A truffle ceremony and therapy are not two versions of the same thing: in therapy you talk, and in a truffle ceremony you start in your body, with meditation, sound and the truffles, guided for one day. Stars Frequencies guides truffle ceremonies in Amsterdam, in a small group of up to 8 people (€295 per person) or private (€495), for people who run their life from their head and want to feel again. People who search for truffle ceremony vs therapy often want to know which one is better; the honest answer is that a ceremony never replaces therapy, it is a different way in.
Most people who ask this question have already done a lot of work on themselves. They have read the books. Some have been in therapy for years. They can explain their patterns in detail, and they still notice that knowing something is not the same as feeling it. That is often the moment the question comes up: would a ceremony do something that talking has not?
It is a fair question, and it deserves a careful answer. Therapy and a truffle ceremony do different things, in a different setting, with a different kind of responsibility. The table below puts them side by side, without ranking them.
| Truffle ceremony | Therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you start | In your body: meditation, sound and the truffles | In conversation: you put things into words |
| Form | One day of about 7 hours, in a small group of up to 8 people or private | Usually a series of sessions over weeks or months |
| Who guides you | Rosa, a ceremony facilitator, in the room the whole ceremony | A trained psychologist or therapist |
| Place in care | Not a form of care: no diagnosis, no treatment plan | Part of regular care, often with a diagnosis and a plan |
| Before you start | A free 30-minute intro call with screening | An intake with the practitioner |
| Cost | €295 per person in a group, €495 private | Depends on the practitioner and your insurance |
| During an acute crisis | Not suitable | The right place to start, together with your GP |
One thing the table cannot show: neither is a shortcut. A ceremony is one day. What you do with it afterwards takes time, and that is where support in your daily life, including therapy, can matter.
Most forms of therapy work through conversation. You put into words what is going on, you look at it together with someone who is trained for that, and step by step you find new ways to deal with it. For many people that is exactly right. It gives structure, continuity and a professional who knows your history.
A truffle ceremony starts somewhere else. Meditation and sound healing are a fixed part of every ceremony at Stars Frequencies. They give your head something to follow and help your body come to rest. You do not have to explain anything or reach a conclusion. You lie down, you listen, and you notice what is there.
For people who live in their heads, that is often the unfamiliar part. You are used to understanding first and feeling later, if at all. In a ceremony you do not have to let go before you are ready. Letting go is not a condition. It is a consequence. Rosa does not push you towards anything. She makes sure there is room for whatever comes, and she is in the room the whole ceremony.
What participants describe afterwards varies a lot. Some talk about calm, some about sadness that finally had space, some about a day that was mostly quiet. We do not promise an outcome, and anyone who does should make you cautious.
About half of the participants are doing it for the first time. No experience needed. You also do not need to have been in therapy first. What matters is that the timing is right for you, and that is what the free intro call is for.
In those cases a ceremony is not the right step, now or perhaps ever, and Rosa will say so honestly in the intro call. That is not a rejection of you. It is part of taking you seriously.
A ceremony is not a replacement for medical or psychological care. Read more about safety
Yes, many people do. If you are in therapy now, it is wise to tell your therapist that you are considering a ceremony. Some therapists are open to it, others are cautious, and both reactions are useful information. You can bring what you noticed during the day into your sessions afterwards.
If you use medication, always mention it in the intro call. With SSRIs or SNRIs the effect can be much weaker or unpredictable. Never stop taking medication on your own to make a ceremony possible. That decision belongs with your doctor, not with a ceremony date.
What you do after the day, you discuss beforehand with Rosa. Read more about integration after a ceremony, and about preparing for a truffle ceremony.
If you found this page by searching for psilocybin therapy in the Netherlands or in Amsterdam, it helps to know where things stand. In the Netherlands, researchers are studying whether this substance can support talking therapy for some people, within research settings. It is not a regular treatment, and outside those studies it is not something your psychologist can offer you. The Trimbos Institute keeps an overview in Dutch on its information site DRUGSinfo, listed under sources at the bottom of this page.
A truffle ceremony is not part of that research and does not pretend to be. It is a guided day with legal truffles, meditation and sound, for people who are stable enough to take part. Truffles are legal in the Netherlands. You can read more about whether a truffle ceremony is legal.
Everything starts with a free intro call of 30 minutes. Rosa asks about your health, your medication and why you are coming, and together you look at whether a ceremony fits right now. You only pay once it is clear in that call that it fits. The day itself takes about 7 hours and includes a meal. Meditation and sound healing are part of every ceremony, also private and duo ceremonies.
You can join a group ceremony for €295 per person, with up to 8 people, which is the one most people choose. A private ceremony is €495. There is an emergency protocol, and Rosa is in the room the whole ceremony. Read the full picture on the truffle ceremony page, or see what makes a truffle ceremony safe.
Write to Rosa to ask whether a ceremony in English is possible for you.
No, a truffle ceremony is not a replacement for therapy or other care. If you are in an acute crisis, have thoughts of ending your life or live with a serious psychiatric condition, a psychologist, a psychiatrist or your GP is the right place to start. If you are stable and curious about a different way in, a ceremony can sit next to the support you already have. Rosa discusses this with you honestly in the intro call.
For many people it is possible, but it always depends on your situation. Tell your therapist that you are considering a ceremony, and mention any medication in the intro call. Some medication, such as lithium and MAO inhibitors, rules a ceremony out. With SSRIs and SNRIs the effect can be much weaker or unpredictable. Never stop medication on your own.
Plan a free intro call and tell Rosa about your background and any medication. Together you look at whether a ceremony fits right now, and Rosa says so honestly if it does not. Afterwards you can bring what you noticed during the day into your sessions.
Never stop antidepressants on your own for a ceremony. Always discuss your medication in the intro call and with your doctor. With some medication a ceremony is not possible, with others only after talking to your doctor, and with SSRIs and SNRIs the effect can be much weaker or unpredictable. Rosa tells you honestly if it is not responsible.
No, therapy beforehand is not required. What matters is that you are stable enough: not in an acute crisis, and none of the conditions that rule a ceremony out apply to you. About half of the participants are doing it for the first time. No experience needed.
No. A truffle ceremony is a guided day with meditation, sound and legal truffles, not medical or psychological care. Rosa does not diagnose anything and does not treat conditions. What participants describe is room for rest, reflection and personal growth, and that is as far as any honest promise goes.
What you do after the day, you discuss beforehand with Rosa. Many people find it helpful to plan some quiet time and to write down what they noticed. If you are in therapy, your sessions can be a good place to keep working with it.
In a free 30-minute intro call you talk with Rosa about where you are now and whether a ceremony fits. You only pay once it is clear in that call that it fits.
