Yes. At this time, we offer private one-on-one plant medicine ceremonies in and around New York City. These sessions are held in sacred, intentional spaces—whether in Brooklyn or other agreed-upon locations. In some cases, we can also travel to you if the situation feels aligned. Every ceremony is deeply personalized and designed to meet you exactly where you are on your path of healing and awakening.

We operate in a private, sacred, and spiritual context—rooted in personal healing and religious freedom—and offer sacred plant medicine ceremonies as a form of spiritual practice and religious expression, protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993, and related legal precedent.

We affirm our right to offer psilocybin-containing mushrooms as a sacrament to individuals who sincerely request it in the context of personal and spiritual discovery. All ceremonies are held in a private, sacred setting and are offered only to those with whom we have established a relationship of mutual spiritual intent. This work is not recreational or transactional—it is devotional.

If you feel called to this work, please reach out—we’re happy to speak with you directly about what we offer.

Río is a psychedelic guide, integration coach, and founder of Brooklyn Psychedelic. He has guided hundreds of people through psilocybin and ayahuasca ceremonies across Mexico, Peru, and the U.S.

His path has led him from the Amazon rainforest, where he apprenticed with Shipibo elders, to the Himalayas of India, where he trained in yoga and meditation. He spent 3 years in Mexico studying mushroom medicine and living among the Mazatec and Zapotec tribes. He has also held ceremonies with Wixárika elders (guardians of sacred Peyote cactus) in the deserts of northern Mexico, and was initiated by the family of María Sabina in Huatla de Jiménez, Oaxaca.

Río brings a strong academic foundation to his work. After graduating magna cum laude in the Social Entrepreneurship Honors Program from the University of Texas at Austin, he completed a Social Impact Incubator at Columbia University and was later accepted into the Master of Social Work programs at Columbia University, Hunter, and the NYU Silver School of Social Work.

Ultimately, however, Río brings presence. He meets each person with openness and respect — without judgment, and without agenda. His role is not to fix or heal, but to help create a safe, sacred space where your own inner healer can emerge.

For a deeper look into his journey and philosophy, you can read this 2023 interview with Río, where he shares his path as a psychedelic guide, his lived experience, and the values that shape his work.

“Set and setting” refers to the internal and external conditions that shape your psychedelic experience. Coined by Timothy Leary and popularized in the 1960s, this foundational concept highlights how your mindset (“set”) and environment (“setting”) profoundly influence how the journey unfolds and what insights emerge.

• Set refers to your internal landscape—your mood, thoughts, intentions, expectations, and emotional state. Approaching the medicine with clarity, calm, and curiosity creates fertile ground for healing. Even when difficult material arises, a well-prepared mind can meet it with openness and compassion.

• Setting is your outer environment—the physical space, the presence (or absence) of others, the music, lighting, smells, and overall energy. A safe, supportive setting helps regulate your nervous system and allows for deeper surrender and trust.

At Brooklyn Psychedelic, we place deep care into both set and setting. Through preparation, guidance, and the creation of sacred space, we help ensure your experience is meaningful, supported, and held—from beginning to end.

This work is for those who are ready for a direct and personal encounter with their inner truth. Whether you are navigating grief, addiction, depression, spiritual crisis, or simply feel the call—our one-on-one sessions are tailored to support your unique journey with compassion and precision.

We are committed to giving back and supporting initiatives that align with our values of healing, sustainability, and community empowerment. That’s why 3% of all donations are directed to organizations making a meaningful impact both locally and globally.

The more we give, the more we are supported, and the more we are able to support to those in need of healing. By choosing Brooklyn Psychedelic, you’re contributing to a ripple effect of positive change.

Here are the organizations we currently support:

• The Bronx Documentary Center (bronxdoc.org): A cultural hub in the South Bronx that uses photography and film to amplify community voices, foster education, and inspire social change. By supporting the BDC, we are empowering youth and underserved communities through creative expression and storytelling.

• Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund (imc.fund): This fund works to protect the lands, traditions, and cultural heritage of Indigenous communities who safeguard plant medicines like ayahuasca, peyote, and iboga. By supporting the IMC Fund, we help ensure these sacred medicines are preserved and respected for generations to come.

• Magic Fund Amazon (magicfundamazon.com): Dedicated to the protection of the Amazon rainforest and the communities that inhabit it, Magic Fund Amazon focuses on conservation, sustainable practices, and the well-being of Indigenous people who depend on the forest for their livelihoods and traditions.

• Libros para Pueblos (librosparapueblos.org): A nonprofit in Oaxaca, Mexico, that fosters literacy and a love of reading in underserved communities. Through free libraries, book donations, and reading programs, they provide children and families access to books that would otherwise be out of reach. Supporting Libros para Pueblos helps cultivate education, imagination, and opportunity in rural areas..

At Brooklyn Psychedelic, we walk a path of devotion and service. Our work is grounded in years of personal healing, spiritual practice, and deep relationship with sacred medicines.

This offering is shaped by:

• Years of direct learning from Indigenous elders in Peru, Oaxaca, and Northern Mexico

• Training in the Indian Himalayas in yogic science, meditation, and breathwork

• A living, personal relationship with the medicines we serve

• A trauma-informed, somatic, and spiritually rooted approach to care

Every ceremony is bespoke. Every moment is sacred. This is more than a service—it’s a shared sacred experience, rooted in mutual respect, reverence, and care.

We primarily work with psilocybin mushrooms, held in ceremonial context with reverence and care. We grow our own mushrooms in house. Each journey is supported by music, ritual, and presence. Additional modalities like breath work, meditation, and prayer may also be woven into your session to support deeper healing and integration.

Preparation begins with presence. Before your ceremony, we meet for one-on-one guidance to explore your intention, readiness, and needs. You’ll receive practices, journaling prompts, and supportive tools to help align your heart, mind, and body for the journey ahead.

Preparation typically takes around four weeks, with one call each week. These sessions give us time to build trust, clarify your goals, and create the right conditions for the experience. This steady, intentional pace helps ensure you're not only ready—but able to journey deeper and receive the most benefit from the ceremony.

Choosing the right retreat or guide is not something to rush. This is sacred work—trust, safety, and integrity matter more than anything. When selecting a retreat or facilitator, we recommend going beyond marketing and credentials. Talk directly to the person who will be holding the space.

Here are some key questions to ask:

• What is their own history of healing?

• What is their relationship with the medicine they serve?

• Have they worked with Indigenous lineages or received traditional training?

• Do they have reciprocity practices in place with the communities and cultures the medicine comes from?

• Are they trauma-informed?

• Do they feel grounded, humble, and deeply present?

Experience matters. Someone may have read every book or taken every online course, but that’s not the same as living this path. Look for someone who has sat with the medicine over time, undergone their own transformation, and emerged not with polished language, but with quiet wisdom.

Ultimately, get still and listen. Your intuition knows. When it’s right, you’ll feel it. There’s no rush. The medicine calls people when the time is right—and you will know.

For further reading on this topic, you can check out our recent post in our resource page.

Yes. We offer structured integration support following your ceremony, including follow-up sessions, tools, and ongoing mentorship. We believe the ceremony is only the beginning and that real transformation unfolds as you integrate your insights into daily life.

This process is not just about psychedelics—it’s about you. The entire arc of preparation, ceremony, and integration is designed to awaken something lasting within you. Even without taking a psychedelic, this work lays a foundation for deep inner growth, emotional clarity, and spiritual transformation.

Psychedelics are not the path—you are the path. Your presence, your courage, your inner wisdom. The medicine simply helps you remember what’s already true.

When held with intention and reverence, a psychedelic ceremony can illuminate that truth, offering you tools, insights, and ways of being that you can carry for the rest of your life.

We’re honored to walk beside you in your journey.

Contact us here to learn more.