Dec 2023

Our intention in writing this is to provide information as to Gather Well’s transition from CCM to its current form over the last couple of years. It is also an opportunity to share our forward-looking plans as we prepare to offer an introductory program that will be the foundation of a future psychedelic guide apprenticeship program. It feels important that as our path forward has become more clear we also continue to attend to the past. In service to this we offer a reflection from our founder, Naama Grossbard, in regards to  the organization’s response two years ago to the concerns of unethical practices on the part of her parents, followed by a broad view on our transition process since then with a focus on the Gather Wells ethics infrastructure that has been in development. 

A consideration as we crafted this writing: With this communication we hope to attend to any emotional hurt associated with this transition period and to convey the result of the intensive efforts Gather Well has made during that time to create a thoughtful way forward that puts our ethical values into practice. The best way we know how to begin doing this is to provide a clear picture of our role in the ethical concerns that arose (“our” being Naama Grossbard and CCM/Gather Well). For this reason we are providing the following information about the purview of CCM and Gather Well and the extent — and limitations — of the involvement of her parents, Francoise Bourzat and Aharon Grossbard, in CCM historically. This is followed by Naama’s personal reflection of her process over the last two years but also as a representation of Gather Well as a whole.

We hope that by laying out this background information first, we can provide a frame of reference for the rest of what you’ll read and that conveying this information in this order will better contextualize our emotional concern and connection to the experience of those who have been negatively impacted over this period. Gather Well holds the harm experienced by all as legitimate, important and worthy of accountability, compassion and healing. We strive to address what is in our purview to address and feel care for those we are not able to address directly. 

History & Context:

Gather Well Psychedelics is a not for profit 501c3 organization focused on education and advancing safe, ethical, and legal practices of psychedelic-assisted therapy. It is an educational organization focused on teaching. Neither Gather Well (nor CCM) provide, or provided, therapy nor treatment. Both entities  were created as educational facilities for students to learn the necessary steps to working with clients in expanded states of consciousness or with psychedelics.

Gather Well Psychedelics, founded by Naama Grossbard, evolved from what was previously known as the “Center for Consciousness Medicine” (CCM) founded in 2020. CCM was co-founded by Naama with advisory support from her parents Francoise Bourzat and Aharon Grossbard.

Naama Grossbard’s role at CCM since its founding was as Executive Director. Aharon and Francoise held board roles beginning when the organization was incorporated in October 2020 for 3 months. As early co-founders at CCM, their role was to serve as advisors to Naama. The intent was to help Naama launch CCM by  providing their content expertise and then step back. There was never any desire by them, or for them, to be involved in directing, or to be involved in operational or administrative matters. At no point did either of them participate in staff meetings or operational decision making processes within CCM. They taught in varying capacities within CCM programs, as main teachers in one program but predominantly as occasional guest lecturers. The majority of CCM’s programming was taught by other staff. Neither CCM nor Gather Well received donations from Aharon or Francoise. 

That said, their body of work deeply influenced Naama’s own knowledge of psychedelic healing modalities. The lineage of practice of which they were a part informed — but did not wholly determine — many of CCM’s practices. Naama founded CCM, and subsequently Gather Well, to evolve, modify, and add to their body of work and incorporate the frameworks of her contemporaries, collaborators, and of her own learnings. 

Roughly 6 months after leaving their roles as board members, Aharon and Francoise were accused of ethical violations stemming solely from work in their private practices. These allegations regarded a lack of informed consent for physical touch and/or a claim of inappropriate touch involving sexual or erogenous zones of the body. These allegations did not contain any actions or methods taught by CCM, including any methods taught by Aharon or Francoise in their teaching materials with CCM. No one in leadership at CCM had knowledge of the actions alleged to have occurred within the private practices of any of its staff. The details of the allegations were solely attributed to private practice and outside the purview of CCM, being unrelated to CCM activity in any way. 

