The Heart and Science of Healing: Updates from EPIC & Radiant Heart, the Nation's First Licensed Psilocybin Service Center

Written By Cathy Jonas

Part 1: 🦋 The Spirit: The Story Behind Our New Garden Room Butterfly — "You are Enough."

If you have visited EPIC’s plant-filled Garden Room since March 2026, you may have noticed a beautiful new addition: a large amethyst geode butterfly. This isn't just a beautiful piece of art; it is the physical heartbeat of EPIC’s mission. The story traces back to 2015 during Cathy Jonas’ (EPIC’s founder & CEO) very first ayahuasca retreat in Peru. (You can learn more by reading full newsletter).

Dear EPIC Friends and Community,

When we first opened our doors as America’s very first licensed psilocybin service center, our core dream was simple: to build a true sanctuary where ancient medicine wisdom and modern clinical safety could safely meet. For over three years of service, our senior facilitation team has been pouring their hearts, clinical expertise, and diverse talents into maintaining EPIC's comprehensive services and community of support. We are dedicated to providing a framework that best supports our clients in the long-term, from initial intake all the way through our ongoing integration groups.

Today, we are thrilled to see our mission validated out in the world, in groundbreaking new scientific data, and right here inside our own healing rooms. Our senior team members have gathered some beautiful updates, new institutional research, and intimate personal stories to share with you as we head into the autumn season. Whether you are a returning client looking to deepen your integration process or a curious seeker taking your very first step, we invite you to settle in and explore what is blooming in our community.

Newsletter Stories and Updates:

  • The Spirit: The Story Behind Our New Garden Room Butterfly — "You are Enough."

  • Single-Dose Success in the Real World: New OHSU Study Confirms Oregon's Psilocybin Model Actually Works

  • Multi-Dose Spacing for Durable, Long-Term Relief (Clinical Research, and EPIC’s offerings)

  • Gratitude in Action: Keeping Healing Accessible (EPIC & Radiant Heart’s Pay-It-Forward Program)

  • Our Fall Booking Special - Time limited until 10/31/2026 for any session booked before 5/1/2027

  • Beyond the Screen: Journeys Documentary & Extra Footage on Why Cathy Became a Facilitator (and opened EPIC). Heather Shelton & Cathy Jonas both appear in documentary.

  • The Yachats Mushroom Festival: The owners of EPIC speak live October 17, 2026! If you are visiting the coast, both Cathy and Steve Jonas will be giving unique talks about mushrooms.

  • Free Monthly Online Public Q&A: Next one is on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, from 5:30 – 6:30 PM PST via Google Meet. Ask your questions about Oregon’s legal psilocybin service center program, EPIC Healing / Radiant Heart’s Services, and preparation steps.

  • EPIC / Radiant Heart Services & Accessibility: No Waitlist & Comprehensive Care

  • Meet our Experienced EPIC / Radiant Heart Senior Facilitator & Intake Team

Single-Dose Success in the Real World: New OHSU Study Confirms Oregon's Psilocybin Model Actually Works

A groundbreaking cohort study led by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) tracking 346 adults across Oregon’s state-regulated, non-medical centers was published on August 19, 2026, in JAMA Network Open. The data are highly reassuring: participants experienced a statistically significant 70% decrease in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD three months after a single supervised session.

The big takeaway here is that while academic clinical trials strictly test synthetic pharmaceuticals on tightly screened patients in clinical and hospital environments, this OHSU study shows that Oregon’s community-based, non-clinical wellness model delivers a similar high safety profile and demonstrates a significant decrease in target symptoms in the “real world” (meaning outside a clinical setting but still regulated with a licensed facilitator in a licensed service center, with preparation and integrative services). While both approaches utilize strict safety screening criteria, Oregon requires no doctor's referral and allows most clients to safely remain on their current daily antidepressant medications (potentially offering a higher psilocybin dosage or a booster dose), whereas formal clinical research settings typically require participants to be entirely medication-free to qualify for a study. Clinical trials at the Karolinska Institutet and NYU Langone have further validated that a single dose provides rapid relief that reliably lasts anywhere from 3 months to over 4 years.

Multi-Dose Spacing for Durable, Long-Term Relief

Furthermore, clinical trials evaluating two doses of psilocybin spaced exactly three weeks apart have shown remarkable, profound mental health benefits. A milestone double-blind study out of the University of Oxford published in Translational Psychiatry and robust clinical trial data from Compass Pathways demonstrated that administering a second dose after a three-week interval helps the brain shed rigid, negative emotional biases, with up to 40% of patients achieving a deeply meaningful therapeutic response. Unlike daily traditional pills which can require months to see effect, this specific two-dose regimen fosters neuroplasticity to provide swift, lasting relief. Clinical follow-up studies at Johns Hopkins University and Ohio State University reveal that this multi-dose relief is remarkably durable, routinely sustaining significant mental health improvements for 6 to 12 months, and in some cases up to 5 years.

