Through Shadow and Light

Psychedelic Facilitation

&

End-of-Life Support

Rhiana Wiggins, MA, RN, Chaplain, Psychedelic Facilitator

What is Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy?

Many people are curious about what psychedelic therapy is. My goal is to provide education that empowers you to make informed, ethical, and grounded choices.

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) combines therapeutic preparation, intentional use of a psychedelic medicine accompanied by a trained facilitator, and post-journey integration to support emotional healing, spiritual insight, and transformation. The facilitator’s role is not to direct the experience but to hold space for whatever arises — to trust the client’s inner healer while providing for safety and comfort.

The Intention
These sessions are not recreational; they are medicinal, ceremonial and therapeutic. The offering is a warm invitation and compassionate welcome into heightened consciousness — a space that can be both healing and sacred.

Facilitation offers a gentle hand upon the shoulder, encouragement to breathe deep, and step with curiosity into the mystery. We create together a spacious trust, so that the medicine can be a lantern, revealing both the tender wounds and the wisdom that blooms from them.

As your facilitator, my intention is to hold the sacred container with an open heart, and honor the courage required for this kind of work, making space for whatever may arise without judgment.

We will journey through the shadows and darker emotions, as well as the light and joyful feelings together. The offering includes witness and support as you process new insights, and integrate and embody these gifts going forward.

The Medicines
In Colorado, psilocybin and ketamine are legalized for use with a licensed facilitator.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a medicine that was originally developed in the 1960s as an anesthetic — a medication used to safely and quickly help people go to sleep during surgery. It is also used widely in paramedic medicine and emergency departments.

In the last twenty years, researchers discovered something beneficial: at much lower doses than those used for anesthesia, ketamine can have powerful effects on mood.

How Can it be Supportive?

At these lower therapeutic doses, ketamine can temporarily quiet the part of the mind that’s caught in constant worry, anxiety, negative patterns or despair, opening a window of healing for those feeling stuck in depression, pain, and self-protection.

This pause allows new perspectives and emotional insights to emerge. Many people describe feeling as if a “reset button” has been pressed — giving them a chance to reconnect with a sense of possibility, compassion, and calm that felt out of reach before.

Ketamine can help people:

Move through depression or hopelessness when other treatments haven’t worked.
Ease suicidal thoughts, restoring safety and perspective.
Process deep grief or loss, helping emotions flow instead of staying locked inside.
Reduce anxiety and a sense of disconnection from self or others.

Unlike traditional antidepressants, which can take weeks to start working, ketamine often begins to relieve depression within hours or days. Because of this, it’s sometimes called a rapid-acting antidepressant; it often helps people feel relief and clarity after one session.

This shift in perspective can bring about real change due to Ketamine’s effect on the brain. Research has shown that Ketamine increases our brain’s neuroplasticity — that is the brain’s natural ability to grow, change, and form new connections. When we’re living with depression, trauma, or long-term stress, the brain can get stuck in old patterns that feel hard to shift.

By opening this window of neuroplasticity, Ketamine creates a period when the brain becomes more flexible and open to change. During this time, negative thought loops loosen, new perspectives feel possible, and insights can take root more easily. This is why facilitation and integration after a ketamine session are so important. The medicine creates the conditions for change, and the work you do within that window helps those changes bring about healing and transformation.

Is Ketamine a Psychedelic?

Traditional psychedelics — like psilocybin or LSD — mainly work on the brain’s serotonin system and can create vivid, extended journeys with strong visual and emotional experiences.

Ketamine works differently. It affects a part of the brain that uses glutamate, a chemical involved in learning and creating new connections. At low, therapeutic doses, ketamine can create a short, dreamlike state — often lasting less than an hour or two — where the usual chatter of the mind quiets and deeper parts of the self can be felt more clearly.

Because of that shift in awareness, many people describe ketamine experiences as psychedelic-like — spacious and insightful — even though the medicine itself comes from a different family.

So, while ketamine isn’t a classic psychedelic, it’s often grouped with them because this non-ordinary state can dissolve emotional barriers and open new pathways for growth and healing.

Is Ketamine Safe?

When used in a medical or therapeutic setting, with proper screening and professional supervision, ketamine is considered safe for most people. Its effects on the mind and body are well understood.

Does It Have Side Effects?

At the low doses used for mental health and emotional healing, ketamine rarely causes serious problems — but it can create temporary side effects while it’s active in your system. These usually last only about 30–60 minutes and fade on their own.

Common short-term effects can include:

Feeling light, dreamy, or detached from your body
Drowsiness or a “floating” sensation
Mild changes in vision and sensations (things can look or feel a little different)
Nausea or dizziness
A short-lived increase in blood pressure or heart rate

These effects are carefully monitored during a session and a trained facilitator can help ensure comfort and safety. Afterward, most people feel calm, tired, and emotionally open. It’s best to rest, hydrate, and nourish yourself following a session.

