In this enlightening episode of Conscious Physician Medicine and Psychedelics, Dr. Lida Fatemi sits down with cannabis educator and industry expert Tripp Gomez for an honest conversation about the evolving role of cannabis in healthcare.

With more than a decade of hands-on experience in the cannabis industry, Tripp shares what he learned working directly with patients, consumers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers. Together, they explore the growing need for evidence-based cannabis education, especially as more patients incorporate cannabis into their wellness and healing journeys.

From understanding cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, CBN, and THC to discussing cannabis use in hospice care, pain management, sleep support, mental health, and neurological conditions, this episode offers practical insights for clinicians and patients alike.

The conversation also addresses the stigma surrounding cannabis, the importance of patient-provider communication, potential medication interactions, and why healthcare professionals need better tools and education to support informed decision-making.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How Tripp's journey began in Colorado's cannabis industry
• The differences between CBD, CBG, CBN, THC, and other cannabinoids
• What the "entourage effect" means and why it matters
• Cannabis considerations for pain management and hospice care
• The role of cannabinoids in sleep, inflammation, and neurological health
• Why personalized dosing is essential
• Potential interactions between cannabis and prescription medications
• The growing need for cannabis education among physicians, therapists, and healthcare providers
• How stigma continues to impact patient care and disclosure
• The future of cannabis research and integrative medicine

Key Takeaway

As cannabis becomes increasingly accessible, healthcare professionals have an opportunity—and responsibility—to better understand its benefits, limitations, and clinical implications. Education, curiosity, and open communication can help bridge the gap between patients and providers while creating safer, more compassionate care.

Larry Norris: Decriminalizing Nature, Psychedelics, and the Future of Consciousness
What happens when personal transformation becomes a movement?
In this episode of Conscious Physicians, Medicine, and Psychedelics, Dr. Anna Yusim sits down with Larry Norris, co-founder of Decriminalize Nature and one of the leading voices behind the movement to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi across the United States.
Larry shares his fascinating journey from neuroscience student and consciousness researcher to psychedelic advocate, educator, and policy organizer. He discusses how his experiences with mushrooms and ayahuasca challenged conventional scientific models of consciousness and ultimately inspired decades of work focused on education, integration, community building, and legislative change.
Together, they explore:
Larry's personal journey with psychedelics and consciousness
The origins of Decriminalize Nature
The movement that led Oakland to become the first U.S. city to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi through city council action
Why integration is one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of psychedelic healing
The power of peer support and community integration circles
The role of psychedelics in addiction recovery, trauma healing, and end-of-life care
Direct democracy and how citizens can create meaningful policy change
The importance of protecting humanity's relationship with nature and consciousness
Dr. Yusim and Larry also discuss the urgent need for education, responsible access, and community-centered models as psychedelic medicine continues to enter mainstream conversations.
This episode is a powerful reminder that healing is not just personal—it can transform communities, cultures, and systems.
About Larry Norris
Larry Norris is the Co-Founder of Decriminalize Nature, a grassroots movement dedicated to ending criminal penalties for the cultivation and use of entheogenic plants and fungi. He is also a consciousness researcher, educator, and longtime advocate for psychedelic integration, community healing, and policy reform.

Preparing for the Final Asana with Kathryn Tucker: End-of-Life Wisdom, Conscious Dying & the Future of Psychedelic Care

What if preparing for death could actually teach us how to live more fully?

In this deeply moving conversation, Dr. Lida Fatemi sits down with Kathryn Tucker, nationally recognized attorney, end-of-life advocate, and yoga practitioner, to explore how law, medicine, contemplative practices, and psychedelic-assisted therapy intersect at the end of life.

Kathryn shares insights from her transformative retreats on "Preparing for the Final Asana," where she combines decades of expertise in end-of-life law and medicine with the wisdom of yoga traditions. Together, they discuss how modern culture often avoids conversations about mortality, the importance of understanding impermanence, and how contemplative practices can help us approach death with greater peace, clarity, and agency.

The conversation also dives into the evolving legal landscape surrounding psilocybin-assisted therapy, including the New Mexico Medical Psilocybin Act, efforts to reschedule psilocybin at the federal level, and what expanded access could mean for patients facing terminal illness, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and existential distress.

