Confluence Retreats

I attended Confluence Retreat in February 2025 as part of my exploration of psychedelic healing for my depression and anxiety. I’m a 68-year-old woman who has been on antidepressants for over 30 years, and have struggled especially since retirement to maintain balance. After reading Michael Pollan’s book “How to Change Your Mind” and watching his Netflix documentary, I knew I wanted to try psilocybin in a safe and expert setting but didn’t have access in the Midwest where I live. So I started with ketamine treatments, which also can offer healing through neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to create new neural pathways. I saw improvement of my symptoms, and the therapeutic insights I gained through the psychedelic-like experience made me even more determined to go on a psilocybin retreat. After a lot of research on Third Wave and other websites, I did phone interviews with four retreat centers and selected Confluence. I limited my search to the U.S. since I would be traveling by myself and have some mobility issues.

I give Confluence my highest recommendation, in every aspect of the experience from the first phone interview through to the final integration conversation with Myles. He and his team are so knowledgeable, experienced, caring, and skilled in building the five-day retreat experience with a group of strangers who shared deep experiences and became friends. The supportive practices of breathwork, meditation, yoga, sound, reading, journaling, reflection with others, and being in nature, were excellent and introduced me to practices that now support my health and ongoing exploration into consciousness. I also really benefited from the Nectara membership (preparation, integration, community) and have continued that on my own. The accommodations and meals (yay!) were excellent and my mobility needs readily accommodated. But my biggest takeaway is probably the idea of living life as ceremony, which was so beautifully modeled for us in the two psilocybin experiences so lovingly provided. And I now have the resources and confidence to continue my journey into psychedelic healing. All my gratitude and love to Myles, his team, and my fellow travelers. Read More

After reading much of the available literature on the properties of psychedelics and watching a number of documentaries on the subject I still had many unanswered questions prior to the retreat. The extremely knowledgeable staff at Confluence Retreats helped me to examine my motivations as well as expectations for this kind of intense experience. I was offered individual and group sessions with retreat staff to ask questions and share experiences before, during, and after the retreat. All of these interactions completely alleviated any anxiety I felt before coming to the retreat. I felt completely safe during all our activities, including and especially the psilocybin journeys.

Our 5-day program included 2 psilocybin journeys, yoga, breath work, great meals, and amazing conversation and camaraderie. I can’t imagine having a one-day experience in a clinical environment after being so nurtured by people who believe in and are dedicated to this process. Most surprising of all was my enjoyment of all the other participants. I hadn’t expected my experience to be enhanced by a group setting but it definitely was. We each had as much time as we wished to be alone or join the group in voluntary activities designed to enhance the psilocybin experience.

I’m so glad I had this experience and was guided by the amazing group at Confluence Retreats. Psilocybin has shown me personal insights and I continue to integrate them into my life with the continuing help of Confluence Retreats. This definitely won’t be my last psychedelic exploration. Read More

After multiple rounds of therapy with the last year in intensive CBT for several addictions I was feeling stuck in my current state and wanted to jumpstart my recovery journey. It was as if there was a curtain or locked door in my way and I could not get to the other side. I wanted to focus on my ruminating mind and always wanting something more and different. I also have some complicated family of origin issues which were front and center. I also wanted to deepen my connections and relationships with my wife and 3 kids and become a better husband and father.

Being an alcoholic and an addict, I was fearful that the psilocybin would be an issue, after doing research and listening to multiple podcasts on psychedelics I became convinced this was right for me. There were some negotiations with my wife of 37 years revolving around the addiction issues. She also did her own research and became convinced that this was a logical next step.

My life has turned out to be better than I could have imagined. My periods of rumination have dramatically decreased. I have had many periods of contentment, calmness and clarity over the last eight weeks which prior to the retreat very rarely happened. I have come to realize that I have been in the right place with My Tribe. My relationships with my wife and kids have dramatically improved. The two psilocybin journeys were very spiritual in nature and have had a profound effect on my life for the better.

This is one of my notes to the Confluence Retreat WhatsApp Group:

I had this awesome insight this morning when I was doing my journaling. I had the overwhelming sense that I finally knew the secret, that my life force has been bringing me out of the darkness all my life, and I should rely on it more on a daily basis. I’ve always had a feeling that everybody else had the answer and that I didn’t have the playbook. I was comparing my insides to their outsides, and I lost every time. I have all you guys and plant medicine, to thank for it.

The multi day retreat was the perfect mix of preparation, solitude in nature and group interaction. The group interactions were instrumental in making me feel comfortable with the process and that was a big deal for me. We were able to bond by sharing our stories and journeys. The multi day retreat allowed me to settle in and continue the preparation and set my intentions for the psilocybin journeys. There was a lot of love, laughter and some tears throughout the week. The food was amazing, and we wanted for nothing.

