Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies
Have questions about Naropa University’s 2025 Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies program? Browse the Frequently Asked Questions below to learn about our unique training experience, program eligibility, and more.
Steeped in mindfulness and compassion training, our Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Program leverages Naropa University’s contemplative and psychotherapeutic expertise to further expand the transformative healing potential within this emerging field. More information can also be found on the Certificate’s Application Process & Policies page.
Learn more about NCPS certificate programs and compare offerings in our Program Comparison Guide.
As North America’s leading institution of contemplative education, Naropa University is uniquely positioned to offer an innovative, experiential learning approach that is community-based, mindfulness-infused, and socially engaged. Like all education at Naropa, our psychedelic studies programs are grounded in integrated mindfulness and compassion practices—a training approach we believe to be essential for ethical and engaged psychedelic practitioners. Program participants also gain a deep grounding in principles of social justice, the historic roots of Indigenous plant medicine practices, and the powerful relationship between healing and spirituality. Naropa is proud to be one of the first fully-accredited universities to train the new vanguard of psychedelic therapists and facilitators.
Read the Tricycle Magazine feature on our program’s inaugural year.
The certificate program is delivered through a combination of in-person retreats, online live classes and small practice group meetings, as well as asynchronous online content that will take place over eight months. To view the full schedule overview, please visit this page.
The certificate program begins with a five-day opening retreat at Naropa University in Boulder, CO, May 14-18, 2025. This retreat focuses on community building and contemplative practice training in mindfulness and compassion, which we believe is essential for educating ethical psychedelic-assisted practitioners. The Opening Retreat also includes education from leaders in the field, and the opportunity to engage with Clinical Skills Practice Groups, which will continue for the duration of the program.
To view the full schedule overview, including live classes and Clinical Skills Practice Groups, please visit this page.
The certificate’s total duration is from May to December 2025. Trainees will move through the 8-month program with a series of monthly modules, in addition to in-person retreats. Attendance is required; please see the program’s Attendance Policy details.
To view the full schedule overview, including live classes and Clinical Skills Practice Groups, please visit this page.
The weekly time commitment averages about 4-6 hours per week. Additionally, there is the required in-person Opening Retreat, and a required practicum. To view the full schedule overview, including live classes and Clinical Skills Practice Groups, please visit this page.
The full 2025 program cohort will be organized into small Clinical Skills Practice Groups of 8-12 people each. These groups will be facilitated by Practice Group Leaders hired and supervised specifically for this task. Our Practice Group Leaders are typically skilled group facilitators who have significant experience with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy or psychedelic clinical research trials. The combination of asynchronous learning, live instruction and interactive small group practice allows trainees to fully engage with the themes and objectives of each course module.
Practicum opportunities offer in-depth training under guided supervision, allowing trainees to deepen their clinical skills in a safe container. Available practicum opportunities utilize a peer consultation model, where trainees receive structured feedback from peers along with written evaluation from qualified supervisors. NCPS certificate programs do not require the use of psychedelic substances by program participants in order to successfully complete training. Naropa University does not offer either practicum opportunities or experientials.
Given limited practicum site availability as Colorado’s Natural Medicine Program takes full effect in 2025, trainees may select one available practicum opportunity (ketamine or psilocybin). 2025-2026 practicum and consultation opportunities will be communicated as such opportunities become available. Travel/lodging costs for practicums are not included in certificate program tuition. Please see “Practicum Opportunities” on the Certificate Policies Page for more information.
Enrolled participants will confirm a selected practicum opportunity within the first two months of the program.
Governmental, University and vendor guidelines may continue to change in response to COVID variants. All certificate program retreats and education events will be held in person as described unless prohibited by relevant governmental, University or vendor restrictions. In such cases, impacted retreat(s) will be moved fully online. There is otherwise no online-only option for retreats. Please note that attendance at program retreats is mandatory. All attendees are responsible for the costs of travel to program retreats, and Naropa is not responsible for refunding travel costs to participants who are unable to attend.
