Microdosing has been a game-changer for many users. It allows them to experience insightful psychedelic journeys without serious side effects. But there are still risks, and as a psychedelic integration coach, it’s your duty to teach your clients about the potential risks and do what you can to mitigate them.

The Risks of Psychedelics and How to Mitigate Them

The risks associated with psychedelics are largely dependent on the substance, the user, and the environment, but dose is one of the biggest factors. Microdoses negate most of these risks, as they are typically between 1/5 and 1/20 of a standard recreational dose.

There are still issues to address, though, and as a psychedelic integration coach, it’s important to prepare your client for all of these:

Aligning Expectations

Microdosing is a hot topic right now. You don’t have to look too hard to find stories of people who turned their lives around by incorporating small doses of psychedelics like psilocybin into their daily routine.

Hearing these stories and reading experience reports is often the reason people seek out psychedelics in the first place. It’s great that more people are having their eyes opened to the possibilities of psychedelic medicines, but it means their expectations may be unachievably high before they have their first experience.

A 2019 study tested this hypothesis on a group of 263 subjects, including both experienced users and first-timers. (1)

Unfortunately, many of the subjects reported experiences that fell short of their expectations. They still experienced positive effects, but not in the way they expected or hoped. For instance, many anticipated a significant boost in creativity, but few actually experienced this.

It’s important to keep a client grounded. You should tell them what to expect, but as experiences can be incredibly diverse, you shouldn’t focus their attention on a single benefit. If they’re hoping for a creativity boost, encourage such an experience and help them to prepare accordingly without raising their expectations too high.

Getting the Dose Right

It can be very difficult to properly measure a suitable dose. A microdose of mushrooms is often between 0.1 to 0.3g, while LSD microdoses are just 10-13μg.

The practitioner should instruct the individual on proper dosing and methods, making sure they take the right amount and understand the potential risks of a larger dose. The chance of serious adverse reactions is still small, even with a much larger dose, but the client could have an experience that they weren’t expecting and are more likely to experience side effects such as anxiety and nausea.

We’ve all heard stories of people who took considerably more than they intended and ended up having an enjoyable life-changing experience. In 2020, CNN reported on a 49-year-old woman who took “550 times the usual dose of LSD” when she mistook the substance for cocaine, only to have a thoroughly positive experience. But these are the exceptions, and someone who intends to microdose and has little experience with higher doses may not react as positively. (2)

Understanding Your Client

Why do they want to sit with psychedelics? Are they looking for an escape from the mundane? Do they have past, unresolved trauma? Do they have a substance abuse problem? Are they depressed or anxious?

The more you know about your client, the more you can help them and prepare them. Understanding what their potential triggers are, what makes them happy, sad, angry, anxious, paranoid, and content will make it easier to set the scene and ensure they enter the experience with the right mindset.

Avoiding a Bad Trip

While “bad trips” are rare with microdoses, clients who are emotionally unprepared or going through a difficult period may still encounter unwanted and/or emotionally challenging experiences.

Psychedelics are nonspecific amplifiers, which means that they can intensify underlying emotions, be it positive or negative. A client expecting clarity or calm might instead face emotional upheaval if they haven’t done the necessary groundwork in preparation for their experience.

The most effective way to reduce the risk of a bad trip is to carefully manage the client’s mindset and the environment in which they microdose, commonly referred to as set and setting.

As Paul F. Austin emphasizes, even sub-perceptual doses benefit from thoughtful preparation. Although microdosing tends to be more forgiving than macrodosing, new users may still be sensitive to subtle shifts, and overlooking set and setting can undermine the experience or lead to unnecessary distress. A chaotic, unfamiliar, or emotionally triggering environment may disrupt the experience, while a grounding and supportive environment can provide much-needed emotional scaffolding​. (3)

To support your client and help prevent negative experiences:

• Discuss the importance of mindset: Are they entering the protocol from a place of curiosity and self-inquiry, or are they hoping to escape something?
  
  
• Encourage clients to journal or reflect on recent emotional states, major life transitions, or unresolved trauma.
  
  
• Ensure the environment is safe, comfortable, and familiar. This is especially important for first-time users.
  
  
• Recommend supportive practices like meditation, breathwork, or walking in nature before microdosing days.
  
  
• Help clients build in time to rest or integrate their experience rather than immediately jumping back into busy, demanding tasks.
  
  
• Caution against using microdosing during periods of emotional volatility unless they’re working with a skilled guide or therapist.
  
  

While microdosing is not intended to catalyze intense emotional purges, subtle shifts can still emerge. With appropriate guidance, clients can meet these moments with curiosity and care, rather than fear or resistance.

A Bad Experience Isn’t the End

One bad experience doesn’t mean that all psychedelics will be ineffective. The individual may suit a different psychedelic, dose, or approach. There are countless stories in our community of members who tried various plant medicines before finding one that fit, including one member who sat with ketamine various times before turning to the community for advice on mushrooms.

You can find more in a post addressing the most impactful psychedelic experiences.

So, while it’s important to educate your clients and do all that you can to mitigate the risks, it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t work out, and it’s definitely not the end of their treatment.

Guide your client through any negative experience, educate them on the best way forward, ensure they have all of the necessary information, and let them make up their own minds about future experiences.

Conclusion: Mitigating the Risks of Psychedelics

Although the risks of microdosing are low, you’re still dealing with a mind-altering substance and potentially inexperienced clients. There will always be risks, and there can always be side effects, whether it’s mild nausea, paranoia, or unexpected perception shifts that trigger a bad trip.

As a psychedelic integration coach, you can help your clients to prepare for all eventualities and do everything in your power to facilitate a smooth, comfortable experience that builds toward achieving their goals.