When the allegations surfaced in Sept 2021, the CCM board and Aharon and Francoise mutually agreed that it would be best that their activity with the organization end. From that point on, Francoise and Aharon were not involved with CCM. Nor have they been involved with what is now Gather Well: they have had no involvement in its operation, direction, or current or future vision. Their sole connection to Gather Well is that they are the parents of its founder, Naama, and that their work represents a prior generation of practices within a lineage that informs the organization. 

It is important to state: Gather Well Psychedelics does not and will not condone or tolerate sexual harassment, sexual boundary violations, or sexual abuse of any kind. This is reflected in our programming, ethos and accountability structures. Abuse of power is the absolute antithesis to the healing and liberatory purpose the organization was created to serve. Sexual touch or touching of erogenous zones is not a part of our methods or teaching and we do not allow our students or certified guides to engage in such approaches. We teach extensively about informed consent and the shadow (unconscious biases and behaviors), and especially how the wider culture’s relationship to sexuality and sexual wounds can show up unconsciously for clients and practitioners alike within psychedelic healing modalities. 

It is Gather Well’s position that consent-based, trauma-informed therapeutic touch (for example, a comforting hand on the shoulder of someone undergoing a challenging psychedelic experience) can be a potent healing modality, when practiced with client consent and within a robust ethical framework and with appropriate training and supervision. We train our students in these practices of gentle and therapeutic touch and advocate for ongoing mentorship and education as a practice of accountability. 

While addressing the concerns outside of CCM/ Gather Well’s purview is beyond our scope of influence, we maintain a prayer for healing for all involved or affected. As an underpinning framework for addressing harms and healing, we advocate for transformative versus punitive frameworks whenever possible because of a deep belief that for culture to change, and for systemic reduction of harms, healing must happen for all involved. A transformative lens provides opportunity for those harmed to have their voices heard and find healing within their community, and for those causing harm to have accountability support provided and their own healing addressed. 

At Gather Well we firmly believe in protecting those at risk of, or currently, experiencing harm. We also advocate that any person inflicting harm receive the help they need, take accountability and grow for their own well-being and, most importantly, so that future harms may be prevented. We feel that the predominant cultural philosophy of punitive measures as a solution unfortunately does not lend to ultimately making the world a better or safer place and we believe everyone deserves an opportunity to heal, make amends, and grow. In sum, we believe organizations can simultaneously provide processes to support a transformative lens while also taking thorough measures to protect those they are responsible for and to take accountability measures for any harms that may occur.  

We are committed to establishing an ethics infrastructure for Gather Well that is reflective of our values, comprehensive and effective in taking all possible measures for the safety of those who come to us and in supporting both those who experience harm and those who cause it. Our earnest prayer is for a future where each and every life is regarded as precious, where everyone has access to, and support with, coming into wholeness. 

Reflection from Naama Grossbard, Founder

In the Fall of 2021, when questions arose concerning possible ethical misconduct in my parents’ practices, it was a painful and tumultuous time that I found myself trying to navigate. There was so much hurt to listen to, attune to and feel, decisions to be made, conclusions to draw, and people I felt responsible for tending to. It’s now been two years and there has been much to reflect on. 

This message represents a piece of those reflections. I hope to share more in time and as opportunities arise. What follows is simply meant to accompany a milestone for the organization as we slowly re-engage people in programming and present the organizational ethics infrastructure Gather Well has been developing. In it, I would like to offer my reflection of how I personally, and as a leader, responded during that time and how this period has moved me to create an earnest path forward. This writing can’t possibly encompass the whole of my or Gather Well’s feelings or views around the ethical concerns, the people involved, or ethics of psychedelics in general. That said, it feels important that as I share with you a future-oriented plan for harm-reduction measures and accountability practices, I also share my hindsight reflections and lessons so far learned. I know that this is important for cultivating trust in the path ahead.   

In the time immediately following the accusations, I feel we addressed some things well, or the best we could at that time. We were a young organization on a steep learning curve. However, knowing what I know now after a period of learning, particularly about the critical role of a thorough policy infrastructure, there are things we would, and ideally should, have done differently. 

