The Synthesis Institute is a psilocybin retreat and practitioner training organization based in the Netherlands, originally founded in 2018 and reconstituted under new leadership in 2023 after acquisition by The Resurgence Training Institute. Led by CEO Maya Albert, the institute operates legal psilocybin truffle wellness retreats from its New Eden retreat center in Hemrik, approximately ninety minutes from Amsterdam. The flagship Immersion program is a seven-week experience encompassing three group preparation sessions, a three-to-five-day retreat with medium-to-high-dose psilocybin truffle ceremonies, and three post-retreat integration sessions incorporating somatic and social integration tools.
Synthesis is not a clinic or clinically supervised retreat center and does not provide treatment for diagnosed mental health conditions. Its interdisciplinary framework examines human experience through four lenses — embodied, sacred, cognitive, and relational — reflecting an integrative philosophical orientation that draws on psychology, contemplative traditions, and psychedelic science. Beyond retreats, the Synthesis Institute offers a thirteen-month core practitioner training program, an MA/PhD pathway in interdisciplinary psychedelic care, and a Colorado-specific facilitator training program, positioning it as both a wellness-retreat provider and a training institution for psychedelic practitioners.
Best for
Personal growth · Spiritual exploration · Existential inquiry · Professional development in psychedelic facilitation
Modalities
Depth elements
The Synthesis Institute structures its retreats around an interdisciplinary framework that examines human experience through four lenses — embodied, sacred, cognitive, and relational — integrating modern psychedelic science with wisdom traditions and deep self-exploration. The seven-week Immersion program embeds the psilocybin ceremony within three weeks of preparation and three weeks of integration, treating the psychedelic experience as a developmental event supported by preparation, reflection, and community integration. Facilitators are trained to hold space for the full range of psychedelic experience rather than directing outcomes.
Populations served
Notable staff
Maya Albert — CEO, Cameron Wenaus — MBA from Dalhousie University, BA in Psychology from UBC, co-founder of Retreat Guru, Meghan Kennedy, LCSW — Faculty, certified in psychedelic-assisted therapies, Dr. Allen Goodwin — Faculty, psychology lecturer and shamanic practitioner