Drop Thesis
Licensed Facilitators

Meet Erin Naftalin, a facilitator deeply passionate about empowering individuals on their unique journeys towards wellness. With a nurturing spirit and a deep understanding of the human psyche, Erin guides clients through the realms of possibility that psilocybin offers, helping you discover feelings of connection, wonder and creativity, while tapping into the joy of self-exploration and the power of your own inner healer. Her aim is to create a space where you feel heard, understood and supported. Each session is approached with empathy, creating a safe and nurturing environment allowing clients to embrace their healing journey with an open and playful spirit.

Hailing from a diverse background in nursing and caring for individuals in altered states of consciousness, Erin has discovered her calling in facilitating transformative experiences with psilocybin, drawing from over 27 years of her own experience with psychedelics and 16 years in the medical field. She graduated from the Changa Institute’s accelerated program and is one of the first licensed facilitators in the country. Erin is a member of the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association, OPENnurses (Organization of Psychedelic and Entheogenic Nurses), volunteers with the Zendo Project, and is an active participant in the local psychedelic community.

Erin strives to create a sanctuary where individuals feel safe to explore the recesses of their consciousness, unraveling the layers that often obscure their true selves. She invites you to uncover insights, embrace new perspectives, and rediscover joy. Each client relationship is built on respect, nurturing a safe haven for personal exploration. Erin aims to merge ancestral wisdom with contemporary knowledge, ensuring inclusivity for all, providing access to all and is BIPOC and LGBTQ+ friendly. Join her in embracing the limitless possibilities of the mind on this sacred path of self-exploration and evolution.

Per Erin: “Healing isn't just a destination, but a vibrant, joyful journey towards holistic well-being. Let’s embark on that journey together, uncovering the potential for profound insights, rediscovering joy and embracing newfound perspectives that can enrich this chapter of your life. Where the familiar merges with the extraordinary. Where self- exploration is not just an adventure but a sacred path towards profound personal evolution. Where the journey is not just about growth, but also about enjoying the magic along the way.”

Lindsey earned a BA in Psychology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and completed a graduate degree in Physician Assistant Studies at University of Pennsylvania, Lock Haven. She has been a Family Medicine Physician Assistant since 2010 and was in private practice for many years in Crook County. Throughout her career, Lindsey has worked primarily in rural family medicine, which encompasses a wide variety of areas including a great deal of mental health and end-of-life care.

 Her extensive experience in clinical medicine and mental health provides a solid foundation for clients that choose to pursue their healing through psilocybin services. Her goal is to offer her clients the tools that resonate and promote self-healing including plant medicine, energy medicine, crystal and mineral shamanism, sound therapy, art, and more.

Lindsey completed an 8-month Psilocybin Facilitator training program through SoundMind in July of 2023. She is also trained in Reiki Level III, and Advanced Pranic Healing through the Institute of Inner Studies. Along her journey, she has had the opportunity to learn from many experienced shamans and healers over the last 20 years. She has worked with psychedelics including psilocybin throughout her personal journey and has found them to be transformative in her own healing and expansion.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, rockhounding and lapidary, beekeeping, and working on her hobby farm. In addition, she co-owns and operates a local construction company. Lindsey is a life-long learner and pursues continuing education in both medicine and psychedelics.

JP is a state-licensed psilocybin facilitator. He trained with InnerTrek, which provides a comprehensive six-month program, including 120 hours of core training and 40 hours of supervised practicum training.

He comes to this work with a deep trust in the non-directive approach to psychedelic therapy, developed over many years working with non-ordinary states of consciousness. His facilitation technique is rooted in a long-term meditation practice and informed by the latest scientific research. He provides a grounded presence and a non-judgmental space, so people can fully relax and get the most out of their psilocybin journey.

JP works with a range of clients, including those looking for support in the following areas:

• Personal growth

• Spiritual & existential enquiry

• A life in transition (this could be divorce, a midlife crisis, a career change etc.)

• Grief & loss

• Overcoming anxiety and depression

• Religious/spiritual trauma and re-opening to awe and mystery

Originally from South Africa, JP now lives in Bend with his partner and dog. He has a longstanding career in environmental sustainability, with a BA Hons in Philosophy and an MPhil in Environmental Science. JP has personally benefited from working with psychedelics. While it is no panacea, it has helped him grieve when needed, cry when he was unable to, love more deeply and laugh more freely. He cherishes simple daily routines of exercise and walks in nature. He also loves cooking delicious food with friends and family.

As a licensed psilocybin facilitator, I am invested in fostering personal growth, resilient

mental health, and joyful living. In my practice, I create a safe and supportive space for

individuals and couples to explore their inner realms and embark on transformative journeys toward healing and self-discovery. Through guided sessions, along with preparative and integration meetings, my clients often experience increased openness, creativity, and a heightened ability to process deep-rooted emotions and recalibrate structured belief systems. These shifts have lead to more fulfilling and meaningful life perspectives as individuals integrate these experiences into everyday life.

My approach to psilocybin facilitation is a non-directive method, centered on active

listening, encouraging the client towards self-awareness, and instilling confidence in the wisdom of the medicine. Throughout my eight years of working with therapeutic psychedelics, I have perpetually been in awe at the insights that are revealed to each client. Following the psilocybin session, I emphasize the importance of the integration process. Healing happens in phases beyond the session as new perspectives are gained. I also have extensive experience in meditation, breathwork, sound healing, and yoga, all of which can support individuals as they reshape their thoughts and beliefs.

