Organizations in the Psychedelic Field

A comprehensive directory of research institutions, harm-reduction services, advocacy groups, and community organisations working with psilocybin and psychedelics. Educational purposes only — always verify information directly with each organisation.

Note: This directory is for educational and informational purposes. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement. Always conduct your own due diligence before engaging with any organisation. Laws regarding psilocybin vary significantly by jurisdiction.

Crisis Support & Harm Reduction Services

These organisations provide direct support services for people experiencing difficult psychedelic experiences or seeking safer use information.

Fireside Project — Psychedelic Peer Support Line

Focus: Crisis peer support during and after psychedelic experiences

The Fireside Project operates a free, confidential psychedelic peer support line in the United States. Founded in 2020, it trains volunteer counsellors to provide empathetic support to people in the midst of or recovering from intense psychedelic experiences. The line is specifically designed to be non-judgmental and to bridge the gap between emergency psychiatric services (which may have legal and confidentiality implications) and having no support at all.

Contact: Call or text 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433) — available seven days a week. The service is free of charge.

How to use: If you or someone you know is in a difficult psychedelic state or is struggling in the hours or days after an intense experience, Fireside can provide grounded, compassionate peer support. They are not a replacement for emergency medical services — if someone is in physical danger, call emergency services first.

Training & volunteering: Fireside offers training programmes for people who wish to become peer support counsellors. Their model draws on principles from the MAPS psychedelic support protocol.

Website: firesideproject.org

Zendo Project — Psychedelic Crisis Support at Events

Focus: On-site psychedelic crisis support and facilitator training

The Zendo Project is a programme of MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) that provides psychedelic crisis support services at events such as music festivals, conferences, and community gatherings. Founded in 2012, Zendo has supported thousands of individuals through difficult psychedelic experiences.

The Zendo approach is built on four principles: creating a safe space, sitting rather than guiding (the supporter stays present rather than directing the experience), transforming difficult experiences into positive opportunities for growth, and the importance of trusting the process. Volunteers are trained to avoid triggering escalation, to reduce stimulation, and to help participants integrate what they are experiencing.

Training: Zendo offers training in psychedelic harm reduction for mental health professionals, volunteers, and event staff. Their workshops cover creating a safe container, working with paranoia, trauma-informed care, and referral networks.

How to get involved: Volunteer applications open periodically on the Zendo website. Medical professionals and mental health counsellors are particularly welcomed.

Website: zendoproject.org

DanceSafe — Drug Checking and Harm Reduction at Events

Focus: Drug checking, adulterant testing, and nightlife harm reduction

DanceSafe is a US-based non-profit public health organisation that promotes health and safety within the nightlife and rave community. Founded in 1998, DanceSafe operates a network of volunteer chapters across the United States and Canada. Volunteers attend events to provide drug checking services, educational materials, and health supplies including earplugs, safe sex supplies, and hydration guidance.

Drug checking services: DanceSafe provides reagent testing kits that can detect common adulterants in pressed pills and powders. Since the emergence of fentanyl contamination in the drug supply, their fentanyl test strip distribution has become critically important. Note that reagent tests have limitations and do not provide quantitative results.

For event organisers: DanceSafe can partner with events to provide onsite services. They advocate for harm reduction policies including amnesty policies at events (allowing people to seek medical help without fear of arrest).

Purchasing test kits: Reagent test kits and fentanyl test strips are available for purchase through the DanceSafe website for personal use.

Website: dancesafe.org

HPPD Support — Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder Resources

Focus: Peer support and information for people experiencing HPPD

Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) is a condition in which visual disturbances that first appeared during a psychedelic experience continue to be present after the substance has cleared the body. HPPD ranges from mild and barely noticeable to significantly distressing and impairing. It is considered rare but may be underreported due to stigma and unfamiliarity among clinicians.

Several online communities and support networks exist for people experiencing HPPD. These include peer forums where members share experiences of symptom management, report which medical professionals have been helpful, and provide emotional support to those distressed by the condition.

What to do if you think you have HPPD: Seek assessment from a neurologist or psychiatrist familiar with psychedelic-related conditions. Avoid further psychedelic use, cannabis, and stimulants, which many people with HPPD report worsening symptoms. Some people find symptoms diminish with time; others require treatment.

Research: Abraham & Duffy (2001) provide a clinical overview of HPPD; ongoing research is examining its neurology. The condition is listed in DSM-5.

