How to Choose a Facilitator - Vetting, Red Flags, and Trust

This Might Be Your Most Important Decision

Choosing who serves you medicine is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make in this work.

The wrong facilitator can cause serious harm. The right facilitator creates conditions for profound healing.

Years of collective experience with facilitators have revealed what to prioritize and what constitutes serious red flags.

This page will help you vet facilitators thoroughly, ask the right questions, and trust your gut.

Quick Reference: We also have a printable checklist of questions you can bring to your facilitator conversations.

Why This Matters So Much

You Will Be Extremely Vulnerable

During ceremony you might be:

• Emotionally raw and open
• Physically incapacitated
• Psychologically vulnerable
• Unable to defend yourself
• Trusting the facilitator completely

The person holding space has enormous power. Choose wisely.

The Stakes Are High

Good facilitation:

• Creates safe container for healing
• Responds appropriately to crisis
• Maintains boundaries
• Supports integration
• Honors the medicine and the participant

Bad facilitation:

• Can cause psychological harm
• May lead to abuse or exploitation
• Creates unsafe conditions
• Retraumatizes vulnerable people
• Damages trust in the medicine and healing process

There’s no regulatory body for this work. You are your own due diligence.

The Vetting Process: Step by Step

Step 1: Initial Research

Where to look:

• Personal referrals (most reliable)
• Integration communities
• Word of mouth in trusted circles
• Online directories (proceed with caution)
• Social media (red flag central, honestly)

What to look for initially:

• How long have they been serving medicine?
• What’s their training lineage?
• Do they have a physical location or move around?
• What do reviews/testimonials say?
• Do they have a website with clear information?

Early red flags:

• No clear information about training
• Only glowing reviews (suspicious)
• Claims of special powers or being “chosen”
• Heavy marketing/branding
• Pressure to book immediately

Step 2: First Contact

Reach out with initial questions:

Email or call and notice:

• How quickly do they respond?
• Is communication clear and professional?
• Do they welcome questions?
• Are they transparent about their process?
• Do you feel respected or pressured?

Ask:

• “Can we schedule a call to discuss your approach?”
• “What’s your screening process?”
• “Can you tell me about your training?”
• “What are your safety protocols?”

Green flag: They welcome thorough questions and respect your need to vet.

Red flag: Defensive, evasive, or pressure to commit before you’re ready.

Step 3: The Screening Call (or Meeting)

This should be a two-way interview. They should be screening you, and you should be screening them.

Schedule at least a 30-minute conversation before committing.

Questions to Ask Facilitators

About Their Training and Experience

Essential questions:

“What is your training lineage?”

• Who trained them?
• How long was their training?
• In what tradition (Shipibo, Santo Daime, mestizo, etc.)?
• Have they trained in the Amazon or with indigenous teachers?
• How many years have they been serving?

What to listen for:

• Specific names and traditions
• Humility about their training
• Acknowledgment of ongoing learning
• Respect for the lineage

Red flags:

• Vague answers (“I trained in Peru”)
• Claims of being self-taught or “chosen by the medicine”
• Defensive when asked
• Very short training period (weekend workshops)
• No clear lineage or made-up tradition

“How many ceremonies have you led?”

• As lead facilitator vs. assistant?
• How many people typically?
• Over how many years?

Truth: Experience matters. Newer facilitators can be wonderful if they’re honest about their level and have support/supervision.

“Do you still work with your teachers or lineage?”

• Ongoing relationship shows humility
• Continued learning and accountability
• Connection to tradition

Red flag: Cut off from teachers, claims to have surpassed them, or speaks disrespectfully about lineage.

About Safety and Medical Screening

Essential questions:

“What is your medical screening process?”

• Do they require a health questionnaire?
• Do they screen for contraindications?
• What about medication interactions?
• Do they require medical clearance for certain conditions?