To honor this data while accommodating individual needs, EPIC offers both single and multi-session packages. Many clients who travel from out of the area choose to space their second dose within that same week to maximize travel logistics, while others prefer to space their sessions weeks or months apart. At EPIC and Radiant Heart, our own real-world numbers reflect this incredible success. To date, over 800 psilocybin sessions have taken place through our organizations, resulting in approximately 25,000 mg of psilocybin safely consumed within our community.

Gratitude in Action: Keeping Healing Accessible

We want to extend a profound thank you to every single client who has walked through our doors. By choosing EPIC and Radiant Heart, your presence directly enables us to fund our Pay-It-Forward program. Driven by 5% of all revenue from EPIC and Radiant Heart, combined with our incredibly generous staff discounting their own rates, and occasional donations from deeply grateful past clients, we have been able to provide over $145,000 in discounted services to individuals who otherwise could not afford access to this life-changing service. 100% of donations received are used to assist clients with their session costs. Thank you for helping us keep EPIC / Radiant Heart’s services accessible to our ever-expanding community.

Our Fall Booking Special - Time limited until 10/31/2026 for any session booked before 5/1/2027

In the spirit of keeping this work open and accessible, we are thrilled to announce a special seasonal opportunity. Book your journey now and before October 31, 2026, for an administration session taking place before April 30, 2027, to lock in our Fall Booking Special tier discounts:

  • Single Session Packages: $111 Off Per Person (Includes our Traditional and Group Packages, with the discount applied per person).

  • Two-Session Packages: $188 Off Total (An ideal structure if you are looking to align your healing journey with the multi-dose clinical trial data! Includes our Exploration, Rolling Hills, and Double Summit Packages).

  • Three-Session Packages: $255 Off Total (Includes our Trauma and standard 3 Session Packages).

This special can be added to any client returning discount or any staff specials taking place. Please note that Pay-It-Forward grants are not eligible for this discount (contact us for PIF application). If you have been waiting for the right alignment of timing, support, and resource to commit to your journey, this is a beautiful window to step forward into your healing.

Part 2: 🦋 The Spirit: The Story Behind Our New Garden Room Butterfly — "You are Enough."

Integration takes time, and the gems of insights can continually be found if you pause and look for them.

The story of the butterfly traces back to 2015 during Cathy’s very first retreat in Peru. In a profound encounter, she felt the literal embrace of Mother Ayahuasca in magnificent butterfly regalia. That embrace filled the old, painful inner holes of her heart—the lingering feelings of lacking and "not being enough." It was a radical shift that she felt rewired her soul.

Cathy is still actively integrating that experience today. It is that very embrace that drove her to brave the hurdles of opening a service center and developing our intensive support programs, so that others might experience their own profound healing and truly know they are enough. For our clients, the amethyst butterfly stands as a beautiful reminder that integration takes time. A psychedelic journey isn't just about one afternoon; its insights can ripple out, enhancing your life experience years down the road. Cathy's wish is that the butterfly geode helps others on their journey.

Beyond the Screen: Journeys Documentary & Extra Footage on Why Cathy Became a Facilitator

Cathy Jonas, LCSW, and Heather Shelton, retired nurse, are featured in newly released documentary Journeys, showing behind-the-scenes insights from legal and underground facilitators, and what seems to help lead to healing and transformational shifts for individuals.

Available on Amazon Prime & more.

The Journeys documentary story goes deeper. You can watch this and other Journeys bonus YouTube videos featuring Cathy and Heather. In the video included in this newsletter, Cathy shares a profound healing experience from a 2017 ayahuasca retreat, offering a glimpse into her own healing work with indigenous Shipibo shamans in Peru.

This story beautifully illustrates how healing happens on multiple levels through the power of compassionate space-holding. It also reveals what inspired Cathy’s initial interest in facilitation work—the true roots of EPIC’s philosophy of providing the compassionate care and grounded space clients need to journey deep within themselves.

Connect with Us Live: Yachats Mushroom Festival and Q&A

The Yachats Mushroom Festival: If you are visiting the coast, come hear Cathy Jonas and Steve Jonas, the owners of EPIC, speak live October 17, 2026! They will be on stage sharing professional and personal insights on the legal psilocybin landscape, neuroplasticity, and personal growth.

