Psychedelic-assisted therapy, clinical research and retreats are not the same thing

These terms are used interchangeably and they should not be.

Licensed psychotherapy is regulated care delivered by a licensed clinician. Clinical psychedelic research happens inside approved trials with screening, medical oversight and ethics review. State-regulated psychedelic services exist in a small number of jurisdictions under specific legal frameworks. Retreats are commercial or community programmes whose standards vary enormously and which are frequently unregulated.

Peer support and coaching are valuable and are neither therapy nor medical care.

Knowing which of these you are actually looking at determines what protections you have, what training the person in the room has, and what happens if something goes wrong.