Atmosphere

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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Soma Institute submits its own information.

Soma Institute: An In-Depth Review for Psilocybin Truffle Retreats in Hemrik, Netherlands

Soma Institute is a small psilocybin truffle retreat collective co-founded by integrative psychotherapist Sonia (Troiani) Doulton, self-described psychotherapist and psychologist Alessio Faggioli and craniosacral bodyworker Tereza Sai, which has run three-day retreats at the New Eden retreat center in Hemrik, Friesland, about 90 minutes north of Amsterdam, according to its booking page and Third Wave listing. Its current listing offers one truffle session, private rooms, a psychotherapist intake and airport transfers for €3,000, for up to nine guests. Against that, its website domain is now for sale and no retreat dates are listed, its newest review is from December 2023, no contraindications, medical questionnaire or emergency plan is published, the doctor listed as medical staff has no stated role, its named clinical supervisor was convicted in Switzerland in 2010 of handing out LSD in underground group therapy, and its five reviews concern private therapy rather than retreats.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: New Eden retreat center, a rented venue in Hemrik, Opsterland, Friesland, Netherlands, about 1.5 hours north of Amsterdam; an older listing names Lage Vuursche.
• Approach: Three-day retreats with one psilocybin truffle session, preparation and integration calls, yoga, breathwork, art therapy and individual consultations; online microdosing support. No ayahuasca is served.
• Suitable For: Adults wanting a small therapist-led truffle retreat, only after confirming dates, screening criteria, medical cover and the therapists’ registrations in writing. Not suitable for people with heart or psychiatric conditions without medical advice.
• Costs: €3,000 with lodging, meals and Amsterdam airport transfers, paid in full after approval, per its booking page; cancellations 60 or more days out are refunded in full, 30 to 60 days out incur a 50% fee, and later ones receive credit only.
• Overall Assessment: Small groups, private rooms and a psychotherapy-led format, offset by a lapsed website and no dates, no published contraindications or emergency plan, an unidentified medical staff member, a supervisor with a drug conviction and a review base built on private therapy. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers call the team professional, experienced and welcoming, and one credits help with childhood trauma.

The negative feedback. None published.

Who is writing the reviews. Three of the five Retreat Guru reviews were posted within three days in January 2023, at least two describe individual or couples therapy with Sonia Doulton rather than a retreat, and the same testimonials appear on her private practice site. No Google, Tripadvisor or BookRetreats listing exists. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Dutch-language news for reports involving Soma Institute, Sonia Doulton, Alessio Faggioli, Tereza Sai and Alejandro Fiol.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found against the center; see the clinical supervisor’s 2010 conviction below.

Our earlier profile found no incidents.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. Guests are accepted after an intake call and a consultation with a psychotherapist, followed by group preparation calls, but no medical questionnaire, contraindication list or emergency protocol is published. Third Wave lists “Dr. Alejandro Fiol” as medical staff with no role or registration, and no nurse appears on any listing. Dutch truffle ceremonies are unregulated and “facilitator” is not a protected title, per Omroep Brabant.

Who runs it. Sonia Doulton lists London psychotherapy training and CIIS and MAPS psychedelic therapy courses, Alessio Faggioli calls himself a registered psychotherapist and psychologist without naming a register, and Tereza Sai lists yoga and craniosacral training; no Dutch BIG registration is claimed. Listings name Dr. Friederike Meckel Fischer as clinical supervisor. She was arrested in Zurich in 2009 and convicted in 2010 of handing out LSD in underground group therapy, receiving a suspended sentence and a fine, and was acquitted of endangering clients, as Chacruna and the London Review of Books reported. That case predates Soma and involves no harm at this center. No Dutch company registration was found.

Status. Its website, somainstitute.org, now redirects to a domain-for-sale page, its booking page shows open dates with none scheduled, and the founders’ own sites, active in 2026, do not mention Soma.

Legal context. Psilocybin mushrooms have been banned in the Netherlands since 2008, per the government order, but truffles remain legal and truffle ceremonies are not regulated, per Omroep Brabant.

Corrections to our earlier profile. The venue is in Hemrik, Friesland, not in Flevoland near Almere or in Amsterdam. The program runs three days, not five, costs €3,000, not $1,800, and takes up to nine guests, not ten; our $1,650 sidebar price matches only the euro low end of a range on Third Wave. No source shows a nurse on site, a nurse named Ulla or a facilitator named Maria, a founder named John Robertson, operation since 2018, 2025 dates, AyaAdvisors testimonials or the figure that 55 percent face transient anxiety; the earliest dated evidence is from 2023. Legal truffle retreats about 90 minutes from Amsterdam, founders with therapy backgrounds, yoga, meditation, breathwork, one-to-one sessions and integration support are confirmed.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No contraindications are published. Psilocybin is not ayahuasca, but about a third of Dutch truffle-ceremony participants report side effects, according to Leiden researcher Michiel van Elk, cited by Omroep Brabant. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

None. The retreats serve psilocybin truffles sourced from local farmers, per its Third Wave listing; no ayahuasca, kambo or other medicines are offered.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Countryside around the village of Hemrik in eastern Friesland.
• Rooms: Private rooms at a shared retreat venue, with shared rooms on request.
• Style: A small therapist-led truffle retreat with somatic and creative practices.

Practical guidance: Private transfers from Amsterdam airport are included; by train, the nearest station is Heerenveen.

Should You Book?

Only if dates reappear, and after confirming screening criteria, an emergency plan, the therapists’ registrations and the supervisor’s current role in writing. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Its newest dated review is from December 2023. Sonia Doulton now runs a personal integration practice, and Alessio Faggioli lists himself as based in Prague; neither mentions Soma. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor; two group preparation calls are included. After you return: Two group integration calls and referrals are included; arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Its booking page remains live with no scheduled dates. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.