The Psychedelic Justice and Companioning Certificate program provides a space for people of faith to train in the use of psychedelics and help propagate conversation about these altered states of consciousness in a religious context.
As the field of psychedelics grows, the moral and ethical concerns at the core of religious and spiritual ministry are not being addressed. Spiritual bypassing and a history of colonization have hampered the ways in which practitioners and thought leaders in the psychedelic renaissance imagine this work and its potential.
Starr King’s commitment to educating to counter oppression provides a framework with which to explore the world of psychedelics and plant medicine. A framework that acknowledges both the traditional holders of this sacred knowledge and the current oppressive reality of the war on drugs and its disproportionate onus on people of color and the poor.
This online certification program is for those who already have a graduate degree, as well as current Starr King students. It includes a mix of coursework, fieldwork, supervision, and lectures. Those who earn a Certificate in Psychedelic Justice and Companioning from Starr King will have familiarity with the rituals, history, and science of psychedelic work in the United States and be prepared to enter such conversations as chaplains, ministers, and community leaders.
See our course descriptions or get tuition information.
The Certificate provides religious leaders with the grounding to assist in the unfolding of a diverse and equitable psychedelic culture. Promoting diversity and inclusion by understanding that specific voices have been long marginalized in Western psychedelic culture, will enable graduates of this certificate program to hold space and companion people in nurturing and counter-oppressive ways. The focus on justice and companioning can lead graduates to positions in advocacy and/or entrepreneurship in this blossoming field.
The Certificate in Psychedelic Justice and Companioning is a 12-credit program to be completed within two years. The prerequisite for admission is the Educating to Counter Oppressions (ECO) Core course at Starr King, which is available to take in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Students may take ECO and Sacred and the Substance concurrently.
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The Rev. Dr. Pamela D. Hancock is a pagan priestess, professor author and artist. She has over 20 years of experience in the realm of psychedelics–utilizing their medicine to enhance magical practices, strengthen bonds within her community, and assist people in connecting to deep archetypal wisdom. Her current research is the investigation of the use of plant medicine through the lens of Depth Psychology and ancient Goddess traditions. She not only is co-director of this program but will be teaching a course entitled Psychedelic Ministry Methods.
To learn more about Pamela please visit the full profile at www.sksm.edu/faculty/rev-dr-pamela-d-hancock.
Tyson Casey is a professional coach, facilitator, and educator whose work centers on a simple truth: leadership is an action anyone can practice. He brings personal and professional experience with psychedelics in harm-reduction, decriminalization, policy, therapeutic, and religious contexts.
To learn more about Tyson Casey, please visit the full profile at www.sksm.edu/faculty/j-tyson-casey.
Professor Ayize Jama-Everett of Starr King’s Sacred and the Substance course has led two Psychedelics and the Seminary lecture series (2022 & 2023). During these lectures, he interviews some of the top writers, practitioners, and religious leaders in the psychedelic movement. Watch two of these lectures below:
Questions? Contact us at admissions@sksm.edu or Contact Program Co-Directors at psychedelics@sksm.edu.
