The Importance and “How To” of Integration
Part 4 of Understanding Psychedelics as Allies in Healing Series
by Katie Simons, PharmD, BCPS
“Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of our crew, I want to thank you for flying with us today. It’s been our pleasure serving you, and we hope you enjoyed the flight. Once again, welcome to the City of Sovereign Healing. Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until the seatbelt sign has been turned off. Thanks again, and we wish you a great stay or a safe journey to your next destination.” … And this, my friends, is where we get off the psychedelic plane.
What do people mean by “Integration”?
We have been from healing to science to experience, and now we get to ground it all in the magical word that psychedelic facilitators love so much - “Integration.” What exactly is integration? As I mentioned previously, I like to refer to integration as embodiment - it is the practice of taking a new experience or felt sense and incorporating it into your very being, attitudes, and behaviors in order to create lasting change. The benefits of psychedelics can persist long after the experience, creating lasting shifts in outlook, behavior, mood, and outcomes. However, these effects are not automatic. The rewiring process is only as valuable as the integration work done afterward to reinforce and embody these changes in daily life. Psychedelics may open the door to profound insights and new perspectives, but it takes active participation in this journey—choosing to engage with these insights and to practice new ways of being—to ultimately brings healing. Integration is landing the experience in grounded change.
This is often the point at which the prison door is open, there is a map of felt senses leading out of the prison, and now real life change and action is required. Duh duh duh (ominous music)…I’m kidding, but sometimes that’s what this pivotal point feels like. “You mean I actually have to act differently?” Yes. Typically, yes. Think of it this way - old you created your current life, and old you went looking to psychedelics for healing. Your environment is a product of your internal landscape. When you’re internal landscape changes, so does the environment in which you thrive. Returning to the idea of self sovereignty, by committing to honor our felt sense of self and the world, we take accountability for our own healing process and rely on self-sourcing our own wisdom. Now that said, these changes can be small and discreet or they can be large and sweeping, but change is, never-the-less, the process of integration.
How Does One Integrate Psychedelic Experiences?
Fortunately, there are many practices that support integration and make the process approachable and actionable. Psychedelics walk you to this door, and these practices help you walk through. They are called practices because they are ongoing, recurrent (yes, often daily) forms of grounding into and getting to know self as well as maintaining connection with your body and like-minded people. Creating space in your daily routine to incorporate some form of integration practice is truly an internal signaling of commitment to yourself. A daily routine may look like a short breathwork practice, meditation, active imagination, reading, and journaling. Someone else’s may be movement, sitting in nature to journal, and meditation with weekly integration circle calls. Through these practices and routines, we are able to stay connected to, unpack, and practice the felt senses, lessons, experiences, and shifts that occurred in the psychedelic space as well as build community.
Here are some integration practices I find to be supportive. This list is not all inclusive, but a good place to start:
Meditation and Mindfulness: These practices help us reconnect with the insights gained during the journey and maintain a sense of inner calm and awareness. They can be especially powerful for embodying a state of “being” rather than “doing.”
Journaling: Writing is a deeply reflective tool for processing and making sense of complex emotions or realizations that may arise. Journaling allows you to track changes over time and offers a space to “witness” your progress and growth.
Movement-Based Practices: Engaging in intentional movement—whether through yoga, tai chi, dance, or even mindful walks—supports grounding and reconnecting with the body. Movement helps integrate insights physically and energetically, allowing you to process emotions that might still be held within the body.
Somatic Therapies: These therapies (like somatic experiencing, breathwork, or body-oriented practices) focus on releasing trauma and tension stored in the body. They help bring awareness to physical sensations and emotions, making it easier to release stress and continue to integrate changes on a body level.
Active Imagination: A creative process rooted in visualization and inner dialogue, active imagination allows you to explore and integrate insights by interacting with symbolic images, emotions, or aspects of self that arose during the psychedelic experience. This technique, used in neurolinguistic programming, helps reframe limiting beliefs, process emotions, and build new mental pathways, transforming abstract insights into practical, embodied understanding.
Exploring New Ideas: The act of reading, listening to podcasts, taking courses, or in any way taking in inspirational content (social media as a growth tool?) is an amazing way to continue to expand your beliefs and knowledge as well as find like-minded people. There are so many resources out there on all things psychology, spirituality, quantum, manifestation, somatics, lifestyle, mindset, self-mastery, etc, etc, etc - this is where you get to choose how to explore and expand.
Artistic Expression: Creative practices such as painting, drawing, or music can serve as an expressive outlet, allowing you to give form to the internal shifts and imagery from the psychedelic experience. Art can be a cathartic process, translating non-verbal insights into something tangible.
Nature Connection: Spending time in nature—whether it’s hiking, gardening, or simply sitting in a park—can deepen your sense of connection and perspective. Nature tends to reinforce a sense of grounding, interconnectedness, and calm, echoing the unity often experienced in psychedelic journeys.
Breathwork: Practices like somatic breathwork, holotropic breathing, pranayama, or other forms of intentional breathwork offer a powerful way to revisit and integrate experiences. Breathwork can bring up and release emotions, helping process residual energy or emotions in a supportive, mindful way.
Integration Circles and Community: Connecting with like-minded individuals who are also on a path of healing and integration provides a safe space to share experiences, insights, and challenges. Community circles offer collective support and understanding that help reinforce personal growth.
Coaching and Mentorship: Working with a coach or mentor who understands the psychedelic journey can provide valuable guidance and accountability. Unlike traditional therapy, coaching often focuses on actionable steps, helping you align your insights with real-life goals and behaviors. A coach can offer personalized tools, support, and strategies to integrate changes, making the transition from insight to embodiment smoother and more intentional.
I realize if you are reading this series of articles, and have continued with me this far, that you know most of these tools. The reason I list them anyway is less for cognitive awareness and more as a reminder - you have to do the practice for it to be integrative. If you are unsure where to start, reach out.
Integration isn’t about perfection or “getting it right” every day—it’s about consciously choosing to act in alignment with what feels true, expansive, and nourishing. Real integration happens when you live your life. Adding these practices supports showing up in real life with freedom, purpose, and authenticity. Psychedelics can provide the profound insight, but it’s through integration that those insights mature, unfolding as lasting shifts in the way we live and connect with ourselves and others.
This is part 4 to a series of blog entries. A full downloadable copy of the series document is available here. Please be respectful of intellectual property when using and sharing.
If you are looking for assistance with coaching or building a personalized taper plan, please reach out to set up a strategy call with me at TheHolisticApothec.com.
Please remember, this document is not intended as medical advice, a substitute for medical care, or promotion for illegal activity.