Like any medicine, ketamine isn’t right for everyone. People with certain heart conditions, untreated high blood pressure, or a history of psychosis may need to avoid it. That’s why medical screening is always done before starting treatment.

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What is Psilocybin?

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound found in certain types of mushrooms — often called “magic mushrooms.” When someone takes psilocybin, the body converts it into another substance called psilocin, which is what creates the changes in perception, mood, and thought that people associate with a psychedelic experience.

In simpler terms, psilocybin helps the brain “loosen up” in ways that can open new perspectives and insights. People often describe vivid colors, heightened emotions, and a sense of connection to themselves, others, nature, or something greater, becoming more obvious and palpable.

In therapeutic settings, psilocybin is a tool to help people work through depression, anxiety, trauma, and other emotional difficulties. It doesn’t “fix” things on its own, but it can create a powerful window where the mind becomes more open and flexible, making it easier to understand patterns and create change.

How Can Psilocybin Be Supportive?

During a psilocybin experience, filters of the mind relax, becoming more open and flexible, making it easier to understand patterns and create change. Many people report accessing memories or revisiting experiences that may have been buried or were too painful to face before.

Psilocybin supports emotional and behavioral healing because it can help in processing old wounds and releasing stored emotions. It allows people to see themselves and their lives from a new perspective — often in a way that feels more open, compassionate, and connected, leading to a clearer sense of what truly matters, and feeling a sense of support from the greater universe.

After a psilocybin experience, this window of mental flexibility can last for days or even weeks. During this time, people often find it easier to shift habits and release old emotional patterns. This is why preparation and integration matter so much: psilocybin can open the door, and the work you do afterward helps turn those insights into real, lasting change.

Is Psilocybin Safe?

Psilocybin is generally considered physically safe when used in a supportive, well-guided setting. It’s not addictive, and it doesn’t harm the body or brain. However, the experience itself can feel big, emotional, or mystical, which is why preparation and having trained support is so important.

Most common short-term side effects include:

Mild nausea
A slightly faster heartbeat
Feeling unsteady or sensitive to light and sound

These sensations usually fade as the journey settles, though the emotional effects may be more intense. Difficult feelings or memories can come up, but in a therapeutic setting this is often part of healing.

Does It Interact With Medications?

It’s best to consult a qualified medical or psychedelic-informed provider or facilitator when considering psilocybin. Medications that affect mood, sleep, or the nervous system can change how psilocybin feels or works.

Psilocybin interacts with the brain’s serotonin system, so if one is taking prescription medication — especially antidepressants or mood stabilizers — this can be risky. A qualified provider can help determine what’s safe, if any medications need to be tapered beforehand, and how to do so responsibly.

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How Does Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Work?

Preparation

Before beginning a psychedelic journey, there’s time to slow down and get ready — body, mind, and heart. In preparation, we talk about your intentions, what’s been going on in your life, and what you hope to explore or heal. We also cover what to expect during the experience, review your resources, and how to stay grounded if things feel intense. We will always review safety and consent, and form an agreement that will be adhered to.

This is a space to build trust, ask questions, and set the stage for a sacred and meaningful journey. Preparation helps your nervous system feel supported and your mind ready to surrender into the process.

Journey Day

The medicine session itself is often called journey day. This is where you will have your actual psychedelic experience, guided and supported by me in a safe, comfortable setting.

You’ll be invited to relax — often lying down with eyes closed and music playing — while the medicine works gently through your system. The journey may take you through a wide range of sensations, emotions, experiences, and insights.

As your facilitator, I will remain present throughout the day to offer grounding, reassurance, and compassionate support so you can be with and move through whatever arises.

Integration

Integration is where the real magic unfolds.

After a psychedelic journey, the brain enters a period of heightened neuroplasticity — which means it’s more flexible. Old patterns of thinking or reacting can loosen their grip and new, healthier pathways can begin to take root. In this window of time, what you do — how you reflect, rest, and act really matters.

During integration sessions, we take time to make sense of what came up — the images, emotions, and realizations. This is about weaving your insights into daily life, finding meaning and making practical shifts that align with your healing and growth.

Integration is supported by talking, journaling, creative expression, somatic awareness, and gentle practices that help you embody what you are receiving, experiencing and learning.

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Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for End of Life

Facing the end of life can bring up deep emotional pain — fear, grief, regret, unfinished business, or a sense of being overwhelmed. In research studies, PAT has been shown to help people who are facing a life-limiting illness; many describe it as an experience that softens fear and brings a sense of clarity or acceptance.

