If you're mid-career and mid-transition, you're not alone—and you’re not late. In fact, you're right on time. According to a new report from Psychedelics Today, purpose-driven psychedelic careers are not only trending, they're transforming what professional success looks like. In this bonus episode, April Pride interviews David Drapkin, Director of Education at Psychedelics Today and lead on their Vital certification program. The conversation unpacks why people—especially women—are entering the psychedelic space, what kind of work they’re doing, and why almost no one is doing it for the money. Nearly 98% of Vital graduates say financial gain is not their motivator. Instead, they’re choosing healing, service, and a new kind of career alignment—especially women in midlife. Whether you're a therapist, educator, or entrepreneur, this episode offers an inside look at how psychedelics are creating pathways to personal and professional renewal.
🔵 Key Takeaways
Purpose, not profit: 98.3% of graduates said financial gain was not their main reason for enrolling in Vital’s psychedelic integration training.
Personal experience fuels career change. 87% had transformative healing experiences that sparked their shift into the psychedelic workforce.
Women are leading. Two-thirds of Vital students identify as women—many mid-career, seeking more aligned and integrative work.
Roles go beyond facilitation. Vital grads are working in biotech, media, policy, education, and finance, expanding what purpose-driven psychedelic careers can look like.
Community and collaboration matter. From underground facilitators to licensed therapists, new legal and ethical models are forming through creative partnerships.
🔵 Timestamps
[01:55] Surprising survey stat: it’s not about money
[03:42] David’s personal shift from addiction care to psychedelics
[05:31] Psychedelics as a calling—not just a job
[08:24] Can service and money coexist in healing careers?
[10:45] David unpacks his own journey with financial trauma
[13:59] Why representation matters: women and BIPOC in psychedelics
[15:10] What’s missing: men in healing roles and healthy masculinity
[17:55] David’s life-changing electrocution story (!?)
[20:27] How grads are building careers across media, therapy, retreats, and tech
[22:09] Legality vs. ethics: the underground remains essential
[25:10] Creative ways grads are practicing within the law
[27:25] Remote collaboration models: therapists + trip sitters
[30:44] From Reddit to research: why anecdotal evidence still counts
[32:29] Why MDs are enrolling in psychedelic integration training
[36:29] Healing as unlearning—especially for medical professionals
[39:08] Reframing illness as cultural and collective
🔵 Feature Guest
David Drapkin, david@psychedelicstoday.com
🔵 Additional Resources
SetSet Blog: “Women Leading the Future of Cannabis and Psychedelics”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 71 “Psychedelic Therapy for Trauma”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 70 “Consent in Psychedelic Therapy: What to Know”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 66 “Psychedelic Science Conference 2023”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 20 “Women in Cannabis Entrepreneurship”
Have you considered shifting into a purpose-driven psychedelic career? Whether you're integration curious or ready to retrain, the paths are multiplying—and the doors are wide open. Tell us where you are in your journey 👇 Let’s talk about it in the comments after the transcript below.
🔵 Transcript
[00:00] April Pride:
Welcome to The High Guide. Today’s bonus episode dives into how purpose-driven psychedelic careers are transforming the healing space. I sat down with David Drapkin, Director of Education and Training at Psychedelics Today. Their recent survey of 130 students and graduates from their 12-month psychedelic integration training program, Vital, revealed why people—especially women—are choosing this path. Spoiler: it’s not about money. One striking stat? 98.3% of Vital students said financial gain isn’t why they’re entering this work. David and I get into what’s actually driving the emerging psychedelic workforce—and how it's shaping new roles in the field.
[03:42] David Drapkin:
I’ve been with Psychedelics Today for about two and a half years, now leading education and psychedelic integration training. Honestly, I’m doing things I never imagined I could do—like facilitating study groups, developing curriculum, and hosting podcasts. The report comes from our Vital program. We surveyed students to understand why they’re entering the space, what their backgrounds are, and where they see themselves contributing—whether through direct facilitation or non-clinical psychedelic roles like media, academia, or biotech. We’re witnessing more than just a psychedelic renaissance. We’re watching the birth of a purpose-driven psychedelic workforce. These professionals are designing their careers around personal healing and collective service. 98% of participants aren’t motivated by profit. Instead, their lived experiences with psychedelics—87% reported personal healing—are catalyzing their professional direction. It’s about giving back, often through healing careers that didn't exist five years ago.
[08:24] April Pride:
As someone who's sold companies and funded others, I see this differently. Money is power. For women in psychedelics—and we know two-thirds of Vital participants are women—it’s crucial we build influence. And that often starts with capital.