All 2025 retreats will be held in person. In order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19, Naropa University strongly encourages all participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We strongly encourage all participants to mask and take other relevant precautions during transit to each retreat, especially when traveling by air, to help ensure a safe and healthy retreat container for all. All participants must provide proof of a negative FDA-approved at-home test, rapid antigen, or PCR test taken within 24 hours prior to the start of each retreat. Participants are required to adhere to all health and safety measures as determined by Naropa University and partner retreat sites. Naropa University reserves the right to modify the delivery of or cancel retreats in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.
The certificate begins with a 5-day Opening Retreat at Naropa University from May 14-18, 2025.
We are happy to consider child care needs on a case by case basis. Trainees will typically not be able to bring children into training spaces, but there may be possibilities for you to attend with small children provided they are accompanied by another adult caretaker. Naropa is not able to provide child care.
Family members are welcome to accompany you to Boulder during the retreat period, but guests will not be permitted access to the learning container during the retreat.
Guests will be allowed to join you for optional evening events that are tentatively being planned. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Please contact us at psychedelicstudies@naropa.edu to make arrangements or receive further details.
2024 Program
Applications for the 2024 Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies cohort opened January 3, 2024 with a priority deadline of January 31, 2023. Accepted participants included a wide variety of interdisciplinary professionals from the fields of medicine, psychiatry, psychology, counseling, social work, nursing and more. The full cohort was divided into thirteen small practice groups who met together once monthly throughout the year. The 8-month certificate was offered from May through December 2024, with eight asynchronous online modules, seven live online classes, and two in-person retreats, including an experiential Apprenticeship Training Retreat requirement.
The Program began with an in-person Opening Retreat at Naropa’s Main Campus in Boulder, Colorado that was held May 15-19. The program continued with a required Apprenticeship Training Retreat where trainees participated in group sessions involving non-ordinary states under supervision and mentorship. This retreat was held at 1440 Multiversity from Nov. 20-24, 2024. The 2024 apprenticeship options included Holotropic Breathwork or Ketamine-Assisted Therapy.
In collaboration with Lykos Therapeutics (formerly MAPS PBC), Naropa optionally offered additional education intended to raise awareness about the therapeutic approach and treatment modality delivered in the Lykos Therapeutics-sponsored clinical trials investigating MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Beginning in 2024, this portion of the certificate was optional and available only to those who met the Lykos Therapeutics eligibility criteria. This educational add-on was delivered in a hybrid format, and included a retreat at 1440 Multiversity, July 18–23, 2024.
Certificate program tuition was $7,500, and the optional Lykos Therapeutics education add-on was an additional $4,000. Travel and lodging costs for the retreats were not included in program tuition.
2023 Program
Following a delay awaiting education content confirmation from MAPS PBC, applications for the 2023 Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies cohort opened February 6, 2023 with a priority deadline of March 3, 2023. Accepted participants included a wide variety of interdisciplinary professionals from the fields of medicine, psychiatry, psychology, counseling, social work, nursing and more. The full cohort was divided into twelve small practice groups who met together once monthly throughout the year. The 8-month certificate was offered from May through December 2023, with nine asynchronous online modules, seven live online classes, and three in-person retreats, including an experiential Apprenticeship Training Retreat requirement.
The Program began with an in-person Opening Retreat at Naropa’s Main Campus in Boulder, Colorado that was held May 17–21. Additionally in 2023, participants selected between two intensive retreats held at Drala Mountain Center (DMC) in Colorado: July 14-22 or September 19-27. In this eight-day intensive, MAPS PBC senior educators delivered MDMA-Assisted Therapy education content. Finally, the program offered two retreat options for the experiential small-group Apprenticeship Training Retreat requirement—Holotropic Breathwork (held in Boulder) or Ketamine (held in Denver). These retreats were held throughout the Fall of 2023, and included a BIPOC Ketamine & Sacred Ceremony retreat that was offered for interested BIPOC participants.
Certificate program tuition was $11,500. Additional travel and lodging costs for the retreats were not included in program tuition.
2022 Program
Applications for the 2022 Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Certificate cohort opened November 15th with a priority deadline of December 15th, 2021. Accepted participants included a wide variety of interdisciplinary professionals from the fields of medicine, psychiatry, psychology, counseling, social work, nursing, coaching, and more. The auspicious total of 108 participants was divided into twelve cohort integration groups who met together once monthly throughout the year. The 10-month certificate was offered from March through December 2022, and included eight asynchronous online modules, eight live online classes, two in-person retreats, and a Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness (NOSC) experiential requirement.
