Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about our retreats, safety, and process.
Who is this for?
Adults seeking structured, trauma-informed support for mental health challenges, personal growth, or spiritual exploration. We serve professionals, first responders, parents, and seekers navigating depression, anxiety, PTSD, C-PTSD, burnout, and life transitions. You don’t need prior experience with plant medicine.
What is the Gathering Groups model?
Gathering Groups is a transformational, structured twelve-week group program including a two-night psilocybin mushroom retreat. The model combines western, evidence-based therapy with Indigenous and land-based teachings. We are facilitators for Gathering Groups retreats. Learn more at gatheringgroups.ca.
Is psilocybin legal in Canada?
Psilocybin-assisted therapy operates within an evolving legal and regulatory framework in Canada. Our retreats are facilitated by registered healthcare professionals including Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) and Registered Social Workers (RSW). We recommend doing your own research and consulting with your healthcare provider.
How many people are in each group?
Maximum 8 participants per cohort. We typically have 6–8 people per group to maximize the quality of the group bond and dynamic.
What does it cost?
$2,495 CAD per participant. This includes all 12 weekly online sessions, the two-night in-person retreat with accommodation and meals, clinical support, and lifetime access to the Gathering alumni integration community. A non-refundable deposit of $250 holds your spot. Payment plans are available.
Is this covered by extended medical benefits?
For BC groups, participants may be eligible to claim a portion or all of the cost through extended medical benefits that cover Registered Clinical Counsellor or Registered Social Worker services. Check your plan for specific coverage details and any group work exclusions.
What happens during the two-night retreat?
You arrive on the first evening at 6:30 PM and check into your room. That night is a structured preparation circle and time to settle in. The ceremony begins early the next morning and continues into the afternoon. After ceremony, the group shares a meal, begins integration, and spends the evening in reflection, connection, and rest. On the final morning, breakfast is served and the group departs.
What if I’ve never done plant medicine before?
Most of our participants are first-timers. The 7-week preparation phase is specifically designed to build somatic readiness, group trust, and psychological safety before ceremony. You will feel prepared.
What therapeutic modalities are used?
Our weekly sessions draw on breathwork, mindfulness, self-compassion, intentional movement, embodiment work, and Internal Family Systems (IFS). The approach is somatic-first and trauma-informed.
Who facilitates the groups?
Every group includes at least one Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC). Groups are co-facilitated by Registered Social Workers (RSW) and professionally trained facilitators who have completed their own Gathering Group journey.
What is the time commitment?
12 weekly online sessions of 90 minutes each (same day and time every week), plus the two-night in-person retreat. Total commitment is approximately 12 weeks.
Are there different group types?
Yes. We offer all-gender (co-ed), women’s, and men’s groups. We also offer specialized groups such as first responder cohorts. Indicate your preference on your application.
Where are the retreats held?
Our current retreat locations include the Fraser Valley (Vancouver area), the North Okanagan (Vernon area), and the South Shore outside Halifax, NS. Specific venue details are provided upon acceptance into a group.
What is the application process?
Applying through our website initiates the process, where an initial call from us helps us explore what cohort or time frame you’re looking for. After an initial discovery discussion we will have a member of the Gathering team send you the intake form/assessment. Gathering reviews your eligibility based on the intake assessment, which is part of the screening process. At that point there will be a non refundable $250 CAD deposit taken, which counts towards the total cost of your retreat.
Can I bring a partner or friend?
Doing this work with people you know and love is incredible, and of course bring them to an information night if they are curious. Let us know that you want to do this with a friend/partner. Each participant must apply individually so that they can have their unique and individual screening process completed. After the screening is finalized, you can request the cohort you want to be in together.
What is the cancellation/refund policy?
The 50 deposit is non-refundable. For cancellations after the deposit, please contact us directly to discuss your situation. We handle each case with care and compassion.
How do I learn more before applying?
We host free online information sessions before each cohort. Check our city pages for upcoming info session dates, or apply and we will invite you to the next one.
Going Deeper — Questions From Our Community
What happens if I have a difficult or overwhelming experience during ceremony?
Difficulty isn’t a sign that something has gone wrong — it’s often where the most meaningful healing happens. The entire twelve-week program exists to prepare you for this possibility. Weeks of preparation build nervous system safety, relational trust, and practical tools like the R.A.I.N. framework so that when intensity arises, you have an inner foundation to meet it from. During the active session, you can remove your eyeshades or headphones and connect with a guide at any time. Grounding support, including therapeutic touch, when consented to in advance, is attuned and available. The guiding principle is calm, steady presence — not fixing, not rushing.
Are medical professionals present at the retreat?
Gathering retreats are supported by Registered Clinical Counsellors and healthcare professionals certified through TheraPsil, Canada’s leading psilocybin therapy training organization. Rick’s prior career was as an advanced care paramedic, and Danielle is a registered social worker. Specific clinical support for your cohort is worth asking about directly in your discovery call with Peg and Heather.
Have participants experienced distress before — and how was it handled?
Yes — and across nearly 70 groups and more than 1,000 participants, every single person has reported that the program was helpful and important in their healing journey. The container is built around the reality that difficulty is often part of healing. The preparation, the relational trust, and the trained space holders exist so that when intensity arises, it can be met with steadiness. Peg and Heather are the right people to speak to specific situations — we encourage you to ask them directly in your discovery call.
What criteria would make someone not a good fit?
The screening process is thorough because this work is not for everyone — and that’s okay. Areas that require especially careful assessment include: a history of schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder; pregnancy or breastfeeding; and serious or uncontrolled cardiovascular conditions. These don’t automatically exclude someone, but they require a detailed intake conversation with a qualified professional before any determination is made.
How do you screen for mental health history and medication interactions?
Every applicant completes an Initial Application Form and an Intake Form, reviewed by a qualified professional on the Gathering team. This is followed by a one-on-one Intake Interview before any placement decision is made. Medications — particularly SSRIs, MAOIs, and tricyclics — are assessed individually. The discovery call with Peg and Heather comes before any formal screening and costs nothing. It is a conversation, not an evaluation.
Have people been turned away from the program?
Yes — and that decision is always made with care and without judgment. The goal is for every person who enters the container to be genuinely ready for it.
How is the medicine sourced and kept consistent?
Gathering Groups works with a trusted local source who has partnered with the program for years. All participants receive medicine grown together — with the intention of the healing work and the specific ceremony date in mind. Consistent quality comes from the integrity and skill of the source and this long-standing relationship.
How is dosing determined — and can I take less?
The dosing is an intentional, ceremonial part of the retreat process, and is discussed at length before the retreat. There is an upward limit — we are working with a small to medium dose as a group. Participants can always choose to take less, or none at all. Agency is essential to this work, and healing is not dependent on quantity.
How is Indigenous wisdom incorporated into the program?
The Gathering model was developed on the unceded territories of the Stó:lō First Nations, and this is held with intention. Each session opens with a land acknowledgement spoken from the heart. The ceremony includes the Seven Directions Prayer. Throughout the weekly program, Winchester Victor — guided by teachings passed to him by elders in his community — leads practices woven directly into the curriculum. The foundational philosophy that humans heal in community, in circle, in ritualized space draws explicitly from Indigenous traditions that were suppressed during colonization. This is named with humility and gratitude. Gathering works in relationship with the Cheam First Nation; Peg and Heather can speak to this further.
Still Have Questions?
Reach out to us at forms@healingretreats.ca or apply and we will be in touch to answer any questions during the intake process.
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