Through powerful patient stories and practical insights, this episode offers a compassionate look at how we can support ourselves and our loved ones through life's most profound transition.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why Kathryn created her "Preparing for the Final Asana" retreats
• The role of yoga, meditation, and contemplative practices in preparing for death
• Understanding impermanence and why modern culture struggles with mortality
• How informed choices at critical medical turning points can dramatically impact end-of-life experiences
• The similarities between psychedelic states and yogic states of consciousness
• Why integration and embodiment practices matter after psychedelic experiences
• The current legal status of psilocybin in the United States
• The New Mexico Medical Psilocybin Act and what it means for patients
• Federal efforts to move psilocybin from Schedule I to Schedule II
• The potential role of psychedelic-assisted therapy in hospice and palliative care
• Stories of transformation, healing, and finding peace in the face of terminal illness
• Training the next generation of clinicians, lawyers, and caregivers in psychedelic medicine

Memorable Quote

"We're all mortal. Most of us have witnessed a difficult death. When people learn that there may be tools available to relieve anxiety, depression, and existential distress at the end of life, they want clinicians to have those tools available."— Kathryn Tucker

About Kathryn Tucker

Kathryn Tucker is a leading advocate for compassionate end-of-life care, an attorney specializing in end-of-life rights, and a longtime student of yoga and contemplative traditions. Her work focuses on expanding access to therapies that reduce suffering and improve quality of life for people facing serious illness and the end of life. She is actively involved in efforts to expand legal access to psychedelic-assisted therapies for patients experiencing terminal illness, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and existential distress.

From Wall Street to Psychedelics: How Zappy Zapolin Is Rewiring Addiction, Depression & Medicine

In this powerful conversation, filmmaker and psychedelic advocate Zappy Zapolin shares his journey from Wall Street success to becoming a leading voice in the psychedelic healing movement.
He breaks down how ketamine, psilocybin, and ibogaine are being used to treat treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, trauma, and addiction at the root level—not just the symptoms.
Zappy also shares deeply personal stories from working with figures like Lamar Odom, exploring how psychedelic-assisted therapy helped interrupt addiction cycles and reconnect individuals with trauma, identity, and purpose.
The episode also explores:
The neuroscience of trauma and addiction
Why psychedelics act as “pattern interrupts” in the brain
The role of indigenous wisdom and plant medicine
The future of mental health care in the U.S.
His “Mind Army” movement advocating for access and legalization
This is a provocative, visionary conversation about the future of healing, consciousness, and medicine.

🔑 Key Themes
Trauma as the root of addiction
Psychedelics as neurobiological “reset tools”
Ketamine-assisted therapy for depression & suicidality
Ibogaine for deep addiction interruption
Integration as essential to healing
Indigenous stewardship of plant medicine
The “Mind Army” movement and legalization advocacy
Water, nature, and independence from broken systems

💥 Powerful Moments
“Every addiction is trauma-based at the bottom line.”
“Ketamine is a pattern interrupt for the brain.”
“Ibogaine gives you a life review—you don’t come back the same.”
“We are fighting for the right to go inside our own minds.”
“If you can get empathy up, you can solve anything in society.”

Lauren Castle on Grief, Psychedelics, Functional Medicine & the Future of Collaborative Healing

On this deeply moving episode of the Conscious Physician Medicine & Psychedelics Podcast, Lida Fatemi sits down with pharmacist, functional medicine practitioner, and psychedelic advocate Lauren Castle for a powerful conversation on grief, healing, consciousness, and the evolution of medicine.

Lauren shares her personal journey from traditional retail pharmacy into functional medicine after witnessing firsthand the limitations of symptom-based care. Following the loss of her mother to alcoholic liver cirrhosis, Lauren found herself searching for deeper answers around healing, trauma, and emotional suffering — a path that ultimately led her into the world of psychedelics.

Together, Lida and Lauren explore:

• The hidden emotional and spiritual roots of chronic illness
• Intergenerational trauma and nervous system healing
• Lauren’s profound psychedelic healing experience connecting with her late mother
• Addiction through the lens of compassion instead of judgment
• Functional medicine and psychedelics as complementary approaches
• Why healthcare must move beyond rigid systems into collaborative care
• The role pharmacists can play in psychedelic medicine and patient safety
• Chronic pain, opioids, cannabis, and emerging models of integrative care
• How grief, meaning, and consciousness shape our healing journeys

This episode is an honest, compassionate exploration of what becomes possible when medicine reconnects with humanity, spirituality, and relationship-centered care.

In this powerful and deeply insightful episode, host Lida Fatemi sits down with world champion middle-distance runner Josh Kerr for a conversation about mindset, discipline, sacrifice, resilience, and what it truly takes to become one of the fastest humans in the world.

Josh opens up about his journey from growing up in Scotland to moving alone to the United States at just 17 years old to pursue his dream of becoming a professional runner. Together, Lida and Josh explore the emotional and psychological side of elite performance — the pressure, the routines, the sacrifices, and the mental mastery required to compete on the world stage.

This episode goes far beyond athletics.

