Microdosing: A Shift, Not a Trip
Curious About Microdosing?
Start here — with clarity, caution, and a little wonder.
Microdosing can be buzzy, baffling, or beautifully life-affirming. What it wasn’t meant to be? A shot in the dark.
This page is for the microdose-curious—whether you’re cautiously considering it for yourself or simply just trying to make sense of the cultural conversation.
Here you’ll find grounded insights from trusted researchers, integration experts, and people who are walking this path with intention.
🎓 Featured Voices &Resources
🎥 Dr. Rosalind Watts: Founder of the ACER model for harm reduction (Acceptance, Connection, Embodiment, Restore). Her work focuses on ethical integration in psychedelic therapy and community resilience.
🎥Dr. James Fadiman: Often called the “Father of Modern Microdosing.” Short, clear insights from the OG of structured microdosing protocols. Fadiman shares decades of insights and data from his ongoing citizen science project.
📚Microdosing Institute (Netherlands) - A trusted global hub for microdosing protocols, safety, and community education & an online global community opportunity to talk to others who dose.
🎥 April Rains: Integration Specialist offering guided journeys in Amsterdam, blending sacred experience with personal transformation. She provides integration work online for a fee.
🎥Dr. Tori Olds: Internal Family Systems (IFS) trainer showing how this compassionate model pairs beautifully with microdosing, even for those self-guiding.
What is ACER?
Acceptance. Connection. Embodiment. Restore.
Dr. Ros Watts created this model to support those navigating psychedelic experiences. The ACER training focuses on integration specialists - people equipped to others make meaning of their journey in grounded, trauma-informed ways.
🎥 Watch the origin story of ACER→
🧭 Personal Note: I’m currently completing my third year of ACER training and am now considered an “elder” in the community. It’s a peer-to-peer model — and yes, you can apply.
Watch: Dr. Watts on Psilocybin & Depression→
Why Microdosing?
The ACER program emphasizes nature connection, community care, Celtic Tree of Life studies, breathwork, and mutual sharing. Microdosing is one part of a much larger conversation — about nervous system healing, ritual, and reconnection.
←Watch: Dr. Watts on Consciousness of Connection & Nature Codes
My Story: A Psychedelic Pivot
After 27 years practicing EMDR to support trauma recovery, I became curious about psychedelic-assisted healing. For my 69th birthday, I flew to Amsterdam for a guided “heroic” dose of psilocybin truffles. It changed everything.
Since then, I’ve explored microdosing personally and with clients, using the same mushrooms in much smaller amounts. At 72, I still dose regularly (3 days on, 3 days off). I may do it for the rest of my life. My self-care is the best it’s ever been. Clients report real shifts, too.
I’m retired now, and I remain deeply invested in harm reduction and spreading accurate, hopeful education. You don’t have to “trip” to benefit from plant medicine. Being informed and intentional are best practices. I’ve stolen the term “enthusiastic informed consent” from the sex-positive people and applied it to absolutely everything.
📊What the Research Says
Dr. James Fadiman has been gathering real-world data on. microfosing for decades through his “Citizen Science” project. His talk at the Science and Non-Duality conference (SAND) breaks it down clearly:
“Can I microdose if I’m on Lexapro? “
This — and many other questions - are addressed in his freely available resource.
🎥Watch the talk: The Remarkable Results of Microdosing →
📚Read the book: “Microdosing for Health, Healig & Enhanced Performance” by James Fadiman & Jordan Gruber (Published 2024)→
🍄🟫What Can Microdosing Help With?
People have microdosed successfully to:
Ease symptoms of depression, ADHD, chronic pain, and long COVID
Improve focus, sleep, food habits, and relationships
Support tapering off pharmaceuticals (under supervision)
Gain awareness of emotional patterns and surroundings
Reduce stress and anxiety
Navigate over 30 specific health concerns
⚠️TThis isn’t medical or legal advice. Talk to your doctor before trying microdosing — especially if you take medication.
Meet My Integration Specialist Crush: April Rains
Allow me to introduce you to my favorite collaborator, Integration Specialist April Rains of Guided Tripping — part of a seasoned team of trip guides based in Amsterdam. Her work (and magic) is rooted in deep empathy, playful curiosity, and next-level skill with psychedelic integration.
April’s Story (written by Diane & Ai)
From an early age, psychedelics — paired with an inquisitive spirit — shaped April into a natural integrator guide. She exudes warmth, humor, and a grounded presence that makes people feel seen, safe, and totally not weird. After a gnarly bad trip in her youth, April dove into research and eventually found her way to Authentic Relating, where she began facilitating and refining her ability to hold space.
Her secret sauce? Radical empathy. She meets you exactly where you are and helps you make meaning of the mess.
April’s toolkit includes modalities like:
Authentic Relating
Shadow Work
Embodiment practices
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Trauma-informed dialogue
Inverse dream interpretation
Visualization
And a touch of cosmic wisdom from her background in astrophysics & biology
April’s belief: healing doesn’t require having it all figured out. It starts by showing up, staying curious, and letting your Parts speak.
What’s This “Self” Talk About?
If you’re new to Internal Family Systems (IFS), here’s the gist: IFS teaches that we’re made up of “Parts” — each with a story, a role, a voice. At the center of it all lives your SELF — calm, clear, confident, curious, courageous, creative, connected, and compassionate (those are the “8 C’s,” in case you’re collecting them like Pokéman cards).
Therapy isn’t about fixing you. It’s abouth elping your Self lead the way — with tenderness and badassery — while healing the Parts that got a little bruised along the ride.
Who Teaches This Stuff So Well?
Let me pass the mic to Dr. Tori Olds, one of April’s and my favorite IFS educators. She makes the internal chaos make sense — especially when you’re integrating psychedelic insights or just trying to bite your partner’s head off in an argument. Watch this intro video below 👇 if you want a better grip on how IFS can help you stay present, soften inner battles, and build sustainable change.
This Isn’t About Magic Pills
This is about micro shifts. Big questions. And the moment when a small voice inside of you whispers: “I think I’m ready.”