Groundbreaking Initiative Launches to Explore Psychedelic-Assisted Retreats for Police Officer Mental Health
First-of-its-kind, international donor-funded psilocybin truffle retreat project in the Netherlands, led by police icons and top researchers, aims to build community and pioneer new dialogues on well-being for law enforcement.
A pioneering international collaboration, led by ‘Psychedelic Insights’, today announced a landmark initiative to organize a legal, guided psychedelic retreat specifically for police officers. Conceived “by cops, for cops,” this donor-funded project seeks to address the profound mental health crisis in law enforcement through community, education, and a supported exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness—all at no cost to participating officers.
The initiative is led by founder Luc van Poelje and unites leading scientific and clinical minds with iconic police figures. The advisory team includes Neil Woods, a former UK undercover detective and author who has experienced firsthand the trauma of police work, and Sarko Gergerian, an active-duty US police officer and mental health counselor. The research framework is led by Anya Ragnhildstveit, PhD(c), Chief Executive Officer of Pneuma Science, and Professor Lynnette Averill of Baylor College of Medicine and Yale School of Medicine.
“We ask officers to endure incredible psychological strain, yet the systems to support their long-term well-being are often inadequate,” says Neil Woods, former UK detective and advisor. “This initiative isn’t about promoting a substance; it’s about courageously exploring every avenue that might help those who serve return to peace and wholeness.”
The project moves beyond a clinical model to create a peer-supported, spiritual space. “As an officer, you learn to armor up. The real challenge, and the real healing, often comes from finding a safe space to be vulnerable,” says Sarko Gergerian, active US police officer and advisor. “This project is built on that understanding—it’s a dialogue started by peers who get the culture and the struggle.”
The initiative’s first planned retreat is a 7-day program in the Netherlands, where the use of fresh psilocybin truffles is legal. It features a minimum 1:3 facilitator-to-participant ratio and extensive psychological support. A research proposal, led by Anya Ragnhildstveit, aims to formally study outcomes to contribute to the scientific understanding of these approaches for trauma-exposed professionals. Based upon previous veteran research projects, the protocol and results are studied.
SAFETY NOTIFICATION
The use of psilocybin truffles, in any way or form, does not replace any medical advice, treatment or medication. Psychedelic Insights provides the psychological guidance of legal and medically safe psilocybin truffle experiences with an EU food-safety certification. More information.
