When working in the context of psychedelic therapy, the interplay between judgment and healing becomes even more profound. Psychedelics often bring to the surface deeply embedded patterns, judgments, and beliefs that shape how we see ourselves and the world around us. They can illuminate both the wounds and the potential for growth, but this journey requires skillful guidance, preparation, and integration.

Proper Assessment: Seeing the Whole Human Being

One of the most critical steps in this process is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the person seeking support. This goes far beyond their symptoms or a singular issue they want to address. It involves seeing the person as a whole being—understanding their past, their current circumstances, and the larger dynamics in their life.

• Their Past and History: What patterns have shaped them? What traumas or experiences have left lasting imprints?
• Their Present Circumstances: What is happening in their life right now? How are their relationships, work, and environment influencing their well-being?
• Their Relational Dynamics: Healing rarely happens in isolation. The dynamics within their family, workplace, and community often play a critical role in their current struggles and their path forward.

This level of assessment requires good judgment skills, not to label or condemn but to gather the information necessary to create a roadmap for healing. As practitioners, we analyze patterns, behaviours, and reinforcements, while also recognizing the human being beneath the patterns.

Non-Judgmental Presence with Skillful Judgment

When we hold space for someone’s healing, especially in the context of psychedelics, we need to balance two essential qualities: a non-judgmental presence and skillful judgment.

• Non-Judgmental Presence: This means seeing the person without labeling them or their experiences. It’s about creating a space where they feel safe to explore their wounds without fear of rejection or blame. This space allows their authentic truth to emerge.
• Skillful Judgment: At the same time, we must use discernment to assess the whole situation. What patterns are at play? What needs to be addressed for real change to happen? How can we guide them toward accountability and constructive action without reinforcing shame?

This balance is delicate. As human beings, we naturally sense each other’s energy. Even if we don’t speak our judgments aloud, others can feel when we’re holding them with blame or bias. This is why facilitators and therapists must do their own deep inner work—to recognize and transform their own biases, wounds, and triggers. Only then can they hold others with clarity and compassion.

Psychedelics as a Mirror: Illuminating Patterns and Programming

Psychedelics have a unique ability to reveal the unconscious patterns and programs that govern our thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. They allow us to see, often with raw honesty, the judgments we hold about ourselves and others, as well as how we’ve internalized the judgments of those around us.

This awareness can be profoundly healing, but it also requires preparation and guidance:

1. Preparation: Before entering a psychedelic experience, it’s essential to explore what judgments, stories, and patterns may arise. This includes understanding how we’ve internalized others’ judgments and how these narratives have shaped our lives.
2. Integration: After the experience, the work shifts to making sense of what was revealed. How can we reframe these patterns? What actions can we take to heal and move forward?

Psychedelics don’t do the work for us—they reveal the work that needs to be done. A skilled facilitator helps clients navigate this process, ensuring they don’t get stuck in shame or bypass the deeper work needed for transformation.

The Role of the Facilitator: Doing the Inner Work

Facilitators and therapists hold immense responsibility in this process. To guide others effectively, they must first be willing to confront their own judgments and biases. This requires raw honesty and ongoing self-reflection.

• Recognizing Personal Judgments: Where do we still hold judgment—toward ourselves or others? How might these judgments influence the space we hold for clients?
• Transforming Biases: Practitioners must continuously work to expand their capacity for compassion and understanding, ensuring their own wounds don’t interfere with their ability to guide others.
• Balancing Clarity and Compassion: It’s not about ignoring harmful patterns or behaviours but about approaching them with the clarity to name them and the compassion to support change.

Healing Through Accountability and Compassion

True healing happens when we can face our patterns and judgments with honesty and accountability, but without shame or blame. For clients, this means acknowledging their own actions and choices, understanding the “why” behind them, and exploring what can be done differently.

Sometimes, accountability involves making amends—not just with those we’ve hurt but with ourselves. While we may not always be able to undo the harm we’ve caused, we can commit to living in a way that reflects the lessons we’ve learned.

As practitioners, our role is to support this process by:

• Holding space for the client’s pain without reinforcing shame.
• Helping them see their patterns and programming clearly.
• Guiding them toward solutions and actionable steps that align with their values.

Becoming Better Human Beings

At its core, the work of healing through psychedelics is about becoming better human beings—not perfect, but whole. It’s about:

• Seeing ourselves and others with clarity and compassion.
• Using judgment as a tool for growth, not condemnation.
• Embracing both the light and shadow within us, without bypassing or clinging to either.

When we approach healing with this mindset, we not only transform our own lives but also contribute to the healing of those around us. After all, we are mirrors for one another. As we grow, we create space for others to do the same.