Our Mission & Values
Our Mission:
To provide transformative, accessible health services by integrating psychedelic therapy, community-rooted healing, and holistic clinical practices, centered on mental health, research, and the cultivation of clinicians.
Our Vision:
To create a world where all people have access to transformative, holistic care rooted in community and equity.
About Synaptic Institute:
Synaptic Institute is a nonprofit integrative mental health and psychedelic therapy clinic based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2020 by Matthew Hicks, ND, MSIMR, CPTR, Synaptic was created to advance a model of care that brings together psychedelic-assisted therapies, integrative medicine, clinician training, and research in service of individual and community healing.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we are committed to expanding access to transformative mental health care through ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, psychotherapy, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, psychedelic integration, education, and clinical research. Our multidisciplinary team works from a trauma-informed, relationship-centered perspective that honors the complexity of human experience and supports healing of mind, body, and community.
We are an integrative mental health clinic that believes healing experiences are the best medicines.
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Our Values:
Equity and Inclusion
At Synaptic we recognize that none of us are truly free until all of us are free. It is our earnest hope to create a healing environment that is inviting to all, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, religion, nationality, or lifestyle. We do our best to practice non-discrimination and cultural competency.
Where we fall short, we welcome accountability. Learning to recognize our privilege and leverage it for the good of all is a difficult process. We welcome the challenge and would be honored to have you as our teachers.
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To better understand our values please read the Equity and Inclusion Statement from Chacruna.
Holistic Healing
We recognize that healing extends beyond symptom reduction. Our approach addresses the interconnected dimensions of physical, emotional, psychological, social, spiritual, and community wellbeing. By integrating evidence-informed medical care with psychotherapy, somatic approaches, and complementary healing practices, we support whole-person transformation.
Community Centered Care
Healing happens in relationship. We cultivate meaningful connections among patients, clinicians, researchers, trainees, and the broader community. We believe that collective wellbeing is strengthened when care is rooted in compassion, belonging, collaboration, and mutual support.
Every person deserves to be met with respect, curiosity, and care. We honor the inherent worth of each individual and strive to create therapeutic relationships grounded in empathy, cultural humility, and deep listening.
Education & Stewardship
As clinicians, educators, and researchers, we are committed to cultivating the next generation of practitioners. We view knowledge as a shared resource and embrace our responsibility to mentor, teach, and contribute to the sustainable growth of ethical psychedelic and integrative healthcare.
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We are dedicated to providing high-quality, evidence-informed care while advancing the field of integrative mental health and psychedelic medicine. Through research, training, and continuous learning, we seek to improve outcomes, expand access, and contribute to the responsible evolution of healthcare.
Ethical Practice
Our Clinic adheres to the North Star Ethics pledge is a commitment to a set of principles for individuals working professionally in the field of psychedelics.
Start within.
We pledge to ground our work in the field with work on ourselves, and to treat personal growth as a lifelong process.
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Study the traditions.
We pledge to grow our knowledge of the history of psychedelics and their many traditions of use, in a good-faith effort to appreciate both the potential of these substances and the conflict and complexity surrounding them.
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Build trust.
We pledge to invest in building trust in our relationships across the psychedelic field, and repair trust where possible.
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Consider the gravity.
We pledge to consider the implications of the choices that we make, understanding the potential consequences of unethical behavior to individuals, communities, and the psychedelic field at large.
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Focus on the process.
We pledge to make the process as important as the outcome, letting the future we hope to see guide the approach we take in getting there.
Create equality and justice.
We pledge to actively take steps to make the world more equitable and just.
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Pay it forward.
We commit to the practice of upholding the principles of this pledge, sharing the values in it with others, and doing our part to help build integrity and ethics into the heart of the emerging psychedelic field.
​These principles guide us in life and business to better encourage collaboration in the pursuit of healing and self-actualization. We must all do our part to protect against exploitation and competition within the business of psychedelic treatment.
