[Opgelost] Emergency plan & access to medical support

For us client safety is our top priority. While psychedelic therapy involves powerful experiences, we are well-prepared to manage challenging situations and minimize risk through professional screening, experienced guidance, and emergency readiness.

Here's how we ensure safety — including in emergency situations:

1. The intake process eliminates 99% of the risk
   Before any session, clients complete a thorough intake assessment that screens for medical issues, psychological vulnerabilities, and contraindicated medications. This allows us to exclude unsuitable candidates before any session takes place. In practice, this screening removes the vast majority of known risks (estimated at over 99%) of potential safety concerns.

2. Trained facilitators with certified first aid
   All our facilitators remain fully sober during sessions and are trained in First Aid (EHBO) as well as First Aid for Alcohol and Drug Incidents (EHBDD). This means they are equipped to respond appropriately if physical or psychological distress arises, including fainting, panic, or disorientation.

3. Legally protected, with full access to emergency services
   In the Netherlands, the use of psilocybin truffles and related psychedelics is legal within the current framework. This gives us the freedom to operate transparently and to call 112 (emergency services) without hesitation if medical intervention is needed. There are no legal risks involved in seeking help, and we take swift action if a situation requires professional medical support.

4. Calm, controlled setting and de-escalation techniques
   Whether your session takes place at home or at a location like the Psychedelic Loft, the environment is designed to be safe, private, and calming. Facilitators are skilled in psychological grounding techniques, including breathwork, soothing verbal guidance, calming and trip-reducing supplements, and use of therapeutic music. Most issues can be resolved without outside intervention.

Did you know?

Out of 3200+ cliënts we have only had 3 situations we've called 112 for assistance:

1. We had to call the police because a client, under the influence of psilocybin and with a strong feeling of distrust, accused the facilitator of having “drugged him.” When the police arrived and calmly asked, “Wasn’t that the point of a psychedelic session?” and “Did you take it voluntarily?”, the client admitted: “Yes, I know. But still… he gave it to me.” After some disccussion with the police we've decided to keep an eye on him and after some time the distrust went away. In this story we've called to police because the situation became unworkable and we needed something to regain trust.

2. One participant believed he was having a heart attack, but based on his symptoms and behavior, our facilitators recognized it as a classic panic attack. Using grounding techniques, calm communication, and breathwork, we were able to de-escalate the situation and help him regain a sense of safety. However, to provide full reassurance, the participant insisted on medical evaluation and requested an ambulance. We fully respected his wishes. When the medical team arrived, they conducted on-site tests and confirmed that there was no physical issue and his vital signs were normal.

3. For one client we've called the ambulance for a better reason than the others. For no apparant reason one client kept fainting. Something she never had during her earliers sessions. The arrived ambulance personnel couldn't do more than advising to stay calm and let the body reduce the pscyhedelic effects. In the end this cleared too.