Program Philosophy & Competencies

Program Format

Opening Retreat
The Certificate begins with a five-day opening retreat at Naropa University in Boulder, CO, March 14–18, 2022. This retreat focuses on community building and includes Right Use of Power™ training, which we believe is essential to training ethical psychedelic-assisted practitioners. The Opening Retreat will also include lectures from contemplative leaders and experts in the field, and the opportunity to engage with integration groups, which will continue for the duration of the training.

Intensive Seven-Day Retreat
A seven-day residential clinical skills intensive, led by MAPS senior trainers in collaboration with Naropa faculty, will be held at Drala Mountain Center (DMC) in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, July 31–August 7, 2022. Trainees will deepen their therapeutic skills through role-plays, didactic training, contemplative practice, group discussions, and observing video sessions from MDMA clinical trials. Trainees will have the opportunity to join in a series of Non-Ordinary States experientials following the required retreat.
Synchronous Online Content Delivery Dates & Times
Trainees will move through the 10-month program with a series of monthly modules, in addition to the two in-person retreats. Attendance is required. Please see the program’s attendance policy below for instances of needing to miss sessions. As we confirm presenters, we will update lecture dates.
Live Lectures: Second or Third Saturday of each month on zoom, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. U.S. Mountain Time: April 9, May 14, June 18, July 9, September and beyond TBD.
Integration Groups: Fourth Wednesday evening of each month.
Curriculum Learning Modules
The Certificate’s online course components include 50 hours of asynchronous learning accompanied by five hours of live sessions each month. Trainees also spend two hours per month in facilitated small groups with a cohort integration leader. This combination of asynchronous learning, live instruction and small group integration allows trainees to fully engage with the themes and objectives of each course module.
MAPS MDMA Therapy Training
The MAPS MDMA Therapy Training Program is a clinical training program provided by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) that facilitates learning in the theory, skills, and practice of MDMA-assisted therapy. The theoretical approach is based on a philosophy that every person has within them an intrinsic wisdom and ability to heal, and that this inner healing wisdom blossoms naturally in an environment of safety and support.
MDMA Can Be a Powerful Tool in a Therapeutic Setting
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) was invented by the Merck pharmaceutical company in 1912. MDMA increases serotonin and causes the release of hormones — such as oxytocin and prolactin — associated with trust and bonding. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is a fundamentally different mode of treatment from the daily, chronic administration of antidepressants or other psychiatric medications. With many advantages over existing treatments, namely efficacy, tolerability, and duration of effects, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has the potential to greatly impact the lives of millions who suffer from PTSD worldwide. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is currently evaluating the drug for clinical use, with approval expected as early as 2024. Beginning in 2022, Canada allows limited distribution of MDMA and other psychedelics for therapeutic use upon approval by Health Canada.
To learn more about MDMA, its use in clinical research, published data, pharmaceutical properties, safety profile, and history, please read the MAPS Investigator’s Brochure.
The MAPS MDMA Therapy Training Program curriculum is fully integrated into Naropa’s Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Certificate. Trainees will complete aspects of the training throughout Naropa’s 10-month Certificate program, and will also participate in a week-long residential clinical skills intensive retreat, led by MAPS senior trainers in collaboration with Naropa faculty.
To be recognized as a fully trained MDMA-Assisted Therapy practitioner, trainees must complete: 1) the MDMA Therapy Training Program course; 2) Experiential Requirement; and 3) Consultation and Clinical Experience. The Naropa Certificate is authorized to act as an equivalent to the 100-hour MAPS PBC MDMA Therapy training program, and also includes support for identifying an experiential elective that meets the MAPS requirement. Upon completion of the Certificate, Naropa trainees will be ready for the Consultation phase of the MAPS training. Please see the MAPS MDMA Therapy Training site to learn what is required for the Consultation requirement post-certificate, should trainees wish to become fully authorized to provide MDMA-assisted therapy in their clinical practice.
Because the MAPS MDMA Therapy Training Program comprises a large part of Naropa’s Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Certificate program, prospective participants who’ve already completed the MAPS Training are asked to consider other Naropa training opportunities to further their psychedelic education.