Josh shares profound insight into:

• Performing under pressure at the Olympic and world championship level
• The mindset required to stay present in high-stakes moments
• The role of discipline, structure, and daily habits in peak performance
• Visualization, mantras, and emotional regulation during races
• Cold plunging as a tool for nervous system training and mental resilience
• The power of community, vulnerability, and surrounding yourself with high achievers
• Balancing ambition, relationships, and personal growth

Lida and Josh also discuss how discomfort can become a powerful teacher and why intentionally challenging ourselves physically and mentally can transform the way we move through life.

This episode is inspiring, thoughtful, emotionally grounded, and filled with wisdom for athletes, entrepreneurs, healers, high achievers, and anyone striving to become the best version of themselves.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Josh’s journey from Scotland to professional running in the United States
• Becoming a world champion and Olympic medalist
• The emotional reality of elite competition
• Mindset training and mental preparation for races
• The psychology of pressure and performance
• Cold plunging and nervous system conditioning
• Structure, discipline, and creating consistency
• Learning to stay present under stress
• Visualization and mantra practices
• Community, sacrifice, and personal growth
• The balance between ambition and emotional well-being

Memorable Quotes

“You’re not training to be good at training. You’re training to be good at racing.”

“Discipline gives you freedom.”

“The worst thing you can do in a high-pressure environment is let your mind wander.”

“Sometimes discomfort is the exact place where growth happens.”

“You have to challenge yourself to become the best version of yourself.”

Disclaimer

This podcast episode is intended for educational and inspirational purposes only. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not constitute medical, psychological, or professional advice.

Healing Trauma, Restoring Connection & The Future of MDMA Therapy with Jonathan Robinson

In this powerful and deeply thought-provoking episode, host Lida Fatemi sits down with bestselling author, psychotherapist, and psychedelic therapy pioneer Jonathan Robinson for an open conversation about trauma, healing, psychedelics, and the transformative potential of MDMA-assisted therapy.

Jonathan shares his deeply personal story of growing up in a highly dysfunctional household, battling suicidal depression as a teenager, and searching for healing through meditation, spirituality, and psychedelic exploration. His path ultimately led him to study MDMA therapy academically in the 1980s — long before it became part of mainstream conversation — and to spend decades helping individuals and couples heal trauma, anxiety, depression, and relational disconnection.

Together, Lida and Jonathan explore:

• The difference between recreational drug use and intentional therapeutic healing
• How MDMA therapy works for PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and couples therapy
• Why integration and accountability are essential for lasting transformation
• The mental health crisis affecting teens, families, veterans, and society at large
• The future of FDA-approved MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
• How psychedelics can create profound healing when used responsibly and ethically
• The importance of skilled facilitation, safe containers, and trauma-informed care

Jonathan also leads listeners through a short guided heart-centered meditation and shares simple yet powerful motivational techniques that can help people create lasting behavioral change.

This episode is an honest, compassionate, and nuanced conversation about the future of mental health care, human connection, and the healing potential available when science, spirituality, and therapeutic support come together.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Jonathan’s journey from suicidal depression to becoming a leader in psychedelic-assisted therapy
• Interviewing spiritual teachers including Mother Teresa and Dalai Lama
• Why MDMA therapy is showing groundbreaking results for PTSD treatment
• How trauma impacts families, children, couples, and communities
• The role of preparation, intention, and integration in psychedelic healing
• The difference between MDMA and psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca
• Couples therapy breakthroughs using MDMA-assisted sessions
• Healing generational trauma and restoring emotional safety
• The ethics and responsibilities of psychedelic facilitation
• Hope for the future of trauma treatment and emotional healing

Memorable Quotes

“We kind of live in a small mental box, and there’s a whole other world outside of our framework.”

“MDMA allows people to revisit trauma while still feeling peaceful, connected, and safe.”

“Integration is where transformation actually happens.”

“There are ways that we can get through trauma — and that is incredibly hopeful.”

Disclaimer

This podcast episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice. Psychedelic-assisted therapies should only be explored under the guidance of qualified professionals and within legal and ethical frameworks.

In this powerful and paradigm-shifting episode, Dr. Lida Fatemi sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Kendra Campbell to challenge everything we think we know about mental health care.

Trained in traditional psychiatry at Columbia University, Dr. Campbell shares her personal journey from burnout, chronic illness, and dependence on multiple medications… to full healing, motherhood, and a completely new approach to psychiatry.

Together, they explore the deeper root causes of anxiety, depression, and trauma—and why true healing goes far beyond prescriptions.

