😳 Can I coach clients around psychedelics if they’re microdosing?
We’re talking about coaching around psychedelics this week.
This is Part 2 of a 3-part series. If you missed Part 1 about coaching around psychedelics requiring a prescription, catch it here, and check back here for Part 3 on Friday.
A client recently asked me…
Can I legally coach clients who are microdosing on their own?
For sure, some studies have shown that the use of some psychedelics have been beneficial when it comes to healing through microdosing.
But, most studies have been in the area of mental health, which often involves unearthing and healing trauma of all kinds.
Microdosing has been linked to managing trauma-related disorders like PTSD or depression, for example.
❌ So, no, it’s not legal for coaches to address, process, or heal trauma or mental health disorders. Please don’t do it.
I know it might be a bummer to hear it, but only licensed therapists and doctors (with mental health in their scope of practice) can heal or address trauma, PTSD, depression or other mood disorders.
If you’re thinking, “Well, can’t I become a ‘somatic psychedelic coach’ or coach people around ‘processing’ the effects of psychedelics?” The answer is no.
Please also do not become a “trauma-informed” coach or yoga teacher or anything similar. From a liability standpoint, run, run, run the other way from these types of programs.🏃
(Note: They may be excellent programs in terms of their actual content, but many programs don’t realize that “somatic psychedelic coaching” or “trauma-informed” anything comes dangerously close to the practice of medicine or therapy… which requires a license.)
“Mindset” work and removing “blocked energy or emotions in the body” is allowed for coaches.
But, addressing/processing/healing “trauma” or “PTSD” or “depression” or mental health diagnoses of any kind is not.
There’s a reason why doctors have to go to medical school and therapists have Master’s Degrees to work with physical or emotional trauma in the body.
Coaches aren’t trained extensively in mental health…or even trained at all.
Nor should they be.
Diagnosing, treating, preventing, curing, healing, or managing physical and mental health diseases, conditions, symptoms, and issues are not within the legal purview of health coaches.
Health coaches and functional nutrition practitioners help people to live healthy lifestyles, create new habits, remove blocks to reaching goals, and address the underlying causes of diseases (but not manage the diseases themselves which is left to licensed medical practitioners operating in scope in patient relationships in states where they are licensed).
State laws require a license to work with medical diseases, disorders and conditions. This is nothing new.
Even if a client is microdosing on their own, or you want to provide them with a recommendation or an affiliate link to an online microdosing company, please don’t do it. I know you only want to help or expand your offers, but please resist.
Based on the laws right now, it’s risky, and I don’t recommend it at all.
✅ Please refer any client dealing with trauma or mental health issues to a therapist or doctor – don’t try to “address” or “process” or “heal” trauma as a coach.
As always, know you can always take whatever level of risk you want in your own business. It’s your choice.
But, my job is to help educate you about areas of risk in your business based on where the laws are RIGHT NOW. #legallove 💗
So I encourage you to be careful in these “hot button”🧨 areas around psychedelics.
Watch your email on Friday for my next FAQ and my answer around coaching with psychedelics when it comes to… legal substances in your state.
Here’s to expanding the realm of holistic health and healing – but also to staying legally safe!
Want to know more about how to stay away from making a medical claim or getting in trouble for the unlicensed practice of medicine/therapy? Grab my quick & easy 1-hour DIY Master Class on “How Not To Make Medical Claims….And What to Do Instead HERE.