For me the first journey was spiritual and very uplifting, and I had some good insights at the lower dose. The first journey was the warmup and part of my intentions were achieved. We did some integration between the first and second journey which helped me prepare for the higher dose. The second journey at the higher dose was one of the most meaningful spiritual experiences of my life. I would have been disappointed If I had only done one journey. Read More

I came to Confluence Retreats in order to be in a supportive group setting, in order to acquire a better library of self awareness practices and to do this in nature.

I had experienced single journeys each with one presession and one integration session and found them to be very helpful. Having a structured program with other people, two journeys and new supportive modalities of care allowed me to progress more rapidly.

I had always felt uncomfortable in group settings and wanted to learn how to participate in, to learn from and to contribute to a group effectively. I also struggled with competing internal voices, some positive and some negative, on a daily basis.

Since the retreat… the competing voices in my head have become more integrated and friendly to each other. I feel more easy going when in group settings and can be more playful when working with groups.

Even in the middle of the largest snowstorm in 30 years, I felt cared for from beginning to end. Snow forced every pathway to be treated with salt before anybody awoke. Every vehicle and all personnel had to make alternate plans and yet it felt seamless. I still think about the delicious meals and warm conversation with others who shared my desire for growth and self discovery. The rural location with beautiful views allowed me to connect with nature as the days unfolded. Each new experience was led by one or two really skilled experts so I ended the 5 days with a much better library of self awareness practices from two types of breathwork, to dance and movement, to meditation and to interactions with a local indigenous healer who offered card reading and chanting. One-on-one preparation sessions were thoughtful and allowed plenty of time for all questions to be answered and concerns addressed. Post journey integration sessions were thoughtful and plenty of time was available for solo contemplation. It was lovely to reconnect with the group again for several integration session over zoom. I would recommend Confluence for anyone wanting a group experience with mushrooms and for anyone wanting to explore additional awareness practices. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I know that I will continue to learn and apply those lessons to realize a much lighter and playful future.

It was especially helpful to be in a retreat setting without work or home distractions. It allowed me to focus on my own growth in a way that is not possible when going home after a journey and immediately having to integrate both a journey experience and dive back into work and home responsibilities.

Thank you, Myles, for creating this very special place and program. Read More

I came to the Confluence retreat for a number of reasons. First, I had just turned 40 and wanted to mark the milestone with something powerful and growth-oriented. Second, the previous year had brought about some serious upheavals in my personal and professional life that left me feeling paranoid and self-protective. I wanted to put some of those fears behind me and feel more expansive, open, and self-assured again. And finally, I wanted to feel more connected to my creativity — as a working parent of a toddler, I felt consumed by day-to-day logistics, and I wanted more mental space for developing big ideas, especially in my career.

Before the retreat, I had zero experience with psychedelics. I had never even smoked pot. So I had no idea what to expect, and I was nervous. I learned about Confluence through a close friend, a trained therapist, who had recently done a similar retreat in the Netherlands. She'd heard that Confluence was well-regarded and, as far as I know, the only one that offers a professional, structured group setting legally in the U.S.

I knew that I wanted a program that provided well-trained practitioners, but I wasn't so sure about the group element — getting extremely vulnerable with a handful of strangers who I'd never met before didn't really appeal to me. However, my therapist friend strongly recommended the group setting, so I decided to do it. And I'm so glad I did. There was something deeply humanizing and beautiful about building connection and empathy with people you have almost nothing in common with. Bearing witness to each other's struggles, questions, and — I don't use this word lightly — transcendence was a real honor. I have boundless respect for the people in my group and the integrity they all brought to the retreat.

The structure of the program was incredibly helpful. The motto that Myles used — "not too tight, not too loose" — describes the schedule perfectly. Myles and his team put a lot of emphasis on "integration" — how we can bring our experiences on the retreat back into our regular lives — and I am 100% sure that it has made the effects of the retreat deeper, more long-lasting and meaningful. I feel like I was reintroduced to the best version of myself on the retreat, and I've been able to bring that self back home with me.

The Confluence structure (five days, with two psilocybin sessions spaced one day apart) seemed like a big commitment at first. Initially, I wasn't sure if I would even want to do a second psilocybin session. Myles did a great job of presenting it as optional, and providing alternative dosages if I chose. I wound up doing both sessions and getting a lot out of each of them. Myles's many years of experience in this field makes him a wise and trustworthy resource, and I'm incredibly grateful for his leadership in the program. The other facilitators were amazing as well.

Last but not least, the accommodations were comfortable, the scenery was gorgeous (watching the sun rise over the mountains every morning was a real highlight to me), and the food was next-level delicious. I cannot recommend this experience enough. What a gift! Read More