Green flags:

• ✅ Thorough written screening
• ✅ Phone or video discussion of health history
• ✅ Clear contraindication list
• ✅ Will turn away people who aren’t safe to serve
• ✅ Asks about mental health history
• ✅ Screens for medications (especially SSRIs, MAOIs, other psych meds)

Red flags:

• ❌ No screening or minimal (“just tell us if you’re healthy”)
• ❌ Will serve anyone who pays
• ❌ Downplays medication interactions
• ❌ “The medicine knows what you need” (ignoring medical risks)

“What are your emergency protocols?”

• First aid training?
• Medical professional on-site or on-call?
• How far from hospital?
• Have they ever had to handle a medical emergency?
• What’s the plan if someone needs emergency care?

What you want to hear:

• Clear emergency protocol
• Medical training (wilderness first aid minimum, EMT better)
• Hospital within reasonable distance
• No hesitation to call 911 if needed
• Examples of how they’ve handled past situations

Red flag: Vague answers, resistance to calling emergency services, or spiritual bypassing (“the medicine will handle it”).

“What’s your dosing approach?”

• Do they offer choice in dose?
• How do they determine amount?
• Can you say no to a second cup?
• Do they serve the same dose to everyone?

Green flags:

• ✅ Conservative first doses for new people
• ✅ Considers body weight, sensitivity, experience
• ✅ You can always say no to more
• ✅ They observe and adjust

Red flag: One-size-fits-all, pressure to drink more, or “ego is resisting” if you decline.

About Boundaries and Ethics

Essential questions:

“What are your boundaries around touch?”

• When/how might they touch participants?
• Always with consent?
• What kind of touch (hand on shoulder vs. bodywork)?
• How do they maintain professional boundaries?

What you want to hear:

• Touch only with explicit consent
• Professional, grounding touch only (hand on shoulder, etc.)
• Clear boundaries maintained
• Respect for participants’ bodily autonomy

Red flags:

• ❌ Ambiguous about boundaries
• ❌ “Healing work” that involves intimate touch
• ❌ Private sessions in isolated spaces
• ❌ Sexual energy or comments

“Have you ever been in a romantic or sexual relationship with a participant?”

The only acceptable answer: No.

Any other answer: Leave immediately.

“How do you handle power dynamics?”

• Do they acknowledge the power they hold?
• How do they prevent exploitation?
• What’s their accountability structure?

Green flag: Awareness of power, humility, external accountability.

Red flag: Denies power dynamics, sees participants as students/followers, no external oversight.

“What’s your refund/cancellation policy?”

Green flags:

• ✅ Clear written policy
• ✅ Reasonable cancellation terms
• ✅ Partial refund if you need to cancel

Red flag: No refunds ever, pressure to pay for multiple ceremonies upfront, unclear terms.

About the Ceremony and Container

“Can you describe a typical ceremony?”

• Setting and space
• How many participants?
• How many facilitators/assistants?
• Structure and timeline
• Music/icaros approach
• What happens after ceremony?

What to listen for:

• Clear, detailed description
• Ratio of participants to facilitators (ideally no more than 10:1)
• Clean, safe, comfortable space
• Thoughtful approach to music and energy
• Integration support offered

“Can I visit the space beforehand?”

• See where ceremony is held
• Meet facilitators in person
• Get a felt sense of the environment

Green flag: They welcome this.

Red flag: Refuse or make it difficult.

“What integration support do you offer?”

• Follow-up after ceremony?
• Resources provided?
• Community or integration circles?
• Referrals to therapists?

Good facilitators:

• Provide some form of integration support
• Acknowledge integration is crucial
• Offer resources even if they can’t provide direct support
• Encourage therapy and ongoing work

Red flags:

• No integration offered or discussed
• Discourages therapy
• Pushes for more ceremonies as only integration
• “The medicine will integrate itself”

About Cost and Financial Transparency

“What is the cost and what does it include?”

• Ceremony fee
• Accommodation?
• Food?
• Preparation/integration support?
• Any additional costs?