This conversation dives into holistic psychiatry, nervous system healing, trauma work, and the emerging role of psychedelics as tools—not quick fixes—in the healing process.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why traditional psychiatry often focuses on symptoms—not root causes
• The reality of burnout, polypharmacy, and the “pill for every ill” model
• How Dr. Campbell safely came off 20+ medications
• Why mindset plays a critical role in healing
• The truth about coming off psychiatric medications (and why it’s so hard)
• What “holistic psychiatry” really means
• The connection between trauma, disconnection, and mental illness
• Foundational healing tools: nutrition, sleep, sunlight, and nervous system regulation
• Natural supports for anxiety (magnesium, L-theanine, herbs)
• The role of psychedelics in trauma healing—and why they are not a cure-all
• Why trauma healing must be approached carefully and intentionally

Key Takeaways

Symptoms are signals—not problems to suppress.
Anxiety, depression, and other mental health symptoms are your body’s way of communicating deeper imbalances.

There is always a root cause.
From nutrient deficiencies to trauma, healing begins when we ask why, not just what.

Trauma is not just the event—it’s the disconnection that follows.
Healing is possible by restoring that connection to self.

Lifestyle is medicine.
Sleep, nutrition, movement, sunlight, and nervous system regulation are foundational—not optional.

Psychedelics are tools, not shortcuts.
They can support healing when used intentionally—but integration and inner work are essential.

Memorable Quotes

• “Symptoms are your body trying to communicate something to you.”
• “There is always a root cause—always.”
• “Healing trauma is about restoring connection.”
• “You can’t medicate your way out of a life that’s out of alignment.”
• “Psychedelics are a tool—not a cure.”

This episode is an invitation to rethink mental health entirely—moving from symptom management to true healing.

Because healing isn’t about suppressing what you feel…
It’s about understanding why you feel it—and learning how to come back home to yourself.

What if the answers you’ve been searching for have been within you all along?

In this deeply moving and expansive conversation, we sit down with Diana Berschader—transformational teacher, poet, and self-described “soul doctor”—to explore the power of inner trust, personal transformation, and reconnecting with your true essence.

Diana shares her remarkable journey growing up in the Soviet Union, where spirituality was suppressed, and how a quiet inner voice guided her through pain, uncertainty, and ultimately into a life of purpose and service.

Through her powerful “Diamond Within” framework, she reveals how life’s challenges are not obstacles—but the very pressure that shapes us into who we are meant to become.

This episode is an invitation to reconnect with your inner wisdom, release limiting beliefs, and rediscover the brilliance that already exists within you.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• What it means to be a “soul doctor”
• Growing up in the Soviet Union and navigating a life without spiritual expression
• The inner voice: how to recognize and trust it
• Why society conditions us to trust others over ourselves
• The connection between unexpressed passion and illness
• The “human diamond” analogy and how adversity shapes us
• How to identify and release limiting beliefs
• Consciousness, energy, and raising your personal vibration
• Parenting with connection, trust, and emotional openness
• How to guide the next generation without control or fear

Key Takeaways:

• Your inner guidance is always available—you just have to learn to listen
• Life challenges are part of your transformation, not something to avoid
• True healing begins when you reconnect with your authentic self
• Passion and purpose are essential to emotional and physical well-being
• The way we raise children can either foster connection—or create disconnection

If You Loved This Episode:
Please rate, review, and share with someone who needs this message 💛

The Future of Psychedelic Medicine, Prevention, and Conscious Healing with Danny Motyka

In this deeply insightful episode, we sit down with Danny Motyka, entrepreneur, chemist, and CEO in the psychedelic medicine space, to explore the evolving landscape of mental health, prevention, and conscious healing.

From personal stories of trauma and transformation to the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy, this conversation dives into what it really means to heal—not just treat symptoms.

We talk about:

• The difference between healing vs. managing illness
• Why preventative mental health care is the future
• The role of psychedelics in resilience and wellness
• The challenges of commercialization in the psychedelic industry
• Why community, integration, and preparation matter more than the medicine itself
• The truth about postpartum, birth experiences, and emotional health
• How we can shift from a reactive healthcare system to a proactive one

Danny also shares his personal journey—from losing his father at a young age to discovering psychedelics and dedicating his life to making these medicines more accessible.

This episode is a powerful reminder:
✨ Healing is not a quick fix—it’s a conscious, lifelong practice.

• Psychedelics are tools, not the full solution
• Preparation + integration = true transformation
• Preventative care is severely lacking in Western medicine
• Community healing may be the missing link in mental health care
• The future of medicine must be collaborative, conscious, and human-centered

🎧 Listen to the full episode now
💬 Share this with someone who is interested in the future of mental health + healing
⭐ Don’t forget to rate and review the podcast!