A comprehensive guide to how psilocybin works, what Colorado's Natural Medicine Health Act means for you, the science behind therapeutic use, and what to expect from a professionally facilitated session.
Psilocybin is the naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in over 200 species of fungi. It has been used in ceremonial and healing contexts by indigenous cultures for thousands of years — and is now the subject of some of the most exciting mental health research in decades.
When ingested, psilocybin is converted by the body into psilocin, which binds primarily to serotonin receptors in the brain — triggering profound changes in perception, emotion, and cognition that can last 4 to 8 hours. Under proper therapeutic conditions, this experience can catalyze deep psychological healing.
In Colorado, psilocybin is now legal for supervised therapeutic use under the Natural Medicine Health Act (NMHA) — one of the most progressive natural medicine laws in the United States.
Passed by voters in November 2022, Colorado's Proposition 122 legalized the supervised use of psilocybin (and other natural medicines) for adults 21+. Licensed facilitators can provide psilocybin sessions at approved healing centers. Leor Zadaka is pursuing licensure as a Colorado Natural Medicine Facilitator — bringing full clinical rigor to this emerging field.
The default mode network (DMN) is the brain's "self-referential" system — responsible for the ruminative, repetitive negative thinking patterns that characterize depression and anxiety. Psilocybin temporarily quiets the DMN, creating a profound loosening of rigid mental patterns and allowing new perspectives to emerge.
Psilocybin dramatically increases neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to form new connections. Research shows it promotes synaptogenesis (growth of new synaptic connections) and increased communication between brain regions that don't normally talk to each other. This "hyperconnectivity" is associated with the insights and perspective shifts that patients report.
Unlike SSRIs that increase available serotonin, psilocybin directly activates the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor — triggering a cascade of changes in perception and cognition. This fundamentally different mechanism is why psilocybin can reach people who haven't responded to conventional antidepressants.
Colorado's Natural Medicine Health Act (Proposition 122) was passed by voters in November 2022, making Colorado one of the first states to legalize supervised therapeutic use of psilocybin for adults.
The law establishes a regulatory framework for licensed Natural Medicine Facilitators to provide supervised sessions at licensed healing centers. Sessions are legal, regulated, and held to clinical safety standards.
Leor Zadaka is pursuing Natural Medicine Facilitator licensure under this framework — bringing the same rigorous medical oversight he applies to ketamine therapy to every psilocybin facilitation.
Psilocybin remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. Colorado's NMHA applies only within Colorado and only within the licensed framework. Sessions must occur at approved healing centers with a licensed facilitator. Zadaka Health operates strictly within this legal structure.
Adults 21+ in Colorado. No medical diagnosis required, though a medical and psychiatric screening is required by Zadaka Health prior to facilitation.
At state-licensed Natural Medicine Healing Centers. Sessions cannot legally occur at a private residence. Zadaka Health partners with licensed facilities to provide this service.
Only state-licensed Natural Medicine Facilitators. Leor Zadaka is pursuing this licensure and will only offer facilitation services once fully licensed in Colorado.
Medical screening, preparation sessions, and integration support are available now — before facilitation licensure is finalized. These services lay the groundwork for a safe and meaningful experience.
Every psilocybin journey at Zadaka Health follows a complete, professionally guided sequence — with full support before, during, and after your experience.
Comprehensive medical and psychiatric screening, contraindication review, medication assessment, and safety planning before anything else.
Two dedicated sessions covering psilocybin education, intention-setting, emotional readiness, and building trust with your facilitator.
A professionally facilitated psilocybin session at a licensed Colorado healing center — with non-directive support, therapeutic presence, and full documentation throughout.
Two follow-up sessions to process what emerged, build meaning, and translate the experience into real and lasting change in how you live.
Multiple controlled trials show significant reductions in depression severity after just 1–2 sessions, with effects lasting weeks to months.
Creates a loosening of rigid thought patterns, allowing people to see themselves and their lives from a genuinely new vantage point.
Shows efficacy for major depression, PTSD, addiction, and end-of-life anxiety — including in people who haven't responded to conventional treatments.
Many participants report increased feelings of connection, gratitude, and purpose that persist well beyond the session.
Hopkins and NYU research shows significantly reduced tobacco and alcohol dependence — with abstinence rates exceeding conventional treatments at 12-month follow-up.