Green flags:

• ✅ Transparent, clear pricing
• ✅ Everything included is spelled out
• ✅ No surprise fees
• ✅ Sliding scale or scholarship options (shows values)

Red flags:

• ❌ Hidden fees
• ❌ Pressure to buy additional items/services
• ❌ Mandatory “donations” beyond stated price
• ❌ Must pay for multiple ceremonies upfront

“Why do you charge this amount?”

What you’re listening for:

• Thoughtful answer about costs (rent, medicine, time, training)
• Acknowledgment of accessibility issues
• Respect for the value exchange

Red flags:

• Defensive about money
• Claims to be doing it purely for money
• Excessive luxury (ceremony shouldn’t fund lavish lifestyle)
• Extremely cheap (safety costs money)

Truth about cost:

• Legitimate ceremonies are expensive (space, insurance, time, medicine, training)
• Very cheap ceremonies often cut safety corners
• Very expensive doesn’t automatically mean better
• Beware of either extreme

Understanding Training Lineages

Legitimate Lineages (Examples, Not Exhaustive)

Shipibo tradition:

• Indigenous Peruvian lineage
• Apprenticeship model (years of training)
• Icaros (medicine songs) are central
• Deep plant knowledge

Santo Daime:

• Brazilian syncretic tradition
• Structured, church-like ceremonies
• Hymns and community focus
• Well-established lineage

Mestizo traditions:

• Mixed indigenous and Western
• Vegetalismo (plant spirit healing)
• Varied approaches

Western facilitators trained in traditional lineages:

• Spent significant time in Amazon
• Apprenticed with indigenous or experienced teachers
• Maintain connection to lineage
• Honest about being translators/bridges of tradition

What matters:

• Clear lineage they can name
• Years of training (not weekends)
• Ongoing connection to teachers/tradition
• Humility about their role

Red Flag “Lineages”

Made-up traditions:

• “Ancient Atlantean ayahuasca ceremony”
• Invented names with no verifiable lineage
• “Channeled” approaches
• Mixing everything together with no coherent frame

Weekend certification programs:

• “Become a facilitator in 5 days!”
• Online trainings only
• No direct experience with the medicine
• Commercial training programs with minimal oversight

Self-proclaimed shamans:

• Claims to be chosen/special
• No traceable training
• “I learned directly from the medicine”
• Appropriating indigenous titles without training

Cultural appropriation markers:

• Using indigenous language/dress with no legitimate connection
• Claiming to teach “ancient wisdom” from weekend workshop
• Disrespect for actual indigenous traditions
• Making money off borrowed traditions with no accountability

Note: This is complex. Non-indigenous people CAN be legitimate facilitators if trained properly and respectfully. What matters is honesty, respect, and legitimate training.

Checking References

Ask the Facilitator for References

They should be able to provide:

• Past participants you can speak with
• Professional references (therapists they work with, etc.)
• Their teachers (if applicable)

Green flag: Readily provides multiple references.

Red flag: Refuses, makes excuses, or only offers people who are current followers.

What to Ask References

When you speak with past participants:

“Can you describe your experience with [facilitator]?”

• Overall impression
• Felt sense of safety
• Quality of facilitation

“How did they handle difficult moments in ceremony?”

• Were they attentive?
• Did they respond appropriately?
• Did you feel supported?

“Were boundaries maintained?”

• Any boundary violations?
• Anything that felt inappropriate?

“What was integration support like?”

• Available afterward?
• Helpful resources?
• Follow-up?

“Would you drink with them again?”

• Why or why not?

“Is there anything you wish you’d known beforehand?”

• This often reveals important information

“Did you ever feel pressured or uncomfortable?”

• About anything - money, additional ceremonies, boundaries

Listen for:

• Authenticity (not scripted praise)
• Specifics (vague glowing reviews are suspicious)
• Balanced perspective (no facilitator is perfect)
• Genuine positive experience

Red flags in references:

• Cult-like devotion
• Can’t name any drawbacks
• Seems afraid or controlled
• References all sound identical

Do Your Own Research

Online:

• Search facilitator’s name + “review”
• Search facilitator’s name + “complaint”
• Check if they have social media presence (how do they present themselves?)
• Look for any news articles or warnings

Ask in integration communities:

• Post in trusted forums (Fireside Project, MAPS integration circles)
• Ask if anyone has experience with this facilitator
• Listen to both positive and concerning reports

Trust your gut about what you find.