  • October 17, 2026, Saturday 2-3pm PST - Psilocybin in a legalized setting: Beyond Therapy | Cathy Jonas. Location: Presbyterian Church, Yachats, Oregon.

Join us for a talk and Q&A with Cathy Jonas, LCSW, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Trauma Specialist, and Licensed Oregon Psilocybin Facilitator. Cathy will share key professional and personal insights gained from her own personal growth journey, and guiding clients through the preparation, high-dose psilocybin experience, and integration journey.

  • October 17, 2026, Saturday 10:30-11:30am - Transform Your Brain Through Mushroom Foraging | Steve Jonas, Location: Yachats Commons

Steve will present on how foraging and being in nature is actually good for your brain and nervous system. “Step into a forest and magic instantly happens. Our senses become heightened, we start to physically exert ourselves, but there is also magic happening in our brain and central nervous system.” Steve Jonas is an active mushroom forager, neurofeedback practitioner, retired educator, and enjoys introducing and educating new people to the joys of foraging.

Free Online Public Q&A: Join our team virtually on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, from 5:30 – 6:30 PM PST via Google Meet to ask questions about Oregon’s legal psilocybin service center program, EPIC / Radiant Heart’s Services, and preparation steps. Contact info@epichealingeugene.com.

EPIC / Radiant Heart Services & Accessibility: No Waitlist & Comprehensive Care

  • An All-Senior Team of Licensed Facilitators: Every practitioner on our team is a senior-level, licensed expert with extensive, real-world experience working with a significant number of clients.

    • EPIC provides valuable Youtube videos resources on psychedelic preparation, integration, and personal growth. We love supporting others on their journeys. Many clients find us through our videos and use them as powerful tools to complement the direct support of their chosen facilitators.

  • No Waitlist & Readily Available Care: Despite early media coverage, we do not have a waitlist. We serve clients readily from all over the world in one of our two dedicated rooms at EPIC in Eugene.

  • The Popular Garden Room & Courtyard: Our most sought-after space is the plant-filled Garden Room, which features an attached outdoor courtyard space and private bathroom—a highly unique, natural, and private environment to find at a state-regulated service center.

  • Portland Sessions Available: In addition to Eugene, we proudly provide administration sessions at our affiliated service center in Portland to maximize geographic accessibility.

  • Non-Medical / Non-Clinical Approach: We operate under a supported adult-use framework. You do not need a doctor's referral or a clinical diagnosis to come here. Clients can seek this experience for any personal, spiritual, or wellness reason, provided they pass our initial safety screening.

  • 5 Hours of Individual Preparation & Integration: Deep, tailored individual grounding and cognitive framing before and after your experience.

  • 6–8 Hour Supervised Psilocybin Experience: A comprehensive, securely held journey inside our nurturing environments.

  • 8 Ongoing & Optional Monthly Personal Growth Groups: Comprehensive, community-driven care included for all clients signed up for services. Our groups are entirely ongoing—meaning there is truly no end to our integrative support. While all 8 groups are completely optional, they remain available to you indefinitely as long-term resources for your personal evolution. They include our Bimonthly Preparation & Integration Groups and our flagship Trauma & Transformation Group led by two dual-credentialed LCSWs.

For an individual session, receive 13 hours of preparation, integration, and licensed facilitation service on the psilocybin administration day, and access to our eight ongoing groups per month.

Meet our Experienced EPIC / Radiant Heart Senior Facilitator & Intake Team

Our team is composed entirely of highly experienced, licensed senior level facilitators who walk alongside you through every chapter of your healing journey from preparation, integration, and the facilitated psilocybin session itself. We do not use interns or newly licensed facilitators to lead your care; instead, you are supported by seasoned and experienced staff from your very first connection point. Did you know that Cathy and her team at EPIC Healing have also made a variety of YouTube videos on preparation, integration, and personal growth?

From answering your intake questions and navigating background state compliance to curating personalized soundscapes and guiding long-term integration, our multi-disciplinary team has a blend of clinical master's degrees, medical backgrounds, neuroscience research, transformational coaching, and dedicated plant medicine wisdom to offer clients safe, private, supportive, and professional services, while honoring autonomy, and everyone's unique life history and situation.

Jack Kapustka, BS (Intake & Senior Facilitator): Jack pairs a deep reverence for medicine work with a rigorous background in psychological neuroscience, having co-authored multiple publications and managed a prominent research lab at the University of Oregon. With over a decade of personal and professional psychedelic experience, Jack holds a beautifully tailored, intuitive, and informed space. He is especially celebrated by his clients for his exceptional strength in curating custom musical soundscapes that gently shape the emotional landscape of the journey.