[10:45] David Drapkin:
I’ve had a complicated relationship with money. There was a time I wanted nothing to do with it. But stepping into this role, I’ve had to reckon with the value exchange behind healing careers. We need vision and sustainability.
[13:59] April Pride:
The stat that women are dominating this space gives me hope. But what about men? How do we invite more men into purpose-driven psychedelic careers, especially those rooted in community and emotional presence?
[15:10] David Drapkin:
As a social worker, I’ve noticed how men struggle with vulnerability and uncertainty. Psychedelics confront that head-on. We need to normalize masculine presence in these emerging roles—especially in psychedelic integration training and facilitation. My own turning point? I was electrocuted at 21. That cracked open everything I thought I knew. It’s that same disorientation that psychedelics bring. They invite us to rethink identity, purpose, and our place in a psychedelic workforce.
[19:10] April Pride:
At recent conferences, I keep hearing that we're just getting started. But many people still wonder: what can I do professionally with my interest in psychedelics if I’m not a therapist or guide?
[20:27] David Drapkin:
Our Vital grads are incredibly diverse in direction. Some have launched integration collectives. Others are leading research, opening retreat centers, or supporting non-clinical psychedelic roles in policy and wellness brands.
[22:09] April Pride:
Are most Vital grads working underground?
[22:09] David Drapkin:
Some are. Others are getting creative—hosting retreats in legal jurisdictions or offering harm reduction services. There’s a growing blueprint for ethical, innovative models within healing careers that don’t depend on legality alone. We see hybrid models, too—therapists offering virtual integration while local sitters handle in-person dosing. It’s all part of a larger evolution in how we deliver psychedelic integration training and care.
[27:25] April Pride: That’s exactly what we’re doing with SetSet—combining digital support with local presence. And our therapist has found that not being in the room actually strengthens the client relationship.
[28:39] David Drapkin:
Whether you’re a coach, social worker, or entrepreneur, this space needs everyone. And while it’s new, it’s also ancient. We’re building on centuries of ceremonial wisdom—plus digital-age platforms like Reddit as real-time case studies for the psychedelic workforce.
[30:44] April Pride:
It’s fascinating how cannabis helped us start asking, “Why is this illegal?” And now psilocybin is helping us ask, “What else have we forgotten?”
[32:29] David Drapkin:
And MDMA and psilocybin being labeled as Schedule I drugs while also being designated breakthrough therapies by the FDA? That contradiction is waking people up—especially those seeking purpose-driven psychedelic careers.
[33:39] April Pride:
So why would a licensed MD enroll in Vital?
[33:39] David Drapkin:
Because medicine doesn’t teach presence. It doesn’t teach how to hold someone in a non-ordinary state. Our psychedelic integration training helps doctors unlearn and re-learn what real healing can look like. Healing isn't just symptom relief. It’s reconnection—with self, community, and something larger. Our students come to realize that healing careers are often about holding space for the unknown. And yes—doctors need that too. We all do.
[40:06] April Pride:
David, thank you so much. Where can listeners learn more?
[40:06] David Drapkin:
Visit vitalpsychedelictraining.com or email me directly at david@psychedelicstoday.com. Applications are open until January 10. You can also find our full report—The Emerging Psychedelic Workforce—at psychedelicstoday.com. Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a downloadable file or added directly to a CMS.
[01:01:55] April Pride:
And this last detail I will get into with David later on in the show. A staggering 98.3% of respondents indicate that making a lot of money is not their primary motivation to enter the field. So please listen on as David and I are in discussion. But first, before Dave and I do begin our discussion, I want to thank our sponsor of Like Minds, Seattle's trusted source for psilocybin mushroom products. You can find their full menu at of Like minds.co online. And it's the holidays. They have gift cards. If you don't know what to get that special someone in your life, I bet they would like some magic mushrooms. And I'll tell you what you should actually get them specifically. Are the Museum dose capsules. They're awesome. Let's get even more specific. I would recommend that you get museum dose capsules and a deck of set set and put a date on the calendar to take those capsules together. Play set, set together, and then I want you to email me directly. You can email me at aprilapril pride.com and tell me what you thought, because that's what we've been doing here in Seattle and it's really fun, especially on these rainy nights. So do something different this Christmas. Buy an experience that you will never forget of like minds. Disco. You heard it here. Happy holidays. Listen to the conversation and yeah, send me an email. Tell me what you think.
