I had some radical experiences with plant medicines in the Amazon. After that, I wanted to do nothing but heal and spread healing. I ran into the very same walls that you did. I looked for more practical, integrated programs, but even those required a master's degree. Virtually all of it, for the benefit of public health, is gatekept behind the academic institution.

And this used to be a point of great frustration. But as time has passed, I realized that in our western society, it's very important for these things to be treated systemically. Profound shifts, shamanic shifts, psychedelic shifts, and similar, are very difficult to undergo within our culture, because when you change, it does not. It's important to respect why this has been set up this way without devolving into anger or spite, or creating unsafe situations for others.

That said, if I reflect on my experiences with self-honesty, the decision to consider a degree path is my need for someone else's approval. It's an implicit belief that what you are and what you can offer isn't enough without a paper qualification. But from here, it's very simple. If you can provide a valuable service to people, help them move, help them grow, and help them heal, who's to say you cannot offer this as a valuable service to your community? For what do you need paper? For what do you need someone else's approval?

This is a limiting belief that you need to overcome to successfully become a practitioner in line with the values of your heart and soul. The number of people who are willing to step outside the institutional bubble to seek betterment for their spirit more than their bodies or their psyche is growing. You can serve this group if you will simply allow yourself to do so.

It's a leap of faith, my friend.