Research Institutions

These academic and research centres are conducting or have conducted rigorous clinical and scientific investigation into psilocybin and related compounds.

MAPS — Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Focus: Clinical research into MDMA and psychedelic-assisted therapies; policy reform; therapist training

MAPS was founded in 1986 by Rick Doblin, Ph.D., with the mission of developing legal contexts for people to benefit from carefully used psychedelics and marijuana. It is a non-profit research and educational organisation based in the United States. MAPS has been instrumental in sponsoring the FDA-approved Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, and has also funded earlier-phase research into psilocybin, LSD, and other compounds.

Psilocybin research: MAPS has supported pilot studies exploring psilocybin for anxiety related to life-threatening illness and for other conditions. Their work contributed to psilocybin receiving FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation in 2018 for treatment-resistant depression and again in 2019 for major depressive disorder.

Therapist training: Through the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), MAPS has developed comprehensive training programmes for therapists in psychedelic-assisted therapy, with curricula that cover both MDMA and psilocybin modalities.

Policy advocacy: MAPS advocates for research-based drug policy and has submitted comments to regulatory bodies in the US, Europe, and internationally. Their work has contributed to regulatory attention on psychedelic-assisted therapies in Australia, Canada, and the UK.

How to get involved: MAPS accepts donations and has volunteer opportunities. Researchers can explore collaboration through their open science initiatives. Participants can search ClinicalTrials.gov for current MAPS-sponsored trials.

Website: maps.org

Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research

Focus: Rigorous clinical trials; therapeutic applications; neuroscience

The Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, launched in 2019, is one of the world's leading academic centres for psychedelic science. Led by Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., and Roland Griffiths, Ph.D. (until his death in 2023), the centre has published landmark studies on psilocybin for depression, smoking cessation, alcohol use disorder, Alzheimer's disease, anorexia nervosa, and more.

Landmark publications: The 2006 Griffiths et al. study in Psychopharmacology demonstrated that psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences of substantial personal meaning and spiritual significance. Subsequent studies in 2011 and 2016 confirmed lasting positive personality changes and therapeutic potential. A 2020 JAMA Psychiatry paper showed rapid and large reductions in major depressive disorder with two psilocybin sessions.

Current trials: The centre is running multiple trials, including studies of psilocybin for Alzheimer's-related depression, eating disorders, and long-term follow-up of earlier cohorts. See their website for current recruitment information.

How to participate: Research participants can apply through the Johns Hopkins website; eligibility criteria vary by study. The centre also offers training for clinicians and researchers through courses and workshops.

Website: hopkinspsychedelic.org

Imperial College Centre for Psychedelic Research

Focus: Neuroscience, mechanisms of action, clinical trials in the UK

The Imperial College Centre for Psychedelic Research, established in 2019 and led by Professor Robin Carhart-Harris and subsequently by Dr David Erritzoe, is Europe's leading academic centre for psychedelic neuroscience. The centre has made foundational contributions to understanding how psilocybin works in the brain, including the discovery of the "entropic brain" hypothesis, the role of the default mode network, and the neuroplasticity effects of psychedelics.

Key research: Imperial's 2021 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared psilocybin therapy to escitalopram (an SSRI) in patients with treatment-resistant depression — a landmark study demonstrating psilocybin's effectiveness relative to established pharmacotherapy. Their neuroimaging work using fMRI has illuminated the brain mechanisms underlying psychedelic experiences.

Training and education: Imperial offers MSc and PhD opportunities in psychedelic research. The centre also engages in public science communication to promote evidence-based understanding of psychedelics.

Website: imperial.ac.uk/psychedelic-research-centre

NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine

Focus: Addiction, palliative care, depression, therapist training

The NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine conducts clinical research at the intersection of psychedelic science and medical care. The centre is particularly known for its pioneering work on psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder (published in JAMA Psychiatry, 2022) and for end-of-life anxiety in cancer patients.

Alcohol use disorder research: A 2022 randomised controlled trial by Bogenschutz et al. found that two psilocybin sessions significantly reduced heavy drinking days in people with alcohol use disorder compared to a diphenhydramine control. The difference was clinically meaningful and maintained at eight months.

Palliative care: Earlier NYU research demonstrated that psilocybin significantly reduced existential anxiety, depression, and demoralisation in cancer patients facing life-threatening diagnoses, with effects lasting at least six months after a single session.