Jennifer B. Dziubanek, MSW, LCSW, CCTP (Intake & Senior Facilitator): With a full heart and clinical toolkit, Jennifer is a compassionate trauma therapist who creates an incredibly soft, judgment-free space. She is wonderful at holding gentle boundaries for individuals walking through anxiety, deep-seated hurts, or major life stressors, helping her clients get in touch with their inner strength and self-resourcing strategies. Jennifer is known for her lovely guided meditations!

Cathy Rosewell Jonas, MSW, LCSW, CHT (Intake & Lead Facilitator). As the founder of EPIC and Radiant Heart, Cathy brings 40 years of human services experience to her facilitation work. As a clinical social worker, trauma specialist, author and educator, she is deeply inspired by her years of healing work, mindfulness, and her own plant medicine experiences. Cathy is versatile in her approach, depending on the desires of her clients, including energy healing, singing Earthsongs, and teaching self-directive brain-training strategies to support personal growth.

Ciara Cuddihy (Intake & Senior Facilitator): Ciara has walked alongside more than 100 clients on their journey. Working as an artist, teacher, and transformational coach, her gift is helping people gently dissolve pre-trip anxieties and find a calm, spiritual alignment before stepping into the room. Ciara is happy to help clients explore life goals and how to best open themselves to change and transformation, before, during, and after their journey. (Note: Ciara is happily sharing an additional $300 discount per session through the end of 2026.)

Heather Shelton (Intake & Senior Facilitator). Heather is a retired nurse and a herbalist. Her calm and supportive presence brings a beautifully grounded feeling to the room, naturally weaving physical comfort and deep safety with a love for somatic and plant-based healing. Heather is an avid gardener and teaches the importance of connecting to nature as one of our centering tools and non-judgmental teachers.

Nina Wyngethrin, BA, MS (Intake & Senior Facilitator): Nina holds a BA in Women's Studies and a Master of Special Education. She previously served as the lead educator of a state-approved Psilocybin Facilitation Training program and regularly helps to facilitate some of EPIC and Radiant Heart's ongoing preparation, embracing transitions group, and integration groups. Nina approaches her facilitation work with warmth, and open-hearted curiosity. She holds a gentle space that honors client's autonomy, and self-discovery process.

Erin Baldwin Draper, MSW (Senior Facilitator): Honored with the Safe Passage Award, Erin describes herself as a "PsycheDoula." She is a trauma-informed social worker, mystic, and creates custom playlists who has supported 150+ legal clients. As a "PsycheDoula," holds judgment-free, supportive space for big life transitions, helping clients embrace strategies that will help them let go of stuck patterning and create themselves anew. Erin especially likes to support people who are new to the psychedelic journey process.

Aaron Arvidson, BS (Senior Facilitator): Aaron pairs a genuine background in science with a peaceful passion for holistic wellness. A Bioengineering graduate, and a decade of stress support training, breathwork, and mindfulness, his accepting and relaxed demeanor brings a profound sense of ease to clients navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD, or recovery. Aaron also co-facilitates EPIC / Radiant Heart's Science, Philosophy, & Personal Growth group. Aaron loves helping clients get in touch with their joy.

The Clinical Advantage: Deepening Your Support

Whether you are ready to explore an individual high-dose journey, a couples session, or a small group circle in the Garden Room, all of our Radiant Heart Facilitators are here to hold the space for you. And, thanks to Oregon's regulatory updates, the dual-licensed therapists on our Radiant Heart Consulting team (Cathy Jonas and Jennifer Dziubanek, both LCSW’s, can now legally provide clinical mental health counseling directly within your scheduled Preparation and Integration sessions. Cathy and Jennifer also facilitate EPIC’s monthly Trauma & Transformation Group.

Ready to take the first step?
Visit the EPIC Healing Eugene Contact Page today to fill out our Interest Form and schedule your Free Exploration Call.

We have a welcoming Licensed Service Center (EPIC Healing Eugene). Our popular Garden Room has attached outdoor space and a private bathroom. This is a rare setting to find.

What are others saying about our Services?

  • Check out spotify or apple for a great podcast: Mushroom Medicine: Unlocking Minds and Transforming Lives by Peter Sage, a past client of ours interviewing other EPIC / Radiant Heart clients about their experiences. Forthcoming, sincere, and captivating! Keeps you wanting to hear more…

Learn More:

Warmly,

The EPIC Healing Eugene and Radiant Heart Consulting team

We wish you all the best. Thank you again for your support. 🦋

Cathy Jonas
Next

Supporting Personal Growth long-term: EPIC Celebrates our Third Year! (Oregon’s & the Nation’s First Psilocybin Service Center)