At the time, CCM’s board, staff, and I — as both a board member and Executive Director — attempted to respond quickly, to address the urgent expressions of pain and confusion we found ourselves engaged with, and tending first and foremost to those we were most directly accountable to: our students and staff. In the months that followed it became clear that the policies and procedures for decision making were not rigorous enough to reflect and fully uphold the values I, and others involved, strived to have. Had a more detailed infrastructure been in place at the time, addressing those impacted, particularly those speaking out about their experiences, would have been more quickly acknowledged. I would have undertaken communications about the values of CCM differently: in ways that could have made our ethical commitments clearer, and possibly mitigated some fears and hurts. I regret that I didn’t have the ability to tend to things differently during that time. I feel deeply sorry that individuals were hurt due to anything that I’m even remotely associated with. This has fueled my passion for doing everything I can, along with this team, in the ways we are able, to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

I also realize during this time a critical dialogue was being sparked by these and other ethical concerns in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy. There was an opportunity for me, as a representative of CCM, to get more involved. Instead I remained internal –  a move that may have appeared as silence. I chose to attend to the relationships closest to me, and at critical times, to my own wellbeing, in addition to the process of transformation that the organization was undergoing as it shifted from CCM to Gather Well. 

It has been a hard but deeply purposeful time for me in processing the various roles I hold – that of a daughter, a parent, a student, an independent individual with differing stances and approaches from my parents, and as a leader of an organization. This process has been complex, tender and liberatory. I know that how I have chosen to navigate this period of time has had impacts and I continue to grow from my deepening understanding of them. I have gained greater insight into how to have foresight and accountability in relationships, and how to better attend to impacts when they do occur. As a leader, I’m leaning into partnership with others to help illuminate my blind spots and to fortify and enrich the offerings at Gather Well. I’m also offering myself grace, something I believe all people deserve as they learn.

This time has also refueled my passion for in-depth consideration of ethics and how to create educational and care provider structures that best benefit clients, practitioners and the field of psychedelics – the very reason I began forming CCM, and now Gather Well Psychedelics. 

I understand the fear for some is that Gather Well will attempt to make the bare minimum changes to “carry on as usual.” This is not the case – in fact, we strove to do the opposite. In our proximity to the ethical concerns, we have been able to gain invaluable insight and information and learn from the nuance and complexity presented. We made the decision to slow down and fully engage in this opportunity to harness these learnings and we are proud of what has come out of it so far.  

Gather Well is an evolutionary iteration of what was CCM, which I developed, in turn, as an evolutionary iteration of the body of work my parents formed as a result of their own work with their teachers. Many aspects of the lineage of practice remain, and many have been changed or discontinued. My hope is the evolution of this work will continue to happen and that these changes will be shared through our ongoing communications and through the actions of the organization. It has been a critical two year period in which a core lead team at Gather Well has engaged in deep consideration, getting diverse outside input to evolve an organization that is robust, accountable, represents our values and makes manifest what we wish had been in place all along. It’s been a meaningful effort for those involved and my hope is that the work we have done will serve in wider ways and contribute meaningfully to this field of healers and helpers of all sorts. 

There was a moment I thought to let it all go, at moments it felt ”too hard.” I’m grateful for those who believed in the spirit of the effort and fortified me and our small team to move “through,” instead of moving away from the difficulty and discomfort of this growth journey. I no doubt will continue to evolve and learn, as will the organization, as will we all. 

Overview of Gather WelI Initiatives During our Transition

As an organization we are committed to emergent ideas and community input and the continual and ongoing process of transformation. During these last two years, some of the major areas of focus through our transformation have included the following:

Researching and engaging alternative leadership models that support collaboration and diverse perspectives guiding the organization. 

Redesigning our programs, focusing on a group format and apprenticeship framework oriented towards collective healing, as well as creating infrastructure within and around our programs to support those who are interested in guiding come into deep discernment about the role and its responsibilities. 

Advising with many value- and change-driven pioneers and established leaders in the fields of transformational learning, organizational development, culture change, and psychedelic healing. Their advice has been integral to our period of transition on various levels, informing changes to Gather Well and its programs. 