Clinical training: NYU offers training programmes for mental health professionals in psychedelic-assisted therapy through its Bluestone Centre initiatives.

Website: med.nyu.edu/centers-programs/psychedelic-medicine

Usona Institute

Focus: Psilocybin synthesis, supply for trials, non-profit research model

Usona Institute is a Wisconsin-based non-profit medical research organisation with a mission to conduct and support pre-clinical and clinical research to develop psilocybin and other consciousness-expanding medicines as therapeutics for mental health. Unlike for-profit pharmaceutical companies, Usona's non-profit status means any psilocybin therapies it develops will be aimed at broad, affordable access.

PSIL201 trial: Usona sponsors the PSIL201 trial — a Phase 2 randomised controlled trial comparing psilocybin to niacin (a placebo) for major depressive disorder. Results have been encouraging, supporting FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation.

Compound supply: Usona operates a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) psilocybin synthesis programme to supply research-grade psilocybin to approved trial sites, addressing a significant bottleneck in psychedelic research.

Website: usonainstitute.org

Beckley Foundation

Focus: Policy reform, scientific research collaborations, international advocacy

Founded in 1998 by Amanda Feilding, the Beckley Foundation is a UK-based think tank and research organisation that has been at the forefront of psychedelic science and drug policy reform for over two decades. Feilding has personally championed rigorous scientific investigation of LSD and psilocybin at a time when such research faced significant institutional resistance.

Research collaborations: Beckley has collaborated with Imperial College London on landmark LSD neuroimaging studies and psilocybin research. The Beckley/Imperial Research Programme produced some of the first neuroimaging data showing how psychedelics alter brain connectivity.

Policy work: Beckley publishes policy briefings, engages with UN drug control bodies, and advocates for a regulated, health-centred approach to drug policy. They have contributed to policy discussions in the UK, US, and internationally.

Website: beckleyfoundation.org

Advocacy, Policy & Reform Organisations

These organisations work to reform drug laws, increase research access, and shift public policy toward evidence-based approaches to psychedelics and other substances.

Decriminalize Nature

Focus: Municipal and state decriminalisation of entheogenic plants and fungi in the USA

Decriminalize Nature (DN) is a grassroots advocacy organisation that campaigns for the decriminalisation of naturally occurring entheogenic substances including psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, iboga, and mescaline-containing cacti. DN played a significant role in the 2019 Oakland, California resolution making natural psychedelic plant enforcement the lowest police priority, and has since helped pass similar measures in cities including Denver, Santa Cruz, Ann Arbor, Washington D.C., and others.

Model resolution: DN developed a model resolution that local advocates can adapt for use in their own cities. This has accelerated decriminalisation efforts across the United States.

How to get involved: Local chapters of Decriminalize Nature can be found on their website. Volunteers engage in community education, petition gathering, and city council advocacy.

Website: decriminalizenature.org

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP)

Focus: Youth-led advocacy, campus chapters, harm reduction education

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international non-profit organisation of students who believe in applying evidence-based approaches to drug policy. SSDP has chapters at colleges and universities across the United States, United Kingdom, and beyond. The organisation advocates for Good Samaritan amnesty laws, reform of campus drug policies, and an end to the war on drugs.

Campus chapters: SSDP chapters run peer education campaigns, harm reduction supply distributions, and political advocacy at their institutions. They are known for evidence-based positions that distinguish between drug use and drug abuse, and oppose zero-tolerance policies that discourage people from seeking medical help.

Good Samaritan laws: SSDP has been instrumental in passing Good Samaritan overdose prevention laws in many US states, which grant legal protection to people who call for medical help at the scene of an overdose.

How to get involved: Start or join a chapter at your college or university. SSDP holds annual conferences and webinars on drug policy issues.

Website: ssdp.org

Transform Drug Policy Foundation (UK)

Focus: UK and international drug policy reform, legalisation and regulation advocacy

Transform Drug Policy Foundation is a UK-based think tank and advocacy organisation that advocates for the legal regulation of all currently illicit drugs as an alternative to criminalisation and prohibition. Transform has published extensively on drug policy alternatives, including "Blueprint for Regulation" which outlines how legal drug markets could work in practice.

