As Colorado begins to license psychedelic therapy centers, here鈥檚 a look at how the treatment works

In The NoCo

As Colorado begins to license psychedelic therapy centers, here鈥檚 a look at how the treatment works

By In The NoCo,

Ariel Lavery, Erin O'Toole, Brad Turner

Published April 1, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

Ways To Subscribe

Dr. Scott Shannon sits in his office at The Wholeness Center in Fort Collins. The center has applied for licensing to provide treatment with psilocybin this year. Shannon believes psychedelic therapies offer a uniquely beneficial approach to overcoming depression and anxiety. "People come see me because they're stuck. And these medication help people to get unstuck," he said.

Coloradans who struggle with anxiety or depression will soon have access to a different kind of treatment option.

At the start of 2025, a new law took effect that opened the door to psychedelic-assisted therapy offered by licensed treatment centers in Colorado. State officials had projected April as the date these centers could begin offering therapy sessions using psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in some mushrooms.

We wanted to understand what this kind of therapy entails. So in January, we reached out to Scott Shannon, founder of the . The center has applied for a license, and has offered psychedelic therapy in the past, following the old laws that existed until this year. Scott and other therapists who support access to psychedelics say it could change the way we treat mental health issues in Colorado.

As the rollout of these treatment centers gets underway, we鈥檙e listening back to his conversation with Erin O鈥橳oole.

Tags

In The NoCo

皇冠网址's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

See stories by In The NoCo

Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University鈥檚 NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family鈥檚 financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

See stories by Ariel Lavery

Erin O'Toole

As the host of 皇冠网址鈥檚 new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

See stories by Erin O'Toole

Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in 皇冠网址's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

See stories by Brad Turner