Sentience

Sentience, based in Los Angeles, runs four-day psilocybin retreats in the desert at Coachella, California, alongside private sessions and coaching. It describes itself as a not-for-profit, faith-based community.

Approach

Founder Joey Bothwell, a former dancer and screen actress and a Reiki master, has guided medicine work for more than a decade, starting with six years building a somatic programme at an addiction recovery centre in Venice, California. Brooke Lawrence is the retreat chef and second guide. The first day brings ecstatic breathwork, the second a group ritual of telling one’s story and a short first medicine session, and the third a day of four to six hours in which three doses are stacked, followed by a floating sound bath. The last day is given to group integration. The team grows its own mushrooms, and DMT has also been offered.

Who it is for

Sentience says it has worked with a wide range of people, from veterans and firefighters to homemakers. Couples can work with Bothwell on communication, whether they stay together or separate.

Practical details

The next group retreat runs from 12 to 15 November 2026, at $3,800 in shared accommodation or $5,000 in a private room, for groups of up to eight. For a private retreat Bothwell stays with the client in a rented house for one to three days, at $2,500 a day; a single four-hour medicine day costs $700. Monthly microdosing coaching, which the site says comes with microdosing supplements, costs $750. A free 15-minute phone consultation comes first.

Care and safety

Intake is a phone conversation about motivation, timing, medical history and suitability. Preparation covers mental health history, medications and contraindications, with a pharmacist consultation on drug interactions, a backup medical plan and an agreed signal for help. One integration call by phone follows the retreat.