Having had personal experience with deep grief after losing my first husband to a brain tumor, I have immense compassion for spouses, children, and other family members dealing with loss. My experience led me on a path to develop expertise in healing grief and emotional trauma. Research has shown that psilocybin treatment can substantially reduce anxiety and depression related to mortality, often revealing an increased sense of connection with humanity and creation. I assist clients in addressing fears related to death, while promoting acceptance and peace.

I received my psilocybin facilitator training at The Changa Institute in Portland, Oregon in May 2023. I actively participate in a community of peer consultation and mentorship, which ensures that I continuously enhance my skills to better serve those who seek guidance in this nascent field. I have experienced first-hand its transformative power to open doors to improved mental health and well-being.

The Pacific Northwest has been my home throughout my adult life. I love travel and

adventures with my husband and our six children. When I’m not supporting clients on their psilocybin journeys, I enjoy spending time in nature and pursuing my artistic passions of painting, and writing both fiction and non-fiction works.

Frank began his career in health care when he graduated from medical school in 1987. In his surgery practice, he worked with patients to improve their physical health. He's now grateful for the opportunity to help people support their mental health through the use of plant medicines to achieve greater insight and awareness.

He helped gather signatures in 2020 to place Measure 109, the Psilocybin Services Initiative, on the Oregon ballot that November, and subsequently enrolled in the six month InnerTrek Facilitator Training Program and became one of the first trained facilitator graduates in the state in March, 2023.

Frank is a member of the Central Oregon Psychedelic Society, the Psilocybin Facilitator Association, and the Psilocybin Assisted Therapy Association. He also participates in regular peer review with psilocybin facilitator colleagues.

He uses a mindfulness-based approach in his facilitation work and enjoys assisting all those drawn to plant medicines. This includes those challenged with addiction, anxiety, depression, PTSD, those who feel stuck in their life, and those who desire personal growth and/or to (re)connect with spirit. He has also attended additional seminars and workshops in the use of psychedelics at the end of life and feels strongly that the insight gained through psilocybin can help ease our anxiety as we contemplate moving beyond our physical bodies.

To further his understanding in the role of plant medicines in indigenous cultures and healing throughout history, Frank has participated in transformative ceremonies led by a Mazatec healer in Mexico. Ceremonies such as these have been helpful for him in several ways. He's rekindled his creative spirit and also discovered valuable connections in his life between the past and present. He's used the awareness of these connections to build guideposts and establish priorities that help him focus on today, and the full spectrum of life it holds. He's also deepened his appreciation for the complex web connecting humans and other animals, trees and all flora, and the waters, forests, and mountains in which he finds joy. His free-time activities include hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, gardening, yoga, and meditation.

Frank’s goal is for your experience to be meaningful and safe. He comes to this work with humility, and also respect – for the natural world that shares these medicines, for our ability to connect with our inner healer, and for our potential to achieve inner freedom.

River (she/her) is a graduate of the SoundMind Institute Psychedelic Facilitator Training Program. She has twelve years of experience working with psychedelic medicines in a variety of roles and she believes deeply in the potential of psychedelic medicines to nurture and expand the individual and collective psyches. She is invested in providing compassionate, individualized support for folks exploring and healing with psychedelic substances.

In addition to psilocybin facilitation River is a harm reduction worker and psychedelic supporter as a supervisor with Fireside Project, the world’s only psychedelic support phone line. River holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Oregon State University with focuses in Cognitive Science and Developmental Psychology and she is currently a research associate in clinical trials for psilocybin- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapies.

When she isn’t supporting the psychedelic community, you can find her building her off-grid permaculture community in the high desert, kayaking, or exploring the forests and coastlines of the Pacific Northwest with her three dogs.

Ryan has been at the forefront of Oregon's legal and licensed psilocybin movement, contributing to the early adoption and establishment of two of the first licensed service centers within the state. His journey began with a personal connection to the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin combined with ongoing talk therapy and mindfulness meditation. This foundation led him to co-found Bendable Therapy in early 2023, a non-profit dedicated to providing access and scholarships for individuals seeking psilocybin services to support their mental health goals. Ryan has been an active facilitator since the inception of Bendable Therapy, guiding participants through their transformative journeys.

Ryan believes that psilocybin experiences are a tool for individuals to access and explore their inner landscapes. He emphasizes a client-centered approach that prioritizes the participant's freedom to navigate their own inner journeys without added ceremony or ritual, focusing rather on the insights gained from the experience and developing tailored practices that support the participant before and after their psilocybin journey. His sessions are customized to align with each participant's unique objectives and intentions towards a profoundly personal and meaningful experience.

Ryan graduated from the first psilocybin cohort of the SoundMind Institute's 8-month program in June of 2023, where he was immersed in a comprehensive curriculum covering various psychedelics and therapeutic modalities. His commitment to safety and ethical practice in the psilocybin field is further evidenced by his role as an advisor on the Healing Advocacy Fund safety committee, where he contributes to the safe and responsible rollout of psilocybin services nationwide.

Ryan's insights and expertise are regularly sought at national psychedelic conferences, where he shares his vision for creating sustainable and accessible psilocybin businesses. His background as a business owner and licensed engineer in Bend, Oregon brings a unique, grounded, and systematic approach to his facilitation work. This perspective ensures that safety and stability are at the forefront of every session, providing a reassuring presence for those embarking on their psilocybin journeys.

Beyond his professional achievements, Ryan is a devoted practitioner of mindfulness meditation. He views psilocybin as a complementary tool that, when integrated with mindfulness practices, can lead to profound and lasting benefits.

In his personal time, Ryan finds solace and inspiration in nature, often seen walking with his dog along the Ponderosa-lined paths of the Deschutes River. This connection to the natural world mirrors his approach to therapy—grounded, reflective, and inherently healing.