#41 Josh White: Support & Coaching for Psychedelic Experiences

Welcome back to The Trip Report Podcast, a production of Beckley Waves.

Today, we’re speaking with Josh White, the founder and executive director of Fireside Project, an innovative nonprofit that offers psychedelic coaching and real-time peer support for people navigating psychedelic experiences.

After a career as a lawyer representing the city and county of San Francisco, he shifted his focus to the mental health space and ultimately combined his two passions—psychedelics and crisis support—into Fireside Project.

Fireside Project is best known for its free, confidential psychedelic support line, offering assistance to people during and after their experiences. Since launching in 2021, the hotline has facilitated over 30,000 conversations, helping individuals process everything from mystical awakenings to difficult trips. Now, Josh and his team are expanding their work through Fireside Certified Psychedelic Coaching, a service designed to provide long-term, nonclinical support to those integrating profound psychedelic insights into their daily lives.

In this conversation, we discuss:

* The origins of Fireside Project and its mission

* How the support line works and the types of calls they receive

* The launch of Fireside’s coaching program and the growing need for structured psychedelic guidance

* The difference between harm reduction and transformational support

* How psychedelic support fits into the future of mental health care

* And much more.

And now, I bring you my conversation with Josh White.

Listen to the episode on Substack, Spotify, Google or Apple.

Credits:

* Hosted by Zach Haigney

* Produced by Zach Haigney, Erin Greenhouse, and Katelin Jabbari