Building a Boutique Medicine Assisted Therapy Clinic: The Story Behind CMAT
The psychedelic boom has been nothing short of extraordinary. In just a few years, it generated over $1.6 billion in funding across a wide range of companies. Many were focused on drug development, but an equally ambitious number believed they could scale psychedelic-assisted therapy to the masses, promising to heal trauma and transform lives on a global scale.
It was a bold vision. Some might call it wildly optimistic, considering the complexity of healing society’s deepest wounds—from trauma to PTSD—with mind-altering substances. Others might ask, "What were they thinking?" After all, scaling therapy with psychedelics is not only unprecedented but inherently risky. There aren’t enough qualified therapists to meet the demand, let alone train the next generation. And that’s before factoring in the operational challenges of maintaining quality service in such a fragile, nuanced process. To put it bluntly, the industry seemed to be running before it had learned to walk.
At CMAT, we saw this chaos unfold firsthand. As therapists, we were caught in the whirlwind of corporate-driven efforts to scale psychedelic-assisted therapy. We watched as promises of rapid growth overshadowed the essential elements of care: proper protocols, thorough training, and a focus on the client and practitioner experience. Corners were cut, mistakes were made, and the consequences were profound. Scaling too fast left the industry vulnerable to collapse, and we were determined to learn from these mistakes.
When we came together to start CMAT, we decided to take a different approach. Instead of focusing on scale, we asked ourselves: What if we prioritized quality? What if we built a boutique service where every client and practitioner experienced exceptional care, and where healing outcomes—not growth metrics—were our primary measure of success? Starting with this question meant designing our clinic with an entirely different set of goals.
Rethinking Growth: The Journey to Boutique Care
Even in the early stages of planning, we faced the same pressures that drive others toward scale. While searching for commercial spaces in Vancouver, we initially planned for three therapy rooms. It seemed logical—more rooms meant more clients, right? But the numbers didn’t add up. A suitable space would cost over $1.5 million, and the financial strain would push us into high-volume operations to stay afloat. More clients would mean more therapists, more complexity, and ultimately, a compromise on the quality of care. We were falling into the same trap we sought to avoid.
So, we paused and asked the most important question: What are we really trying to do here? The answer was simple: we wanted to serve local clients, sustain our families, and, most importantly, provide the highest quality service without sacrificing our values. Scaling wasn’t the goal—care was.
That clarity led us back to the drawing board. By rethinking our capacity, we realized we could achieve nearly the same client volume with two therapy rooms as we could with three, simply by optimizing scheduling and operations. This decision reduced our overhead by 30%, freeing resources to invest directly in patient outcomes. It also reinforced our commitment to building a sustainable, boutique clinic that puts care above growth.
Designing with Care at the Core
This mindset shaped every aspect of CMAT’s development. For instance, we simplified our pricing model to create transparency and trust. Instead of overwhelming clients with hidden fees or confusing packages, we designed an all-inclusive rate of $300 per therapy hour. This straightforward pricing covers everything—no surprises, just clarity.
We also streamlined the patient onboarding process with a self-referral qualification form, allowing clients to determine their eligibility for services without unnecessary back-and-forth. It’s a small innovation, but one that reflects our commitment to making therapy accessible, respectful, and client-centered.
A Model for the Future
We’re still in the early days of CMAT, but one thing is clear: non-scale thinking has been the cornerstone of our success. By focusing on quality over quantity, we’ve created an environment where clients and practitioners alike can thrive. Our hope is that CMAT becomes a beacon—a model for how psychedelic assisted therapy can be delivered with care, intention, and love. We even decided to rename it from psychedelic assisted therapy to medicine assisted therapy because we are different.
We believe the future of this industry isn’t about scaling to serve the masses. It’s about building more boutique clinics like CMAT, where healing happens one client at a time. And we’re here to help others do the same. If you’re a practitioner or therapist looking to start your own boutique practice, we’re happy to share our experiences and knowledge to support you on your journey.
Because at the heart of CMAT is a simple truth: when we prioritize care, healing follows.
— Louis Retief, Co-Founder & Business Director
