In Colorado, a dying person can lawfully have a psilocybin session with a licensed facilitator — and, in some cases, have it at home. Here is where a doula fits, what only a facilitator may do, and the fastest lawful way to become one.
You don’t need a license to be the doula. You do need one to be the facilitator.
Colorado rules as of September 11, 2026 · education, not legal advice
Adults 21 and over may use psilocybin privately in Colorado, outside the regulated program. That is their choice — but it is not a doula service. Don’t guide it, supervise it, or charge for it; point them to a licensed facilitator instead.
If someone is having a hard time during or after a psilocybin experience, the Fireside Project peer support line is free: call or text 623-473-7433. In a crisis, call or text 988. In a medical emergency, call 911.
Most sessions happen at a licensed healing center. But Colorado’s rules let a licensed facilitator hold one at the person’s own home, or in a licensed facility such as a hospice, nursing care facility, or assisted living residence (not one run by a government agency), when the person:
Extra safeguards come with it. The facilitator must be tied to a licensed healing center and hold a Natural Medicine Handler License, and needs either 50 hours of healing-center sessions after licensure or a specialty certification in palliative or hospice care. A second facilitator is present the whole time, or the session is video-recorded — with the person’s consent. Sessions are one person at a time, no one under 21 may be there, and a home must be one the person has the right to live in for at least three months.
Not every facilitator offers this, so ask early. Colorado is reviewing this rule now; we’ll update this page if it changes.
4 CCR 755-1, Rule 6.18 (effective March 30, 2025).
Colorado’s standard Facilitator license, step by step.
There is no shortened license for doulas. Colorado’s accelerated routes are for experienced practitioners (at least 40 participants and 200 hours of sessions over two or more years) and for licensed clinicians — psychologists, social workers (LSW or LCSW), marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, addiction counselors, MDs, DOs, advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants — who can petition to count their clinical education toward the coursework.
The shortcut that does exist is at the bedside. A facilitator who holds a specialty certification in palliative or hospice care can serve people at home or in hospice without first logging 50 hours in a healing center. The rule doesn’t say which certifications count — whether an end-of-life doula certification qualifies is a question to put to the state before you rely on it.
4 CCR 755-1, Rules 2.4, 2.6, and 6.18(B)(2)(c).
Courses on psychedelics in end-of-life care exist outside the licensing system — End of Life Psychedelic Care, a nonprofit, runs live online courses, for example. Courses like these are education, not a license: they count toward a Colorado Facilitator license only if the program is on the state’s approved list.
Colorado Office of Natural Medicine Licensure, Natural Medicine Licensure Rules, 4 CCR 755-1: Rules 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8 (licensure routes and the Training License), 3.1 and 4.1(G) (coursework and practicum), 6.18 (sessions outside a healing center, effective March 30, 2025), and 8.3 (unlicensed practice). Colorado Revised Statutes § 12-170-104 (definitions) and § 12-170-108 (license required). The approved training programs and the license lookup are on DORA’s Natural Medicine page, which also posts the notice for the September 17, 2026 stakeholder meeting on Rules 6.18 and 8.3. Psilocybin remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. This page is education, not legal advice; check the sources before you act.