The Program began with an in-person Opening Retreat at Naropa’s Nalanda Campus in Boulder, Colorado that was held March 14-18, 2022. The August Intensive retreat, during which MAPS senior educators delivered the MDMA-Assisted Therapy training, took place at Drala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, July 31–August 7. Naropa offered several sponsored NOSC Experientials, including Holotropic Breathwork, PRATI’s Ketamine Training, an Ayahuasca retreat in Colombia, a BIPOC Ceremonial Ketamine retreat, as well as the ability to submit an alternate self-selected experiential.
Certificate program tuition was $10,000. With the exception of Holotropic Breathwork and the BIPOC Ketamine & Sacred Ceremony retreat, the additional cost of participant-selected NOSC Experientials was not included in program tuition, nor were lodging and travel costs for all retreats.
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Please visit the Application Process & Policies page for full details.
This certificate is designed for advanced professionals working in relevant therapeutic areas. We cannot offer in-depth application reviews outside of the formal process, and applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria may not be considered. However, we do recognize the emerging and novel nature of this work, as well as the anticipated explosion in the need for competent and ethical practitioners of all kinds. If you feel that significant prior experience qualifies you, please submit an application for formal review.
Depending on individual credentials and interest in the variety of available psychedelic-assisted therapies, those interested in becoming a psilocybin facilitator under new Oregon or Colorado regulatory frameworks may also wish to consider Naropa’s new Psilocybin Facilitator Training Certificate Program (PFT). Unlike the PAT Certificate program, which is geared towards clinicians gaining competency in a range of psychedelic medicines, Naropa’s PFT Program is open to licensed clinicians as well as non-clinicians who wish for specific training in this area.
Learn more about NCPS certificate programs and compare offerings in our Program Comparison Guide.
Tuition for the 2025 certificate is $10,000. Program tuition includes a ketamine practicum opportunity. Those wishing to participate in a Psilocybin practicum opportunity may do so for an additional cost ($1,500 expected). Given limited practicum site availability as Colorado’s Natural Medicine Program takes full effect in 2025, trainees may select one practicum opportunity (ketamine or psilocybin).
In addition to program tuition, certificate participants will be responsible for travel costs and accommodation for program retreats. Please visit the Application Process & Policies page for full details.
While some books will be required for the certificate, Naropa avoids costly conventional textbooks whenever possible, and participants will be free to choose how to purchase or otherwise access required readings.
Once an applicant is offered admission to the 2025 CPAT program, an initial tuition payment is due by March 30, 2025 in order to secure registration. This first payment will be no more than $1,250 of the total tuition cost, with the specific amount determined by any financial assistance awarded. Following the initial tuition payment, remaining tuition will be paid in seven monthly installments, less any scholarships or other awarded aid.
With generous support from donors, partner organizations, and related charitable initiatives, we offer various types of financial assistance, including Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Scholarships, as well as support for specific program aspects, such as select Apprenticeship Training Retreats, in an effort to support program access for a diverse and dynamic cohort.
Naropa believes that psychedelic therapy may be a tool to support a just and equitable future. We recognize the need to support the training of psychedelic-assisted therapists from historically underrepresented groups to facilitate this vision. Historically-underrepresented groups include but are not limited to People of the Global Majority, LGBTQIA+, military service members and veterans, persons with disabilities, those experiencing economic marginalization with demonstrated financial need, and those with related experience.
Members of historically underrepresented groups and those with related experience are especially encouraged to apply for JEDI scholarships, however, an applicant’s gender identity, race and/or national origin will not be a determining factor in the selection process. Please visit the Application Process & Policies page for full details.
Because continuing education courses and certificates are structured differently than the University’s regular academic offerings, such programming is generally not eligible for employee tuition remission benefits; this includes Extended Campus offerings. However, Naropa recognizes the importance of including its employees in its organizational mission and values, and therefore does provide standard staff and faculty discounts for most continuing education and personal enrichment programming.