Engaging in an 18 month in-depth process with a team of two independent bioethicists to evaluate our historical program materials, ethics policies, accountability procedures, and overall organizational structure and frameworks to help us to identify gaps and risks that would be counter to our intention to prevent and address ethical harms within our future programs and for the future clients of our graduates. Our work with them resulted in crucial input and recommendations around how to improve and clarify our approaches, assumptions, and infrastructure. These recommendations have been integrated into the newly designed program concepts and forthcoming support infrastructure. 

While all these efforts during our transition have meaningfully contributed to where we are today, below we go into more depth on the new organizational ethics infrastructure Gather Well has developed. 

Gather Well has devoted much time, energy and heart to a period of reflection, gathering outside input, making changes and developing thoughtful processes for the organization to see its value driven vision manifest. We hope that the extent of our efforts and earnestness is apparent. We look forward to sharing more about our other areas of development soon and plan on continuing to share our learnings and progress. We are eternally grateful for the integrity, expertise and professionalism brought forth by the people who supported us in putting our values into practice. 

Focus on Gather Well’s Organizational Ethics Infrastructure

Gather Well is committed to excellence in care and training. We believe those in the most vulnerable positions within this field – those receiving care with these dynamic and powerful healing modalities – deserve nothing less. With our hearts and actions devoted to this end, two years ago we paused our work, stopped all teaching and programming, reduced our staff to a small core team, and sought independent, outside support from several professional sources.

One aspect of getting outside support was that we wished for the organizational content and structure of Gather Well Psychedelics to be independently reviewed, particularly to gain insight and guidance around how our then-existing programs and policies might align, or not align, with our ethical values of preventing and responding to harm around this work.

As part of that effort, we enlisted the feedback of two independent bioethicists with backgrounds in organizational ethics, community informed ethics committee design, and sexual assault education and prevention. They conducted a review of our prior program materials, policies, and organizational values around ethics. With their independent research of this field, over a couple years and the unique ethical considerations psychedelic healing work requires, they have made a series of both recommendations and cautions regarding what kind of ethics infrastructure may be adequate or inadequate for any organization or business providing psychedelic care or education at this time.   

Their recommendations pivoted around a strong harm reduction lens and an infrastructure that is both preventative and responsive to the potential harms of engaging psychedelic modalites. They stressed the need for clear rules around respect for client boundaries, taking into account, and mitigating, the inherent power asymmetries within a guide-client relationship and the heightened vulnerabilities presented by altered states of consciousness that come with psychedelic care. After their time orienting to the the field of psychedelics, they raised concerns about limitations in what is currently known by science, academia and the general public regarding the full range of benefits and risks of psychedelics, and emphasized the difficulties of obtaining true informed consent for the potential life changing outcomes of engaging psychedelic modalities (including potential long-term harms from adverse responses to treatment). They advocated for an overall slowing down around industry development and encouraged cross-disciplinary dialogue.  

Gather Well is aligned with them in highlighting the unique considerations psychedelic care presents and we are aligned in our goals for developing infrastructure for preventing and responding to harms. We agree and advocate for slow and diligent processes around guide education-our area of focus. 

From this position we will proceed slowly and keep our programs small, with a tailored infrastructure established to (a) reduce the risk of ethical crises emerging in the first place, and (b) to respond appropriately to those that arise. With this approach we feel confident that the risk of acute harms will be brought to a minimum and that by proceeding prudently with programming, and actually engaging with the complexity of guiding work and education, our ethical infrastructure will evolve in response to ongoing experience and that the less acute ethical considerations – –  that may only become apparent from engaging the work itself – – will be learned optimally from within the framework. 

We know this field is not meant to be homogenous and welcome the discourse and learning that comes from a diversity of perspectives being in collaborative dialogue as a path toward the thoughtful and ethical delivery of care in this field is forged by the many passionate people who are moved by this work of healing. 

