Psychedelic Practitioner Training: Core, 2027 Cohort

The Psychedelic Practitioner Training: Core is a healing certification program from the Experiential Training Institute (ETI) in Enschede, Overijssel, in the Netherlands. It combines twenty live online sessions with a four-day in-person retreat, and it is for people who want to learn to support psychedelic experiences with safety, integrity and care. It suits psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, doctors, nurses, coaches, wellness practitioners, students and career changers alike.

The training covers the full arc of care: screening and preparation, facilitation, integration and ongoing support. Along the way you work with consent, boundaries, transference and the individual needs of the people you hold space for. The program is led by Ross Pert, Program Lead and Facilitator, with Hans van Wechem, Jeanine Souren, Stine van Wechem and Fleur Nasiri on the team.

What to Expect

The program runs across three phases, from February to October.

Semester One: Build the foundations. Twelve live online sessions, running from February to June, cover screening, preparation, consent, relational approaches and the ETI Method.

Experiential Retreat: Embody the learning. In the summer, four days in the Netherlands bring the online learning into practice. You move between participant and facilitator roles within a supported, supervised group. Alongside the structured education, participants take part in a supervised psilocybin experience. ETI's view is that holding space for others responsibly means also understanding altered states through direct, supported experience.

Semester Two: Apply and integrate. Eight live online sessions, from September to October, explore integration, challenging experiences, case studies, practice development and the future of the field.

The approach is practical, relational, holistic, experiential and personal, in a setting where the team gets to know you and your development. ETI draws on contemporary psychology and on the relational, embodied and ceremonial dimensions through which psychedelic practices have long been held.

The Team

Hans van Wechem is a psychiatrist (MD) and psychotherapist. Jeanine Souren is a clinical psychologist and sexologist. Ross Pert is the Program Lead and a facilitator. Stine van Wechem is the Operations Lead, and Fleur Nasiri is a psychodrama therapist. Past participants often mention the care in the preparation, the pairing of participants and the musical support during the retreat.

The Setting

The retreat takes place in the Netherlands, with meals and accommodation included. Past participants describe the retreat centre as a quiet oasis just outside Amsterdam. After the program, ETI's practitioner community, an international network of more than 120 practitioners in over 20 countries, offers peer connection and seasonal gatherings in Amsterdam.

Before You Go

The program is taught in English and is open to all levels. You do not need an established psychedelic practice or a background in mental health. ETI looks for curiosity, self-reflection, openness to learning and a genuine commitment to working safely and ethically. A number of funded places are set aside for the 2027 cohort to widen access to people from different backgrounds.

Included are the twenty live online sessions, intervision and group discussions, session recordings and supporting resources, the four-day retreat with meals and accommodation, the supervised psilocybin experience, and an ETI certificate of completion. Continuing education points are listed for FGzPt (14) and NVvP (13). Travel to and from the Netherlands is not included.

The certificate recognises participation in the Education Module and Experiential Retreat. It is not a licence to practise psychedelic-assisted therapy and does not replace any registration, clinical qualification or legal authorisation required in your country or profession. The Education Module can be taken alone, and retreat-only places are available in special circumstances by prior agreement.