
Psychedelic Peer
Support
Creating Communities of Compassionate Care

Mission
The Zendo Project offers professional harm reduction education to communities and organizations, and provides peer support services at events to help transform difficult psychedelic experiences – and other complex emotions – into opportunities for learning and growth.

Vision
We envision a world where communities are educated, resourced, and engaged in applying harm reduction principles to support individuals exploring psychedelic states; recognizing that challenging experiences can be opportunities for self-exploration and healing.

Zendo Project at Burning Man 2023
The Zendo Project celebrated 10 years of providing services at Burning Man this year, providing peer-to-peer support for nearly 600 guests! We are so grateful for the dedication of our 450 volunteers who made this a possibility. Stay tuned for more information about the Zendo Project and future opportunities to get involved by signing up for our newsletter!
Get Updates
Stay up-to-date on our volunteer opportunities, EntheoGeneration multigenerational psychedelic speaker series, virtual trainings, and other offerings and resources…
Receive Updates via the Zendo Project Newsletter


How we help
Psychedelic Peer Support. Education. Consulting. Resources.
Trust.
Let go.
Be open.
Breathe.
Surrender.

4 Zendo Project Principles of Psychedelic Peer Support

Safe Space
If someone is having a challenging experience try to move them into a comfortable, warm, and calm environment. If possible try to avoid noisy or crowded spaces. Ask what would make them most comfortable. Offer blankets and water.

Sitting, Not Guiding
Be a calm meditative presence of acceptance, compassion, and caring. Promote feelings of trust and security. Let the person’s unfolding experience be the guide. Don’t try to get ahead of the process. Explore distressing issues as they emerge, but simply being with the person can provide support.

Talk Through, Not Down
Without distracting from the experience, help the person connect with what they are feeling. Invite person to take the opportunity to explore what’s happening and encourage them to try not to resist it.

Difficult is Not Necessarily Bad
Challenging experiences can wind up being our most valuable, and may lead to learning and growth. Consider that it may be happening for an important reason. Suggest that they approach the fear and difficult aspects of their experience with curiosity and openness.

Do You Have a Testimonial or Feedback?
The Zendo Project is always interested in hearing more from our community about your experiences with our services, volunteering, and our trainings. You can choose whether to share your information or remain anonymous.
Zendo Project in the Media
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Chelsea Rose Pires interviews Andrew Tatarsky for the MAPS Bulletin
*Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity* Dr. Andrew Tatarsky is an internationally recognized leader in the treatment of problematic substance use and a psychobiosocial process model for understanding it. He has developed Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (IHRP) as an effective treatment for the full spectrum of substance use issues. IHRP has…
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Psychedelic Support hosts Sara and Chelsea for a Harm Reduction Talk
Chelsea Rose Pires, MA, LMFT and Sara Gael, MA, LPCC have over 17 collective years of harm reduction and peer support expertise with MAPS Zendo Project. Chelsea, a CIIS Counseling Psychology graduate has a passion for harm reduction as a therapeutic and practical approach to drug use and abuse prevention while Sara, a Naropa University…
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Clarity Project Hosts Chelsea Rose of Zendo Project and Wesley Bellanca of Fireside Project
Clarity Project is a Hawaiʻi-based organization working on psychedelic access through education & advocacy. Wesley was part of volunteer harm reduction Sanctuary Team with smaller Burning Man events. He started writing for Psychedelic Times and became editor-in-chief. He now works with Fireside Project, started in April of 2021. Fireside is a totally free service and nonprofit for people to…