Drew Snyder, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor · Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator (OR & CO) · Past Head of Psilocybin Practicums, Integrative Psychiatry Institute
My story
My path to psilocybin-assisted facilitation didn't begin in a classroom — it began in war.
After serving as a Human Intelligence Collector in the Army — including a combat tour in Afghanistan and a deployment attached to a special forces team in Central Africa — I came home carrying wounds I couldn't name. I was diagnosed with PTSD and handed a bag full of medications. I tried talk therapy. I tried managing. Nothing seemed to reach the deeper places where the pain lived.
Then I encountered psilocybin — used intentionally, in a carefully supported context. That experience gave me access to parts of my psyche that years of conventional treatment had not been able to touch. The healing wasn't instant, but it was real. My wife told me afterward that it was the first time since before the Army that she recognized the man she had married.
"I realized I had to be part of bringing this medicine to other Veterans and people with PTSD or debilitating depression — in a safe, caring context."
That conviction became a calling. I immersed myself in the science and practice of psychedelic-assisted facilitation, completing comprehensive training through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute in partnership with MAPS, and graduating from Bodhi Academy. When Oregon and Colorado became the first US states to legalize psilocybin services, I was among the very first practitioners to be licensed under those programs.
Today I serve as Head of Psychedelic Practicum at IPI's Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy training program, where I've helped train more than 1,200 mental health professionals. I've personally facilitated over 1,400 psilocybin journeys — a depth of clinical experience in this emerging field that is rare anywhere in the world.
Bodhi Academy
Graduate
Trauma Specialist
Veteran
Meaning-Centered Therapy
1,400+
Journeys facilitated
1,200+
Clinicians trained
OR & CO
Licensed in
both states
IPI / MAPS Trained
What I believe
The most profound psilocybin experiences happen when the setting is calm and intentional, the facilitation is skilled and caring, and there is real time for preparation and integration — not just the journey itself. I've also seen that group experiences can amplify this in ways that are hard to replicate individually, building community and opening the heart in ways many clients describe as unlike anything they've felt before.
I approach this work with genuine humility. The deeper I go with clients into non-ordinary states of consciousness, the more I understand how much there is still to learn. I hold a beginner's mind — always.
My approach
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Ashland, Oregon, with deep specialization in trauma, existential distress, depression, and anxiety. My clinical work is grounded in Meaning-Centered Therapy — an integrative, evidence-based framework that draws from cognitive-behavioral therapy, existential-humanistic therapy, narrative therapy, and positive psychotherapy. I also work extensively with childhood attachment wounds that persist into adult relationships and identity.
I have a particular passion for working with survivors of complex trauma, veterans, and first responders — people whose experiences often fall outside what conventional approaches alone can reach. I also love working with couples, believing that our relationships are among the most important arenas of healing and growth in our lives.
What I bring to every psilocybin facilitation is this: a compassionate, encouraging presence where clients from any background are empowered to explore necessary change and work toward genuine growth. I partner with you in your journey of self-discovery — helping you process the past, build healthier ways of living in the present, and find existential meaning for the future.
Schedule a free consultation to get started.
If you're considering psilocybin facilitation and want to speak with someone who has lived this path personally and professionally, I'd be honored to connect.