Whilst strongly believing in the healing potential of plant medicine, the Katharsis Team does not encourage anyone to experiment with psychedelic substances without professional supervision and/or in the places where this action is illegal. We provide the preparation, space and psychological support for those who have made their own decision to use psychedelics.

 

Overarching principles of our ethics are:

- Acting in client’s best interests

- Respect and safety to the body, mind and soul

​

The specific key points are:

 

1. Acting in client’s best interests

• Building contact and trust based on a mutual agreement, in which the professional knowledge and skills of our team will be used to understand the conscious and unconscious motives of the client's behavior in the interests of solving their problems.

• Katharsis team members must act in the interests of the client and take him/her into account in the first place. If the client’s condition is beyond the team member’s area of expertise, the client should be referred to the appropriate specialist.

• Physical contact of an aggressive or sexual nature on the part of a specialist or candidate cannot be considered ethical even with the consent of the participant.

• The staff guarantees the client’s strict confidentiality regarding the information received during 1 on 1 sharing, even if the client reports on the committed illegal actions.

• In cases of forthcoming illegal actions reported outside psychedelic sessions (for example, planned murder or suicide), the staff reserves the right to report this information to law enforcement agencies or emergency services. The client is notified beforehand.

• The professional behavior of a specialist is determined by the interests of the client, the safety of society and the staff. The most important basis of our work is the awareness and voluntary participation of the client in the process.

 

2. Commitment to clients’ safety and respect to boundaries, e.g.:

• Ensuring that candidates are medically and psychologically screened before joining our retreats, clearly understand and accept the risks and limitations of our methods.

• Prior to enrollment, we provide participants with clear information about our availability, backup support, and emergency contacts. 

• Taking an active role in preventing physical and psychological harm.

• The team members do not have the right to under any circumstances enter into romantic/sexual relationship with the client during the retreat and 2 months after even with the consent of the client.

• We do not engage in sexual touch with participants.

• If a medical emergency occurs during sessions or at the treatment facility, we immediately respond by contacting local emergency services. 

• We provide post-session integration and guide clients in getting help if they require long-term therapy

 

3. Importance of Confidentiality and Privacy, e.g.:

• We do not reveal information about participants without their explicit permission, except when mandated. 

• We stay informed about confidentiality practices and adhere to all applicable privacy laws and regulations.

• We obtain permission from participants before sharing their identifying information in consultation or supervision. 

• We inform participants and all persons who will be present of any audio or video recording; we describe the purpose of recording and how recordings will be stored and used. We obtain consent from all persons present prior to recording sessions. We obtain explicit permission, outlining the specific use, authorized recipient(s), and terms of release, from the participant and all identifiable persons before releasing audio or video recordings. 

• We obtain informed consent for any kind of physical touch that might be included in the interventions. We inform participants that there may be times we need to make physical contact in order to ensure their safety, such as when walking them to the restroom, or preventing a fall. Aside from preventing immediate danger, all physical touch is for facilitatory purposes and is optional; the participant can revoke their consent for touch at any time.

• We honor each participant’s option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time.

• We respect each participant’s right to make informed choices. 

 

4. Transparency of Conduct:

• We inform participants of all procedures, including preparations, safe doses, potential risks and benefits, and alternative options. 

• We accurately represent our background and training using appropriate terms according to applicable laws and professional code. 

• We inform participants of treatment fees and the process for collecting payment before delivering a service.

• We identify when we are unable to provide appropriate care and explicitly inform participants when we do not recommend our services referring them to other options when applicable. 

The Katharsis Code of Conduct adheres to The MAPS Code of Ethics for Psychedelic Psychotherapy (LINK).

​

​