In this episode of PsychedelicIQ: Guidance for Guides, Gv Freeman welcomes Cory Firth—psychedelic safety advocate and co-founder of NUMA and FIVE—to explore the future of psychedelic harm reduction. They discuss the critical gap in psychedelic safety training, the emotional journey of fatherhood and legacy through men’s retreats, and the evolution of functional medicine and integration practices. Tune in to learn about Cory’s work developing psychedelic first aid training, how to differentiate an emergency from an emergence, and how we might responsibly embed psychedelics into mental health, therapy, and personal growth systems. Subscribe for grounded guidance in this rapidly evolving space.

[00:00] Introduction and welcome

[02:05] Cory’s background in communication, advocacy, and early psychedelic nonprofit work

[07:45] Involvement with Reunion retreat center and the Psychedelic Association of Canada

[09:41] Transition from policy work to grassroots impact in Kingston, Ontario

[11:17] Founding NUMA: The Center for Psychedelic Safety and Response

[12:53] Creating Canada’s first psychedelic first aid and preparedness program

[14:00] Partnership with FIVE to focus on safety and 5-MeO-DMT training

[17:21] Training goals: responding to emergence, not just emergencies

[18:27] Broadening safety education for clinicians, teachers, first responders, and therapists

[20:12] Critique of minimal psychedelic certification requirements

[21:00] Lack of safety training in sanctioned clinical research environments

[22:05] Vision for immersive, scenario-based safety education using VR and AR

[23:22] Reframing “psychedelic first responders” as “psychedelic safety responders”

[24:00] Functional medicine as a path to self-understanding

[25:00] Citizen science and self-directed diagnostics

[26:00] Pivot to fatherhood: how becoming a dad changed Cory’s approach to life and healing

[50:57] The trauma of birth and neglected paternal perspectives

[52:35] Founding a retreat focused on fatherhood and legacy

[53:05] Using psychedelics to cut through emotional barriers and access authentic self

[54:11] Transformational story of a military veteran turned father and retreat participant

[55:20] Lasting impact: family healing and emotional reconnection

[58:00] Rebalancing men’s work to include both shadow and light

[59:18] Retreat design: shadow ceremony at night, light ceremony at dawn

[01:00:57] Honoring integration through ritual and preparation

[01:01:59] Roses, daughters, and the emotional legacy of fatherhood

[01:12:53] Cory’s dual work with FIVE (5-MeO safety training) and NUMA (community integration)

[01:14:34] Statistics on adverse experiences and ER visits in psychedelic use

[01:17:21] Differentiating emergence vs. emergency during psychedelic experiences

[01:18:27] Extending safety education to police, paramedics, educators, and therapists

[01:20:12] The need for improved training standards and psychedelic literacy across the board

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I’m an explorer of the natural human ecosystem. I concern myself with the biological, psychological, socio-environmental and spiritual elements that help us optimize our lives for sustainable growth, today and for future generations.

After overcoming a 20+ year battle with suicide, I intentionally invest my time and resources into building companies and projects that subvert the current illness-care system including: Journeyman (legacy retreats for fathers), Neuma (psychedelic safety education), F.I.V.E. (resource development for the future of brain health and longevity) – in addition to flow state coaching and microdosing training to empower self-guided protocols for personal evolution.

I have spent the last 7 years successfully advocating for mental health reform across the world. I have always been fascinated by the human psyche and currently spend my days investigating the human experience to source out, learn and understand what helps us grow.

My newsletter: https://www.coryfirth.com/

Neuma First Aid: https://neumacentre.com/psychedelic-first-aid/

FIVE Training: https://five-meo.education/5-meo-dmt-facilitator-training/

The post Practical Psychedelic Safety w/ Cory Firth # 15 first appeared on PsychedeliqIQ.