The Intangible: Trusting Your Gut

Beyond Questions and Credentials

After all the practical vetting, pay attention to your felt sense:

Green flags in your body:

• You feel safe
• Something relaxes in you
• Your nervous system says “yes”
• You feel seen and respected
• You can be honest and ask questions

Red flags in your body:

• Something feels “off”
• You feel pressured or rushed
• You’re making excuses for concerns
• You feel scared (not just nervous about the medicine, but unsafe with the person)
• Your gut says “no”

Trust this. Your nervous system often knows before your thinking mind does.

The “But” Test

If you hear yourself saying:

• “They seem great BUT…”
• “Everyone says good things BUT…”
• “They have great credentials BUT…”

Pay attention to what comes after “but.”

That’s often your intuition speaking.

You Don’t Owe Anyone a Chance

If something feels wrong, you can:

• Ask more questions
• Take more time
• Walk away
• Choose someone else

No explanation needed.

Trusting your gut might save you from harm.

Special Considerations

For First-Timers

You might want:

• More structured, traditional setting
• Smaller group
• Facilitator experienced with beginners
• Clear preparation guidance
• Strong integration support

Questions to ask:

• “How many first-timers do you typically serve?”
• “How do you support people new to the medicine?”
• “What preparation do you provide?”

For People with Trauma History

You need:

• Trauma-informed facilitators
• Clear boundaries and consent practices
• Smaller, more intimate settings
• Strong integration resources
• Possibly therapeutic support integrated

Questions to ask:

• “What’s your understanding of trauma?”
• “How do you work with participants who have trauma history?”
• “What happens if someone is triggered or overwhelmed?”
• “Do you work with any therapists or trauma specialists?”

Red flag: Minimizes trauma, claims ayahuasca “cures” trauma, or doesn’t understand trauma-informed care.

For People with Mental Health Conditions

If you have:

• History of psychosis
• Bipolar disorder
• Severe depression
• Anxiety disorders
• PTSD

You need:

• Facilitator who takes mental health seriously
• Thorough screening
• Possibly medical clearance
• Strong safety protocols
• Integration support from mental health professional

Questions to ask:

• “How do you work with people with [your condition]?”
• “What are your contraindications for mental health?”
• “Have you served others with [condition]?”
• “What’s your relationship with mental health professionals?”

Red flag: Claims ayahuasca cures mental illness, will serve anyone, or dismisses medication as unnecessary.

For LGBTQ+ Folks

You deserve:

• Affirming, respectful space
• No gendered assumptions
• Safety to be yourself
• Facilitators who understand queer/trans experience

Questions to ask:

• “Have you worked with LGBTQ+ participants?”
• “How do you create affirming space?”
• “Are ceremonies gendered?” (some traditions separate by gender)
• “What’s your understanding of gender/sexual diversity?”

Green flag: Experience, openness, respect.

Red flag: Awkwardness, assumptions, or spiritual bypassing of identity.

For People of Color

You deserve:

• Culturally competent facilitators
• Awareness of racial dynamics
• Space that doesn’t require you to educate
• Respect for your experience

Questions to ask:

• “What’s your understanding of how race/culture impacts healing?”
• “Have you worked with people from diverse backgrounds?”
• “How do you address cultural appropriation?”

Pay attention to:

• Do they center white/Western perspectives?
• Are they thoughtful about colonialism and appropriation?
• Do they respect diverse spiritual frameworks?