UK context: Transform engages with UK parliamentary processes, responds to government consultations on drug policy, and publishes briefings for MPs and policy makers. Their work has directly informed debates around cannabis reform and psychedelic medicine in the UK.

International work: Transform engages with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and international treaty processes, advocating for changes to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs which currently classifies psilocybin in Schedule I.

Website: transformdrugs.org

Drug Science (UK)

Focus: Independent, evidence-based drug science; UK media engagement

Drug Science is an independent UK scientific body founded by Professor David Nutt, formerly the UK government's chief drug adviser who was famously dismissed for publishing evidence that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than ecstasy and LSD. Drug Science provides independent, evidence-based information about drugs and advocates for a rational, science-led approach to drug policy.

Research: Drug Science sponsors the BREAKING CONVENTION conference series and has produced influential reports on cannabis, MDMA, ketamine, and psychedelics for medical and parliamentary audiences.

Project TWENTY21: Drug Science has run observational studies of medicinal cannabis prescribed to UK patients. Similar evidence-gathering approaches are planned for psychedelics.

Media and public engagement: Professor David Nutt and Drug Science scientists appear regularly in UK and international media to provide evidence-based commentary on drug policy and pharmacology.

Website: drugscience.org.uk

Community, Education & Cultural Organisations

These organisations focus on education, indigenous rights, community building, and the intersection of psychedelics with culture, spirituality, and social justice.

Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines

Focus: Cultural, ethical, and indigenous dimensions of psychedelic plant medicines

The Chacruna Institute bridges the gap between scientific research and indigenous plant medicine traditions. Founded by anthropologist Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Chacruna publishes peer-reviewed articles, books, and accessible educational content on psychedelic plant medicines from anthropological, ethical, and policy perspectives.

Indigenous rights and sovereignty: Chacruna is particularly active in advocating for the rights of indigenous communities whose ancestral practices involve ayahuasca, peyote, and other plant medicines. It pushes back against cultural appropriation and the commercialisation of indigenous knowledge without benefit-sharing.

Women and LGBTQ+ perspectives: Chacruna centres perspectives from women, people of colour, and LGBTQ+ individuals in psychedelic discourse, countering the historically male-dominated framing of psychedelic culture.

Council on Spiritual Practices: Chacruna maintains connections to practitioner networks and offers professional development for therapists, facilitators, and researchers who wish to understand the cultural context of plant medicine work.

Website: chacruna.net

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies — Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC)

Focus: Translating MAPS research into clinical practice, therapist certification

MAPS PBC is the pharmaceutical arm of MAPS and is responsible for developing MDMA-assisted therapy products through regulatory approval pathways and building the infrastructure for commercial rollout. While the FDA's 2024 decision on MDMA-assisted therapy was not an approval, MAPS PBC continues to work toward regulatory access. Their therapist training programme has certified hundreds of clinicians in psychedelic-assisted therapy methods applicable across compounds including psilocybin.

Heroic Hearts Project

Focus: Psychedelic therapy for military veterans with PTSD

The Heroic Hearts Project is a non-profit that facilitates access to ayahuasca and other psychedelic therapy programmes for military veterans struggling with PTSD and related conditions. The organisation funds retreat scholarships, provides integration support, and advocates for expanding veteran access to psychedelic treatment options within and outside the VA system.

Veteran-specific context: Military PTSD frequently involves moral injury and combat trauma that conventional SSRI therapy does not adequately address. Heroic Hearts works with retreat centres in Peru, Jamaica, and other legal jurisdictions to connect veterans with appropriate therapeutic experiences.

Website: heroicheartsproject.org

Synthesis Institute (Netherlands)

Focus: Legal psilocybin retreats; professional training in the Netherlands

Synthesis Institute operates legal psilocybin truffle retreats in the Netherlands and offers professional facilitator training programmes. The Netherlands has a unique legal context in which psilocybin-containing "magic truffles" (sclerotia of Psilocybe tampanensis and related species) are sold legally, providing one of very few legal contexts for supervised psilocybin experiences in Europe.

Training programme: Synthesis's facilitator training has trained mental health professionals, therapists, and coaches from many countries in psychedelic-assisted facilitation. The curriculum emphasises safety, trauma-informed care, and integration.

Website: synthesisretreat.com

How to Use This Directory

Finding the right organisation depends on what you need. Use the categories above to identify relevant groups, then verify independently before sharing personal information or sending donations.

