My Non-Framework Framework
A Dive into Interpersonal Neurobiology and Psychedelics
I’ve been researching and learning about marketing and selling techniques the last year or so. Partially to get myself up to speed in how the fuck I’m supposed to run a business, and partially to make sure I’m not doing the stupid shit that exploits and harms people.
One thing I’ve found that is interesting is the idea that coaches and healers need a Framework™©. Now, in some ways I understand this. It makes it easier to explain to people what you do if you have a specific roadmap of how you get to your destination. Great for marketing.
But in the case of psychedelics (and in healing in general, in my humble opinion) there isn’t a set roadmap. Sure, there are some commonalities, but each individual journey is unique. So, I don’t have a framework. I don’t have a signature roadmap. Or a blueprint.
What I have is a theory. Now, anyone with clinical mental health training will recognize this term. Theory is the underlying understanding of healing that many healers use, but we don’t always understand that we are using it. Reiki, for example, has theory. Ki flows through all living things and blockages or stagnations in this energy cause suffering. From that theory, it’s obvious that we need to help the energy flow again to help relieve the suffering. See how that works? Super handy!
Interpersonal Neurobiology
The theory that I ascribe to is Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB). Here is the gist: integration is the key to wellbeing in any system & disintegration causes suffering.
Integration is defined as “linkage of differentiated components of a system.”
Each component in a system is a distinct (or differentiated) whole, and then links with other (whole) components to create a new whole. IPNB is usually utilized in the realm of clinical mental health, but it has also been applied in coaching, education, and organizational development. And, I believe, it could also be used to underpin ecological approaches like permaculture—though that field already has its own theoretical foundation.
What the heck does this have to do with psychedelic healing, I hear you ask! Well, integration is a huge part of psychedelic work. And there is no universally agreed-upon definition of what that work entails—and we don’t necessarily need one… again, in my humble opinion. But IPNB gives me that definition. It also gives me an understanding of what kinds of practices might support individuals who are experiencing various forms of disintegration—whether cognitive, emotional, relational, or spiritual.
Also, in IPNB, the concept of emergence plays a huge role. Emergence refers to the phenomenon by which a system gives rise to properties that are greater than the sum of its parts. For example, your cells are whole components that link together to make your body, but you—the person reading this—are much more than just a grouping of cells.
This is an idea rooted in the self-organizing principles of complex systems. Dr. Dan Siegel (the developer of IPNB) describes the mind as an emergent, self-organizing process that arises from the flow of energy and information both within the individual and between individuals. When diverse elements of a system—such as sensations, thoughts, emotions, memories, and relationships—are differentiated and then linked through integration, new & more harmonious patterns of functioning emerge. This emergent harmony is what fosters mental and emotional wellbeing.
In the context of psychedelic healing, people may experience overwhelming insights, intense emotional states, mystical experiences, or profound symbolic visions. In microdosing you might have flashes of insight or gut-feelings, heightened intuition, or increased self-awareness. These experiences can feel fragmented or disorienting. Through integration, however, they can begin to form a meaningful whole—woven into the broader narrative of the self and the Self.
This process, the integration, gives rise to transformation, healing, and a more resilient, embodied life. And the best part is that IPNB offers a model for understanding integration not just as a post-journey task, but as an ongoing way of living and relating—with oneself, with others, and with the world. Part of this model is its identification of nine domains of integration, each representing a facet of personal and interpersonal coherence. Let’s look at each of them, very briefly!
The Nine Domains of Integration
Consciousness
Consciousness refers to awareness of the senses, body, mind, and relationships (Siegel, 2012). When disintegrated, people may overidentify with thoughts and emotions—believing every thought or feeling stuck in despair. For example, students overwhelmed by self-doubt may avoid trying new things, reinforcing limiting beliefs.
Mindfulness meditation and journaling are powerful tools for integrating consciousness.