Sessions lasting 4–8 hours may include difficult emotions or anxiety. Expert facilitation and preparation significantly reduce risk and impact.
Contraindicated in personal or family history of psychosis or schizophrenia, certain cardiac conditions, and those taking MAOIs or lithium. Screening is required.
The environment, mindset, facilitator, and post-session integration aren't optional — they are the clinical intervention that determines outcomes.
Psilocybin remains Schedule I federally. Zadaka Health operates exclusively within Colorado's licensed NMHA framework.
A small number of people experience HPPD — persistent perceptual disturbances after the session. Risk is minimized by proper screening and supervised use.
Psilocybin research has accelerated dramatically. Here are the landmark studies informing modern therapeutic use.
A landmark Johns Hopkins study found two psilocybin sessions produced large decreases in depression severity in 71% of participants, with 54% in remission at four weeks. Effects were sustained at 12-month follow-up.
Davis et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2021
Imperial College London's RCT directly comparing psilocybin to escitalopram found comparable antidepressant effects — with psilocybin showing faster onset and greater improvements in emotional well-being and sense of meaning.
Carhart-Harris et al., NEJM, 2021
Two landmark trials found a single psilocybin session produced immediate and sustained reductions in existential anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer. Effects were maintained at 4.5-year follow-up in over 60% of participants.
Griffiths et al., J Psychopharmacology, 2016
A Hopkins pilot study found psilocybin-assisted therapy produced 80% smoking abstinence at 6 months — compared to roughly 35% for the most effective conventional pharmacotherapy. At 12 months, 67% remained abstinent.
Johnson et al., J Psychopharmacology, 2014
These educational videos from credible researchers and clinicians explain how psilocybin therapy works, the latest science, and what patients can expect. Click either card to watch on YouTube.
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Yes — within a specific legal framework. Colorado's Natural Medicine Health Act (Prop 122, 2022) legalized supervised psilocybin use for adults 21+ at licensed healing centers with licensed facilitators. It remains a federal Schedule I substance. Zadaka Health operates exclusively within Colorado's regulated framework.
No diagnosis is required by Colorado law. Psilocybin facilitation is available for adults seeking wellness, personal growth, spiritual inquiry, or therapeutic purposes. However, Zadaka Health requires a medical and psychiatric evaluation prior to facilitation to ensure safety and appropriateness — regardless of whether a diagnosis is present.
The active effects of psilocybin typically last 4 to 8 hours, depending on dose. A full facilitation session including pre-session check-in and post-session grounding support can span 6 to 10 hours. You should plan for a full day and arrange for someone to bring you home. No driving after a session.
Preparation sessions (two are included in the Zadaka Health package) cover the science of psilocybin, how to work with difficult experiences, intention-setting, safety planning, and building trust with your facilitator. Research consistently shows that the quality of preparation is one of the strongest predictors of therapeutic outcome — it's not a formality, it's a clinical intervention.
Challenging experiences are a normal and sometimes therapeutically valuable part of psilocybin sessions — they are not automatically a sign that something has gone wrong. Leor's training includes working with difficult material: grounding techniques, reassurance, body-based support, and non-directive presence. Preparation significantly reduces the likelihood and intensity of difficult passages, and integration helps you make meaning of whatever arose.
Psilocybin is contraindicated for individuals with a personal or family history of schizophrenia or psychosis, active mania, certain cardiovascular conditions, and those taking MAOIs or lithium. This is exactly why Zadaka Health's medical evaluation is required before any facilitation — to screen for these contraindications and ensure your safety.
Leor Zadaka is actively pursuing Colorado Natural Medicine Facilitator licensure. Preparation sessions and medical evaluations are available now — so you can begin the process, get cleared, and be prepared before facilitation services officially launch. Reach out to get on the waitlist or begin your evaluation.
Schedule a free consultation or reach out directly through the Simple Practice portal.
Open Simple Practice PortalThis page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or a provider-patient relationship. Zadaka Health provides medical evaluation, preparation, and integration only — IV ketamine is administered at separately licensed facilities. Natural medicine facilitation is provided under Colorado's Natural Medicine Health Act. Individual results vary. If you are in a mental health crisis, please call 988 or 911.