Serene Wanted To Quit Heroin. She Tried Psychedelics.

In 2020, a woman named Serene (she asked that we not use her last name to protect her privacy) reached out to two brothers named Rory and Ryan Van Tuinen after reading an article about their Waterbury, Vermont-based nonprofit Cultivating Connections. The Van Tuinens discussed using psychedelics as part of treatment to overcome addiction and improve mental health. Serene had struggled for years with an addiction to heroin and was ready to try anything.

As the article explained, Rory had taken the drug ayahuasca in 2019 as “a last-ditch attempt to overcome” a decadelong heroin addiction that had derailed his life. Though “neither Ryan nor Rory believe that hallucinogens are a cure-all,” they say that without the ayahuasca, Rory would either still be “using” or he would be “dead.” The key to recovery, they believe, was to accompany using the drug in concert with the “cultivation of meaningful human relationships.”

Over five weeks, Serene participated in a series of preparatory meetings with the Van Tuinens. The next step was to travel to a cabin in the woods, where she would try ayahuasca and see if this new approach to treating addiction could put her life back on track.

Although the Van Tuinens have no official training or licensing, they are part of a broader movement. Therapists and