For some offerings, particularly application-based programs of length (including psychedelic studies certificates), Naropa employee discounts, if any, will be determined on a case-by-case and space-available basis. Employees are still required to complete the application process and meet all eligibility requirements for the desired program, and admission is not guaranteed. Supervisor approval may be required as well. Unlike tuition remission benefits, employee discounts for continuing education programming will generally apply to the employee only, and not their family members. Interested employees are encouraged to first apply for the desired program and then contact regarding possible employee discounts.
In 2025, regular Naropa employees are eligible for a tuition discount for the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies program. Simply indicate your current Naropa employment status when prompted as part of the program application, and the appropriate discount will be confirmed upon acceptance into the program.
Because our certificate is a non-credit program, there is no opportunity to audit the course in full or part. If interested and eligible, you are welcome to submit an application for consideration in the next cohort when the application period opens.
This non-degree certificate is designed to prepare practitioners to work in collaboration with prescribers, clinics and interdisciplinary health care teams if and when regulatory approval is achieved. In many instances, this certificate will serve as a prerequisite for more advanced training, because the future trajectory and guidelines for practicing aspects of psychedelic-assisted therapy are yet to be determined by regulatory bodies, and will vary by region, regulatory agency, and protocol.
Naropa’s Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies is an Approved Training Program for Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) under the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and as of July 2024, is an Approved Training Program under Colorado’s Natural Medicine Program (NMP) as established by the Natural Medicine Health Act (NMHA). Oregon and Colorado residents interested in becoming licensed facilitators will need to complete additional steps prior to applying with the state, including practicum requirements.
To learn more about how this certificate can support your understanding and practice in the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted therapies, please visit this page and see the section on Preparing Practitioners.
In all previous years, the certificate program was approved to offer 40 hours of CE credits for certain credentials through the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA). Every effort will be made to offer the same to the 2025 cohort. CE credits for eligible credentials are included in the cost of program tuition.
Information on Continuing Education Credit for Health Professionals:
For questions about receiving your Certificate of Attendance, contact psychedelicstudies@naropa.edu. For questions about CE, contact Spiritual Competency Academy at info@spiritual competencyacademy.com
No academic credit is available for this non-degree certificate program.
Naropa’s Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies is an Approved Training Program for Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) under the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and as of July 2024, is an Approved Training Program under Colorado’s Natural Medicine Program (NMP) as established by the Natural Medicine Health Act (NMHA). Oregon and Colorado residents interested in becoming licensed facilitators will need to complete additional steps prior to applying with the state, including practicum requirements.
Depending on individual credentials and interest in the variety of available psychedelic-assisted therapies, those interested in becoming a psilocybin facilitator under new Oregon or Colorado regulatory frameworks may also wish to consider Naropa’s new Psilocybin Facilitator Training Certificate Program (PFT). Unlike the PAT Certificate program, which is geared towards clinicians gaining competency in a range of psychedelic medicines, Naropa’s PFT Program is open to licensed clinicians as well as non-clinicians who wish for specific training in this area.
Applications for the 2025 certificate program will be accepted through an online form beginning January 6, 2024. The deadline for applications is February 10, 2025. See this page for complete details.
The application review process will begin immediately, and applicants who meet the priority deadline can expect to hear back regarding a decision in early March 2025.
Yes, simply email psychedelicstudies@naropa.edu with the full name used on your application and the correct file that you would like us to have.
The Psychedelic Assisted Therapies Certificate is a non-degree program. Because of this, Naropa does not issue I-20 Visas. International students would have to apply for a B-2 tourist visa, which allows them to attend a short recreational course of study. More information can be found at this site.
Still have Questions? Visit the Certificate Page, Eligibility Page, or email us at psychedelicstudies@naropa.edu
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How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person.
About Naropa
Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion.
Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed Friday, March 15, 2024. All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. All online and low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.
Based on the current weather forecast, the Healing with the Ancestors Talk & Breeze of Simplicity program scheduled for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be held as planned.
Staff that do not work remotely or are scheduled to work on campus, can work remotely. Staff that routinely work remotely are expected to continue to do so.
As a reminder, notifications will be sent by e-mail and the LiveSafe app.
Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors. Naropa University trusts you to make thoughtful and wise decisions based on the conditions and situation in which you find yourself in.