Non-Ordinary States Immersive Experience Requirement
Experience with non-ordinary and extra-ordinary states of consciousness is central to Naropa’s Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Certificate program and required by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) for certification as an MDMA-assisted therapy practitioner. As the MAPS’ training site affirms, “Some of the best preparation for supporting others through a process is going through a similar process oneself. The kind of knowledge gained from firsthand experience is invaluable and difficult to replicate.”
Naropa’s 2022 Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies curriculum requires trainees to complete a minimum of 10 hours of approved Non-Ordinary States Immersive Experience. Because Naropa values individual commitments as well as diversity in practice and experience, trainees are permitted to select their preferred Non-Ordinary States Immersive Experience from a range of options. Trainees will select one Non-Ordinary States Immersive Experience; more than one is optional. Please note that the cost of these options is not included in the Certificate program tuition, and that some immersions may require an additional time commitment beyond the required 10 hour minimum.
Naropa recognizes that trainees may have prior experience with psychedelic substances and/or non-ordinary states and associated modalities. However, trainees are encouraged to fulfill this requirement while enrolled in the Certificate program so as to expressly facilitate intentional engagement within the context of the full program training arc and dynamic cohort-based learning process. Trainees may choose from a diversity of options in diverse legal contexts. Experiences that do not involve mind-altering substances are also possible, including sweat lodge, meditation retreat, breathwork practice and more.
Consistent with its obligations under the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Community Act Amendments of 1985, the Naropa University Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies does not require the use of psychedelic substances by certificate program participants in order to successfully complete the training. As described above, there are several options for Non-Ordinary States Immersive Experiences available to program participants. Trainees will be educated in the competencies required for Federally-approved medical treatment and psychedelic research. Participation in Immersive Experience opportunities involving ketamine or psilocybin shall be entirely voluntary, and all reference to such options will be to clinics or facilitators located in jurisdictions where the use of these substances for therapeutic or educational purposes is legal under both foreign and domestic laws.
Staff Leadership Team
Rob Colbert, MA, Ph.D, LPC
As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Dr. Rob Colbert specializes in working with young adults, persons experiencing major life transitions, and persons using or considering using psychoactive substances. As a social artist, Dr. Colbert is passionate about professional education and training, community organizing, and acting as a social change agent. He is a founding member of the Nowak Society, a nonprofit whose mission is to connect and organize psychedelic communities, and give voice to the essential values and pressing issues of the psychedelic movement, and he is actively involved in the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute in Fort Collins.
Belinda Eriacho
Belinda is of Dine’ (Navajo) and A:shiwi (Pueblo of Zuni) descent. Her maternal clan is One-Who-Walks-Around and she was born for the Zuni Pueblo people. Belinda was born and raised on the Navajo reservation, located in Arizona, United States of America.
She is the wisdom carrier, healer, and founder of Kaalogii LLC, focused on cultural and traditional teaching, inner healing, and an international speaker on various topics impacting Native American communities in the United States.
Belinda holds degrees in Health Sciences, Technology, and Public Health. In addition, Belinda has participated in the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, MDMA People of Color, and Eye Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy Training Programs.
Belinda is also a Founder and Board member of the Church of the Eagle and the Condor, a Program Advisor for Naropa University, and a Native American Traditional Advisor for SoundMind.
She is the author recent articles that are available on charuna.net: “Considerations for Psychedelic Therapist when working with Native American People and Communities”, “ Guidelines for Inclusion of Indigenous People into Psychedelic Science Conferences” and “This is not Native American History, this is US History with Belinda Eriacho”. In addition, a contributing author to the recently published Psychedelic Justice: Toward a Diverse and Equitable Psychedelic Culture.
Website: www.kaalogii.com
Diana Quinn, ND
Dr. Quinn is a licensed naturopathic doctor with a focus on psychoneuroimmunology and integrative mental health. Her clinical work has centered on care of marginalized communities, including people of color, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and low-income populations. Dr. Quinn is a graduate of the CIIS Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research program. She is a member of the Board of Psychedelic Medicine and Therapies, where she serves as co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and is a member of the Ethics Working Group with the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association. She serves on the board of Source Research Foundation, where she chairs the Community Grant Program, and is a member of the Chacruna Institute Racial Equity and Access Committee. Dr. Quinn is the Training Director of Alma Institute, a psilocybin facilitator training program and service site in Portland, Oregon. She serves on multiple advisory boards dedicated to building ethical integrity, equity, accessibility, and structural competency in the field of psychedelics.
Collaborations
Naropa has formed ongoing collaborations with the following organizations to provide programmatic and advisory support that enhances the depth and efficacy of our offerings.


The Synthesis Institute is a global leader of the modern psychedelic movement, advancing scientific research, training and education to create access to safe, legal psychedelic experiences for integrative healing and expansion.



Acknowledgements
Naropa University is honored to work with many individual and institutional contributors whose expertise helps strengthen the ongoing development and integrity of our certificate training program. Contributors include members of our faculty, staff and leadership teams, as well as prominent leaders in the field of psychedelic studies. Naropa wishes to publicly thank Maya, PBC and Ligare for their generous financial support of 2022 Certificate cohort participant scholarships.