Red Flags: The Complete List

🚨 Immediate Deal-Breakers (RUN)

• Sexual misconduct or boundary violations
• Romantic/sexual relationships with participants
• Physical abuse
• Financial exploitation or fraud
• Serving people with clear contraindications
• Refusing emergency medical care
• Cult-like control or isolation
• Claims of magical powers

⚠️ Serious Concerns (Proceed with Extreme Caution)

• No medical screening
• Vague or no training lineage
• Defensive when questioned
• Pressure to commit quickly
• No integration support
• Very cheap (cutting corners) or exploitatively expensive
• Bad references or concerning online reports
• No emergency protocols
• Inappropriate touch or boundary confusion

🔍 Yellow Flags (Investigate Further)

• Relatively new to facilitating (may be fine with supervision/support)
• Non-traditional lineage (may be legitimate, ask more)
• Marketing that feels off (may be awkward but not harmful)
• Expensive but transparent about costs (some legitimate ceremonies are pricey)
• Limited integration (if they refer to other resources)

Green Flags: What Good Looks Like

✅ Safety and Professionalism

• Thorough medical screening
• Clear emergency protocols
• First aid/medical training
• Professional liability insurance (rare but ideal)
• Clean, safe, legal space
• Appropriate participant-to-facilitator ratio

✅ Training and Lineage

• Clear, verifiable training
• Years of experience
• Ongoing connection to teachers/lineage
• Humble about their role
• Continues learning

✅ Boundaries and Ethics

• Maintains clear professional boundaries
• No romantic/sexual relationships with participants
• Respectful of autonomy
• Touch only with consent
• Acknowledges power dynamics

✅ Transparency

• Clear about costs
• Honest about their background
• Welcomes questions
• Provides references
• Transparent about risks

✅ Integration Support

• Offers or facilitates integration
• Encourages therapy
• Provides resources
• Available for follow-up
• Doesn’t create dependency

✅ Respect

• Respects the medicine and tradition
• Respects participants
• Culturally aware and humble
• Honors diverse backgrounds and identities

✅ Your Felt Sense

• You feel safe
• They listen to you
• You feel respected
• Your gut says yes
• You can be honest with them

Making Your Decision

After All the Vetting

Reflect on:

1. Did they answer all your questions satisfactorily?
2. Did references check out?
3. Do you feel safe with them?
4. Are their credentials and lineage clear?
5. Do their values align with yours?
6. Can you afford it without strain?
7. What does your gut say?

If most answers are yes: Probably good to proceed.

If you have significant doubts: Keep looking.

It’s Okay to Keep Looking

You don’t have to:

• Settle for someone who feels wrong
• Drink with the first facilitator you find
• Rush this decision
• Ignore red flags
• Override your gut

This is too important to settle.

You Can Change Your Mind

Even after booking:

• If red flags emerge
• If your gut changes
• If circumstances change
• If you discover new information

You can cancel (check refund policy, but safety > money).

Even at ceremony:

• If boundaries are violated
• If you feel unsafe
• If something is very wrong

You can leave.

After You Choose: Ongoing Assessment

Even with a good facilitator, stay aware:

During preparation:

• Are they responsive and supportive?
• Do they provide good guidance?
• Still feeling safe?

At ceremony:

• Is the space as described?
• Are boundaries maintained?
• Do you feel safe and respected?
• Are they attentive and appropriate?

After ceremony:

• Do they follow up?
• Support available?
• Did they honor all agreements?

Trust is earned over time, not just in the vetting process.

If You Discover Red Flags Later

If you see concerning behavior:

• Trust what you see
• You don’t owe them another chance
• Warn others if you’re comfortable
• Report serious violations if appropriate
• Seek support for yourself

Your safety always comes first.

Resources

• Questions to Ask Your Facilitator - Printable checklist for vetting conversations
• Red Flags - What to Watch Out For - Detailed red flags guide
• First-Timer’s Guide - Preparing for first ceremony
• MAPS Integration Directory - Find integration support
• Fireside Project - Psychedelic peer support

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Take your time with this decision. Ask all the questions. Trust your gut.

The right facilitator will welcome your thoroughness. The wrong one will resist it.

You deserve safe, ethical, respectful facilitation. Don’t settle for less.