Dr. Heather Lee: When Traditional Therapy Fails, Sacred Medicine Succeeds

Mind Body Health Politics Episode - Dr. Richard Lewis Miller

Episode Description

A mother lost her 2-year-old to cancer and spent two years bedbound with grief. Traditional therapy, medication, and family support all failed her. Then she discovered Dr. Heather Lee's psilocybin therapy in Colorado—and everything changed. What happened next will challenge everything you think you know about healing trauma and grief.

Dr. Heather Lee is Colorado's 22nd licensed psychedelic facilitator and author of the upcoming book The Psilocybin Sessions: 10 True Tales of Women's Wisdom Awakening. Her legal, clinical work with sacred medicine is producing results that conventional medicine struggles to explain.

Timestamped Chapters

00:00 - The Epidemic of Isolation and Why We Need Community03:00 - Dr. Heather Lee's Revolutionary Approach to Healing05:00 - The Grieving Mother's Two-Year Journey Through Hell08:00 - When Her Deceased Child Appeared During the Session11:00 - The Goosebumps Moment: When Spirit Confirmed the Healing14:00 - Why People Fly from South Africa for This Treatment17:00 - The Art of Psilocybin Dosing: Why 4 Grams Is the Sweet Spot20:00 - How Colorado Became the Gold Standard for Legal Psychedelics23:00 - The Documentary "Last Journey": Cancer Patients Find Peace28:00 - The Forgiveness That Decades of Therapy Couldn't Unlock32:00 - When Clouds Spelled "FORGIVE" in the Sky35:00 - Building the Conscious Conversation Collective40:00 - Working in Service of the Mushrooms

Key Insights

Traditional therapy's blind spot: Some wounds require soul healing, not just cognitive processing

The safety profile: Psilocybin is safer than anything in your medicine cabinet

Colorado's licensing system: Rigorous year-long training with Johns Hopkins and NYU researchers

The demographic shift: Most clients are women 50+ seeking wisdom and healing

Integration is crucial: Follow-up sessions ensure lasting transformation

The Forgiveness Trap: Why "Forgive and Forget" Perpetuates the Very Harm It Claims to Heal

Description: Most people think forgiveness means welcoming harmful people back into your life. Veronica Monet reveals why this approach actually perpetuates cycles of abuse—and what real healing looks like.

Guest Bio: Veronica Monet is a former high-end escort turned therapist and domestic violence counselor. Having survived childhood sexual abuse in what she describes as "a family of pedophiles," she now specializes in Internal Family Systems therapy and helping survivors break generational cycles of trauma. She's the author of the upcoming book "The Pedophile Who Loved Me: My Treacherous Path to True Forgiveness."

Key Topics:

Why religious forgiveness often enables continued abuse

How shame drives harmful behavior underground instead of stopping it

The difference between true forgiveness and dangerous reconciliation

Breaking generational cycles of sexual abuse in families

Internal Family Systems and how trauma creates "split" personalities

Why our approach to pedophiles may be creating more victims

The hidden prevalence of incest in "normal" families

How to heal families and communities without enabling perpetrators

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00] Intro: Living in Tribes vs. Isolation [02:00] Polyamory as Community Support System

[05:00] The Real Meaning of "Many Loves"

[06:00] From Sex Work to Trauma Therapy

[08:00] "The Pedophile Who Loved Me" - Why the Title Matters [10:00] The Dangerous Side of Religious Forgiveness

[13:00] "Where Does the Misery Stop?" - Generational Trauma

[16:00] Walking the Line Between Compassion and Accountability

[20:00] How Trauma Creates Split Personalities

25:00] Multiple Personalities vs. Sub-Personalities

[31:00] The Soul-Killing Nature of Child Sexual Abuse

[37:00] Creating Safety for People to Come Out of Denial

[42:00] Why Pedophiles Repeat and What We're Missing

[48:00] Education Level and Sexual Abuse Patterns

[52:00] Sex Work Safety vs. Other Professions

[57:00] Why She Wouldn't Recommend Sex Work Today

[1:05:00] Final Message: Healing Requires Treating Perpetrators as People

Dr. Lauren Rosewarne on Perversion, Porn, and What We Won't Talk About

Description:Pop culture isn't just entertainment—it's become our default sex educator. Dr. Lauren Rosewarne breaks down how algorithms profit from our sexual confusion and why "perversion" is actually universal human experience.

Guest Bio: Dr. Lauren Rosewarne is a media scholar at the University of Melbourne who has built her career studying topics most academics avoid: perversion, masturbation, pornography, and how pop culture becomes our informal sex educator. Author of numerous books including "Part-Time Perverts," "Cheating on the Sisterhood," and research on masturbation in popular culture, she examines how entertainment fills the gaps left by formal education—particularly around sexuality and human behavior.