Vetting Checklist

  • Mission alignment and transparency of funding sources
  • Clinical governance, IRB or ethics committee oversight where applicable
  • Staff credentials, published outputs, and safety track record
  • Data privacy practices and consent language
  • Registered charity or non-profit status (verifiable through public registries)
  • Third-party reviews and independent assessments
  • Clear conflict-of-interest disclosures in leadership

Collaboration Paths

  • Participate in open studies or join research participant registries
  • Volunteer for harm-reduction or education programmes
  • Support policy initiatives through reputable advocacy groups
  • Attend integration circles and community-led trainings
  • Donate to organisations with transparent financial reporting
  • Share expertise — many organisations need medical, legal, or tech skills
  • Engage with public comment processes on regulatory changes

Red Flags When Evaluating Organisations

  • Unverified medical claims — organisations claiming psilocybin "cures" specific conditions without evidence
  • Lack of screening — retreat or therapy providers who do not conduct health and psychiatric screening
  • Pressure to donate — particularly in retreat or ceremony contexts where emotional vulnerability is heightened
  • Unclear legal status — especially for organisations operating in legally ambiguous jurisdictions without clarity on their position
  • No emergency protocols — any therapeutic or retreat setting should have clear medical emergency procedures
  • Testimonial-only evidence base — organisations that rely entirely on personal stories without reference to research
  • Pressure to escalate dose or frequency — well-run programmes respect individual autonomy and do not push participants toward more intensive experiences

Safety and Ethics

Not all organisations working in the psychedelic space maintain the same ethical standards. The field has grown rapidly, and not all practitioners have adequate training, supervision, or ethical frameworks. Boundary violations — particularly sexual misconduct by facilitators — have been reported and are a serious concern. Check whether any organisation you engage with has a clear ethics policy, a complaints process, and a commitment to participant safety and confidentiality.

Funding Transparency

Many organisations in this space are funded by a combination of philanthropic donations, ticket and training fees, and grants. Some have pharmaceutical or commercial interests. Review annual reports, 990 filings (for US non-profits), and statements on funding to understand who is behind an organisation and whether conflicts of interest are disclosed.

Access and Inclusion

Cost is a significant barrier to accessing retreats and therapy in the psychedelic space. Look for organisations that offer scholarships, sliding-scale pricing, or community access programmes. Organisations doing meaningful work in underserved communities, with indigenous groups, or with veterans often represent some of the most mission-aligned activity in the field.

Research Advocacy Therapy centres Communities

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Are all listed groups vetted? This directory is informational. We have aimed to include credible organisations, but always perform your own due diligence. The psychedelic field is expanding rapidly and standards vary.
  2. How do I confirm an organisation's legitimacy? Check charity registration, leadership credentials, published research or policy work, and look for independent third-party reviews. For US non-profits, check GuideStar (Candid) or ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
  3. Can I share my personal health data with these organisations? Only with informed consent and a clear data-use agreement. Research organisations operating ethically will have IRB approval and will explain how your data will be stored, used, and protected.
  4. Do advocacy groups offer clinical services? Generally, no. Advocacy and policy organisations provide education and support, but clinical care should come from licensed medical and mental health providers.
  5. What if I spot a problem with a listed organisation? Contact us with evidence so we can review and, if necessary, annotate or remove the entry.
  6. I'm in crisis right now. Who should I call? Call emergency services (999 UK, 911 US, 112 EU) if there is physical danger. For psychedelic crisis support, call the Fireside Project at 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433) in the US.
  7. Are any of these organisations available outside the USA? Yes. Imperial College, Drug Science, Transform Drug Policy Foundation, Beckley Foundation, and Chacruna all operate internationally or are UK-based. Synthesis Institute is Netherlands-based.
  8. Can I participate in research if I am not in the USA? Several institutions run international studies or have affiliated research sites. Check ClinicalTrials.gov and ISRCTN (for UK/international trials) for studies recruiting near you.
  9. Is MAPS the same as MAPS PBC? No. MAPS is the non-profit research and advocacy organisation; MAPS PBC is its pharmaceutical subsidiary responsible for bringing therapies to market. They have separate governance but shared origins.
  10. How do I find a therapist trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy? MAPS, Synthesis, and other training organisations maintain directories of certified practitioners. Always verify credentials independently and check professional registration with the relevant licensing body.