic data is essential for ethical, equitable practice and continued improvement. 
• Transparency in Data Usage: NCPS advocates for transparent communication with clients regarding the use of their data. This includes clear, understandable consent forms that outline how client data will be used, stored, and protected, ensuring clients are fully informed and can make empowered decisions about their participation.
• Community Engagement and Collaboration: NCPS values community involvement and collaboration. We urge regulatory bodies to work closely with communities and their leaders, integrating their needs and perspectives into proposed rules and regulations.
• Collaboration with Regulatory Bodies: NCPS supports working together with regulatory authorities to establish and enforce data privacy and security standards. We believe such collaborative efforts are key to creating a safe and trustworthy environment for adult supported psychedelic services.

   

This statement reflects NCPS’s commitment to integrity, diversity, equity, and ethical practices in adult supported psychedelic services. We continue to support initiatives that enhance client safety, promote transparency, and ensure equitable access to these transformative therapies, while upholding our foundational values of ecological sustainability, diversity, and contemplative practice.