Bilateral
Bilateral integration means both brain hemispheres work together (Siegel, 2012). Left dominance favors logic and language; right dominance focuses on imagery and emotion. Problems arise when one side overrides the other. For example, a right-dominant student may struggle with math, while a left-dominant one may shut down emotionally when challenged.
Bilateral movement practices like yoga, dance, tapping support this integration. Also storytelling and artistic expression can help integrate the hemispheres.
Vertical
Vertical integration links the body, brainstem, limbic system, and cortex. When well-integrated, higher brain regions can regulate emotional and physical responses. Disintegration shows up as disconnects between thought and emotion, often causing relational or regulatory issues.
Practices like body scans, movement like tai chi and yoga, and emotional labeling help integrate vertically.
Memory
Memory integration links implicit (unconscious body/emotion-based) and explicit (conscious) memory. Disintegration may lead to flashbacks, where past sensations feel like they’re happening now.
Mindfulness, journaling, and therapeutic storytelling help bridge these memory systems.
Narrative
The narrative domain creates meaning from memories, helping us tell coherent personal stories. Disintegration can impair self-reflection and emotional understanding. It also depends on bilateral and memory integration, combining logic with emotion and linking past, present, and future.
Journaling, reframing, therapeutic storytelling, and autobiographical writing support narrative integration.
State
States are mental and emotional conditions that shift over time. Integration means honoring different needs across states—like resting when fatigued and acting when energized.
Mindfulness, journaling, self-compassion exercises, transition rituals, and needs assessments promote state integration.
Interpersonal
This domain involves healthy relating—being independent while emotionally connected. Disintegration can lead to avoidant or enmeshed attachment patterns, making relationships difficult.
Practices like Loving Kindness meditation, active listening skills, boundary work, and values exploration support interpersonal integration.
Temporal
The temporal domain helps us reflect on the past, stay present, and plan for the future. Disintegration occurs when we try to escape uncertainty by clinging to permanence. Integration involves accepting both our craving for certainty and life’s inherent impermanence.
Mindfulness, values work, gratitude practice, and journaling support this process.
Transpirational
This domain involves feeling part of something larger—a sense of unity and purpose. It’s commonly accessed through spiritual or psychedelic experiences and motivates us to contribute to the greater good.
Connection to nature, spiritual practices (like yoga), service, or meaningful work helps integrate this expansive awareness.
No Framework, Just Emergence
As you can see, mindfulness and meditation, yoga, and journaling are almost universal integration interventions across the 9 domains. These practices have also long been utilized in integration of psychedelic experiences. But, these tools are not part of a fixed framework or roadmap. In my practice, these interventions are foundational elements that can be adapted to each individual's unique journey toward remembering wholeness.
Our relationship, in fact, is itself the primary vehicle for integration. Which means these practices aren’t—and can’t be—prescriptive. They’re practices that have emerged across traditions, disciplines, and research as effective ways to support integration. They emerge from our work—from our relationship—creating a unique process of remembering wholeness and co-creating interconnectedness.
I don’t have a psychedelic framework or a blueprint.
While the path I walk with clients almost always winds through yoga, journaling, and meditation, I never know exactly when or how those tools will show up. Integration, especially in the wake of psychedelic experiences, is not a step-by-step linear process. It’s emergent. It’s an unfolding. Psychedelics often reveal the innate wholeness that has always been there, and through that remembering, we begin to see how our inner parts—and our relationships—can come together in new ways. Ways that make us more than the sum of those parts.
I can’t tell you what will happen in each session, how that will build on the last session, and eventually lead to a defined outcome. What I can say is that we will work together toward the emergence and unfolding of integration.
Sources:
https://drdansiegel.com/interpersonal-neurobiology/
https://drdansiegel.com/book/pocket-guide-to-interpersonal-neurobiology/
https://evolute-institute.com/personal-development-leadership/deep-inner-work/fostering-integration-through-and-beyond-psychedelic-work/