High On Healthy

Richard Zwicky talks to Ryan S. Sultan MD about psychedelic treatments in psychiatry, highlighting ketamine's role in treating depression and its potential to enhance psychotherapy, as well as discussing the promise and challenges of other psychedelics like psilocybin for various conditions.

Ryan believes psychedelics provide access to deeper underlying issues, particularly trauma, making healing more effective plus acknowledged other methods like EMDR, psychoanalysis, and hypnosis that aim for similar outcomes but noted that psychedelics achieve this pharmacologically. 

Richard Zwicky introduced Estefana Johnson, who presented Critical Memory Integration (CMI) as a novel approach focusing on internal experiences and nervous system responses to facilitate healing, contrasting with purely cognitive methods.

Estefana detailed CMI's core principles involving memory reconsolidation and addressing outdated attachment strategies, and she discussed her experience in psychedelic research and potential for augmenting CMI with other modalities for severe trauma.

They also explored the crucial role of somatic experience in overcoming blocks to healing and the importance of body-based therapies

Richard Zwicky interviewed certified EMDR and Brainspotting psychotherapist Janet Bayramyan about her holistic approach to trauma therapy, which integrates ketamine-assisted EMDR, body awareness, and consideration of cultural and generational trauma.

Bayramyan's approach, which integrates lifestyle and holistic factors into therapy. Bayramyan emphasized the importance of body awareness in trauma processing and the impact of cultural and generational trauma. 

They also touched upon the evolving landscape of mental health treatments, including psychedelics and AI, and the appropriate timing for EMDR therapy 

Richard Zwicky talks with Lincoln Stoller about a community-based approach to therapy. Stoller's presentation covered self-assessment, the role of failure in success, and emotional processing in therapy, particularly with psychedelics and high-performing clients. The conversation touched on the challenges therapists and clients face and the importance of confronting difficult experiences.

Stoller offered insights on the future of psychedelics in therapy and cautioned against medicalizing psychedelics and emphasized the importance of preparation and goal setting before engaging in psychedelic experiences.  They stressed the need to understand the potential risks and benefits and to have a clear understanding of one's goals and intentions

Dorcy Pruter, founder of the Conscious Co-Parenting Institute and the Church of Soul Illumination, discussed her journey and work with host Richard Zwicky on the podcast High and Healthy. Pruter shared that her work began in 2006, motivated by personal experiences of parental alienation during her divorce and childhood. This led her to establish the Institute to address complex family dynamics. About five years ago, she founded the Church of Soul Illumination in Los Angeles, focusing on psychedelic-assisted healing, particularly with sacred mushrooms, to facilitate deeper psychological and spiritual transformation.

Pruter emphasized the importance of integration over the ceremonial use of psychedelics. While ceremonies provide profound experiences, true healing occurs through integrating these insights into daily life. Her approach combines psychological and spiritual perspectives, addressing unresolved childhood traumas—micro or macro—that hinder personal growth. She views psychedelics as a tool to rewire neural pathways, helping individuals shift perspectives on past traumas, such as abuse, and move from a victim mindset to empowerment. This process involves understanding root causes of emotional and relational "stuckness" rather than treating surface-level behaviors.

She highlighted the risks of unprepared psychedelic use, such as retraumatization or overwhelming experiences, particularly without trauma-informed guidance. Pruter’s work includes thorough preparation, including online coursework and pre-ceremony communication with the medicine, to ensure participants are ready. Post-ceremony integration is equally critical, as insights may unfold over months or years. Her organization, accessible via soulumination.org, offers a free survey to identify one’s "soul healing archetype" and a guided activation to anchor personal healing.

Richard Zwicky talks with Dr. Tirrell De Gannes about the ethical considerations and potential benefits of using AI in mental health, emphasizing the importance of informed consent and human connection in therapy. 

Dr. De Gannes highlighted the need for AI to complement, not replace, professional help. They also explored how AI could be used as a support tool to understand topics like attachment styles but stressed that it should not be the sole source of information.

Dr. De Gannes also discussed their humanistic existential approach to therapy, focusing on meeting individuals where they are and helping them towards their ideal self.

Richard Zwicky speaks with Josie Castaneda about her kurandera practice, which combines traditional Mexican herbal healing with holistic approaches to address mental, physical, and lifestyle factors.

Castaneda explained kuranderismo encompasses various healing practices, including herbalism (yervas), which is her specialty. She discussed her approach to healing, emphasizing the interconnectedness of mental, physical, and lifestyle factors, and how she typically begins by assessing a patient's diet before incorporating herbal remedies.

Castaneda shared her personal journey into herbalism, influenced by her upbringing in Mexico City and her experiences in the corporate world. She also discussed her book, "Latin Herbalism," a DIY guide to plant-based medicine and traditional healing practices drawing on Taino, Toltec, and Mayan traditions.

Phyllis Leavitt discusses how family systems dynamics apply to national healing, focusing on ineffective communication and a "win-lose" paradigm as key factors in national division.

She stresses the importance of individual healing through addressing personal trauma and societal injustices, and proposed communication techniques like reflective listening and accepting individuality to foster positive change.

Julian Wichmann, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Bloomwell Group, shared findings from a sleep disorder study involving over 1,000 patients. The study revealed that 80% of patients reported a significant reduction in symptoms when using medical cannabis. Additionally, patient satisfaction was high, with medical cannabis being rated more effective than both over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids and prescription medications. Patients also reported fewer side effects with medical cannabis compared to prescription options.

The Bloomwell study utilized digital questionnaires with active patients to gather baseline data on their experiences. Future research plans include delving deeper into the specific impacts of different cannabinoids, exploring the entourage effect, and personalizing treatment approaches. Bloomwell Group aims to conduct larger, controlled studies and seeks collaborations with research institutions, prioritizing unbiased research to further validate the efficacy of medical cannabis for sleep disorders and other conditions.

Dr. Mary Darden-Robinson, introduced by Richard Zwicky, engaged in a discussion regarding the concept of "toxic diversity deserts" in workplace environments. She highlighted the detrimental effects of these environments on professionals of color, detailing experiences of isolation, gaslighting, and the undermining of their work. Dr. Robinson emphasized the importance of recognizing these toxic situations and understanding their profound impact on individuals.

In addition to identifying and defining "toxic diversity deserts," Dr. Robinson provided strategies for building resilience within such environments. These strategies included self-validation, accepting one's own experiences, and actively building supportive communities and finding allies. Dr. Robinson stressed that addressing workplace toxicity requires both individual resilience and a commitment to creating healthy, inclusive workplaces for mutual benefit.