Gather Well has developed the following key aspects of an organizational ethics infrastructure: 

Ethics committee– An ongoing committee at Gather Well, including representatives from staff, leadership, and alumni, along with multidisciplinary external thought leaders: bioethicists, harm reduction specialists, psychedelic practitioners, as well as members of the wider community of psychedelic interest. This committee’s work will encompass; 

• review of any ethical concern cases and provide consultation and processes for resolution to be carried out by a branch of the committee- a designated organizational “care team” or staff as appropriate, 
• review of overall teaching materials and help developing ethics specific teaching materials, 
• serve as an advisory resource for policies and procedures and any infrastructure related to conducting programs and any other Gather Well activities in an ethical manner. 
• tracking an identifying patterns of behavior/systemic issues over time to address responsive change to organizational ethics infrastructure

Code of Ethics – Gather Well’s code of ethics is underway and will be published in full open access online upon completion. It will have a throughline from ethical values (with clear definitions at the organizational level of what is understood to be ethically permissible or ethically impermissible) to an infrastructure comprised of clearly articulated policies that put those values into practice accompanied by what procedures are engaged should policies be broken. The code of ethics is client/student centered around values of autonomy, trauma informed care, informed consent, preventing conflicts of interest in care (e.g., dual relationships, or professional or personal gain by guides), amongst others. The code will be reviewed by external partners before full adoption. Gather Well will be in full compliance with the law and any standardized reporting mechanisms (e.g. measures put in place by Oregon’s regulatory framework to report harms, or reporting standards for a centralized ethics board when it’s developed).

Enhanced intake & consent processes –  Psychedelics are unique in that their immediate and long-term effects may differ in significant ways from most medicalized substances with which people are broadly familiar and for which they sign informed consent forms in medical settings. Our hope is this enhanced intake and informed consent process allows time and space and appropriate support for decisions by the client to be made with as much information as possible. For our future programs which will involve ingesting of a psychedelic (e.g. the experiential portions of our programs, in legally sanctioned regulatory frameworks and jurisdictions), we have developed an intake and screening process that is standardized, with careful record keeping, that prioritizes harm reduction. Considering the heightened vulnerability for the client within this work and considering possible conflicts of interest or power dynamics between guide and client or organization and client, Gather Well will have an enhanced informed consent process in which consent discussions are conducted by a 3rd party client advocate during the preparatory phase before psychedelics work is undertaken. The clients’ decisions about the parameters of their consent will be recorded and followed by staff. We plan to share this model publicly once it is developed in hopes it is useful for others. 

Ethics casebook – The Gather Well ethics casebook is already underway with some cases being shared freely on our website to promote education and discussion and some cases being used internally for training purposes. New cases are being developed ongoing with a multidisciplinary writing team raising critical questions relevant to the ethics of psychedelics. The cases will highlight narratives, define ethical tensions, and include reflections which explore how clients, guides, and organizations can navigate similar circumstances. During case development, specialist ethicists may be brought in for specific perspectives. 

Online public alumni registry – Though it will be a couple years before Gather Well is graduating guides, we plan to have a public online registry for our graduates both for professional support and also to allow for those interested in working with them to verify the status of their in-house certification with us. Should guides be under ethical review and have their Gather Well Certification suspended or have had their certification revoked, it will be clearly noted. 

Anonymous publicly available ethical concern reporting mechanism – We currently have an anonymous form on our website for ethical concerns to be delivered to Gather Well about Gather Well employees, students, or in the future, certified guides. These concerns will be reviewed by the ethics committee once it’s formed and for the next few months, until it is formed, by a panel made up of the leadership team and board of directors. An external ethics consultant will be engaged on a case by case basis. More details on the process can be found on our site.    

In closing, we want to thank you for reading through all of this. We hope it provided some clarity, insight and understanding around our process leading to where we are today. We stand in gratitude for the innumerable individuals who have taken the time to be in process with us, to give us their honest reflections, for the generative learning we have experienced, and for the opportunity to be able to bring the Gather Well vision to fruition. We are excited to bring our offerings to the world and hope you will join us, however you feel compelled.