PAT with Ketamine or Psilocybin can:

Ease fear and anxiety When someone is approaching the end of life, fear of the unknown can feel overwhelming; PAT has been shown to help people feel more grounded and spacious.
Reduce depression and hopelessness People facing their death may feel sadness, loss of identity, and emotional heaviness; PAT can help lift that weight, often giving people emotional clarity or a renewed sense of hope, even when physical conditions can’t be changed.
Soften fear of death It is often a struggle to find peace and acceptance with a terminal diagnosis; PAT often helps people reconnect with what matters most — love, relationships, nature, and a sense of something bigger than themselves. This depth of meaning can provide comfort in the face of life’s ending.
Support meaning-making When we realize we are dying, we reflect on life, relationships, and our legacy; PAT can give people space to review their life with compassion instead of regret. Many describe it as seeing their life from a wider, kinder perspective.
Support for loved ones and the grieving process People who feel more at peace tend to communicate more openly with family and friends — easing tension, relieving grief, deepening connection, and supporting everyone involved. PAT can also be beneficial for the caregivers of the dying, helping them gain new perspective and less fear of an anticipated loss.

In a supportive environment, with preparation and compassionate guidance, PAT can help people:

Say things they’ve wanted to say
Find peace with loved ones
Explore important spiritual or existential questions
Feel more present, even in the midst of declining health

While PAT cannot change the reality of illness, it can ease the emotional weight of the journey, helping some people experience their final chapter with more comfort, acceptance, and dignity.

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Meet Rhiana

Rhiana Wiggins, MA, RN, Chaplain, Psychedelic Facilitator

I have dedicated more than half my life to the care and service of others. I come to psychedelic facilitation having accompanied clients, patients and friends in moments of profound transformation —through birth, death, and everything in between.

My path began in the early 1990s as a massage therapist, where I learned that our stories live not only in our minds but in our bodies. Supporting clients through pain and release taught me how healing unfolds when the body is heard.

From there, I became a birth doula, supporting women through the sacred threshold of childbirth. While studying to become a nurse-midwife, I attended to my grandmother while she was dying. Sitting at her bedside as she took her last breath, awakened something in me. I realized my calling was not at the doorway of arrival, but at the doorway of departure.

As a registered nurse, I gained a breadth of experience working in psychiatry, critical care, and oncology, before finally following my heart to hospice work. As a specialized hospice and palliative care nurse, I accompanied hundreds of individuals and families through dying and grieving. Walking with others facing their death deepened my trust in the wisdom of both shadow and light — the capacity of the human spirit to find meaning and peace, even in the midst of uncertainty and fear.

While continuing to serve those at end of life, I grew in my understanding of the sacred journey that we each must take as we encounter our death. I felt called to serve in the role of chaplain, pursuing my graduate degree and training in Buddhist chaplaincy. Since then, I have served as a chaplain in hospital, prison and crisis environments.

Encountering my own time of crisis during the COVID pandemic, I turned to the help of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. I experienced first-hand the healing these medicines offer which compelled me to pursue education and training to become a Licensed Facilitator in the state of Colorado (only the second state in the US to legalize PAT). I have since witnessed the intentional journeys of clients wading through the shadow side of things, and arriving in the light and healing they sought.

My Approach

My work is grounded in a career of service in healthcare; paralleled by a lifelong exploration of the sacred and spiritual which has been shaped by both professional and personal transformation.

My approach as a psychedelic facilitator is rooted in:

Presence and Compassion Thousands of patients taught me that empathy and loving attention is essential. Each journey is held within a space of care, reverence, and nonjudgment.
Embodied Awareness We know that healing arises through the body as much as through insight; I invite clients to trust their somatic intelligence.
Clinical Expertise As a retired RN, I bring years of education, training and patient care to create a safe and supportive container.
Spiritual Grounding As a Buddhist chaplain, I hold each session as a sacred encounter—an opportunity to touch the mystery of being. For those who find meaning in ritual and spiritual practice, it is welcome.
Integration and Wholeness True healing unfolds through integration—the meaning-making and weaving of insights into the fabric of everyday life.
Safety and Ethics: All sessions adhere to ethical guidelines, confidentiality, and consent practices as established by Colorado’s regulatory framework and professional psychedelic therapy standards.

Background & Training

Education & Credentials

Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Naropa University
M.A. in Buddhist Studies & Chaplaincy Certificate – Graduate Theological Union / Institute of Buddhist Studies
B.S. Nursing– Montana State University-Bozeman
Certified Massage Therapist and Holistic Health Educator, National Holistic Institute
B.S. in Public Relations – Boston University

Licensure

Registered Nurse (RN) — Colorado and California
Psilocybin Facilitator in Training License — Colorado

Professional Experience and Certifications

MAPS/Lykos MDMA-Assisted Therapy Certificate
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Online Circle Certificate
Clinical Pastoral Education
Certificate in Disaster Chaplaincy
Hospice & Palliative Care Nurse (CHPN)
Critical Care (CCRN), Oncology Nursing (ONS)
We Honor Veterans VA Training

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