Key Topics:

Why pop culture has become our default sex educator

How algorithms track sexual curiosity and profit from shame

The myth of "perversion" and why sexual interests are universal

Media representation of masturbation and female sexuality suppression

Pornography consumption patterns revealing hidden curiosities

The feedback loop between audience clicks and content creation

Violence in entertainment vs. the death of musicals and romance

Sexual assault statistics and what they reveal about society

Capitalism as the root cause of inequality and social problems

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00] Intro: Why We Live in Isolation Instead of Tribes

[02:25] Does Media Lead Us or Do We Lead Them?

[07:20] The Algorithm Knows What You Click On[11:49] Why Musicals Died and Violence Took Over

[15:10] The Problem with Calling Things "Perversion"

[22:35] Why We're All Perverted (And That's Normal)

[26:21] Masturbation Gets a Bad Rap in Pop Culture

[33:57] The Orgasm Gap Mirrors the Economic Gap

[37:45] Are 43 Men in California Programming America's Sexual Taste?

[44:13] The Novelty Factor in Human Curiosity

[46:30] One in Four Women Will Be Raped: What This Says About Us

[51:30] Why Capitalism Is the Root of Most Problems

[56:52] 20% of Americans Can't Read But They Can Vote [01:02:35] What Lauren Learned Writing "Cheating on the Sisterhood"

The Forgiveness Trap: Why "Forgive and Forget" Perpetuates the Very Harm It Claims to Heal

Description: Most people think forgiveness means welcoming harmful people back into your life. Veronica Monet reveals why this approach actually perpetuates cycles of abuse—and what real healing looks like.

Guest Bio: Veronica Monet is a former high-end escort turned therapist and domestic violence counselor. Having survived childhood sexual abuse in what she describes as "a family of pedophiles," she now specializes in Internal Family Systems therapy and helping survivors break generational cycles of trauma. She's the author of the upcoming book "The Pedophile Who Loved Me: My Treacherous Path to True Forgiveness."

Key Topics:

Why religious forgiveness often enables continued abuse

How shame drives harmful behavior underground instead of stopping it

The difference between true forgiveness and dangerous reconciliation

Breaking generational cycles of sexual abuse in families

Internal Family Systems and how trauma creates "split" personalities

Why our approach to pedophiles may be creating more victims

The hidden prevalence of incest in "normal" families

How to heal families and communities without enabling perpetrators

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00] Intro: Living in Tribes vs. Isolation [02:00] Polyamory as Community Support System

[05:00] The Real Meaning of "Many Loves"

[06:00] From Sex Work to Trauma Therapy

[08:00] "The Pedophile Who Loved Me" - Why the Title Matters [10:00] The Dangerous Side of Religious Forgiveness

[13:00] "Where Does the Misery Stop?" - Generational Trauma

[16:00] Walking the Line Between Compassion and Accountability

[20:00] How Trauma Creates Split Personalities

25:00] Multiple Personalities vs. Sub-Personalities

[31:00] The Soul-Killing Nature of Child Sexual Abuse

[37:00] Creating Safety for People to Come Out of Denial

[42:00] Why Pedophiles Repeat and What We're Missing

[48:00] Education Level and Sexual Abuse Patterns

[52:00] Sex Work Safety vs. Other Professions

[57:00] Why She Wouldn't Recommend Sex Work Today

[1:05:00] Final Message: Healing Requires Treating Perpetrators as People

Dr. Alex Belser, clinical scientist and psychologist formerly at NYU and Yale, reveals why 98% of psychedelic therapy happens underground—and the dark history the field doesn't want you to know. Guest Bio: Dr. Alexander Belser is a clinical scientist, psychologist, and psychedelic researcher. Author of EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy for Depression (Oxford University Press) and Queering Psychedelics: From Oppression to Liberation, he has been a leader for LGBTQIA+ advocacy in psychedelic spaces. Key Topics:

The economics forcing psychedelic therapy underground Hidden history of conversion therapy with LSD Current threats to LGBTQ+ research Solutions for accessible psychedelic healing

TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] Cold Open Montage [01:20] Welcome & the return to tribal living [02:24] Dr. Belser introduction - Brooklyn, NY [04:13] The future of community psychedelic medicine [06:02] Johnson & Johnson's $32,000/year ketamine vs. generic [07:42] Why 98% of psychedelic therapy is underground [09:21] Harm reduction approach to underground therapy [12:51] The economics don't add up - $5,000 minimum per session [15:02] Why FDA requires two therapists in the room [21:43] The hidden history of LGBTQ oppression with psychedelics [22:14] "Tim Leary said LSD is a specific cure for homosexuality" [23:44] Teenage conversion therapy - 800μg doses [25:15] "The transcripts are terrifying" [26:07] Living male-female dyad requirements [27:29] "There's a war on trans folks in the United States" [28:59] All LGBTQ research being shut down [31:54] Intersectional violence in NYC [35:50] The masculinity crisis and violence [37:17] Post-traumatic sexual stress disorder theory [41:41] Embrace Pleasure book - reclaiming psychedelic sexuality [43:29] Unwanted complications vs. adverse effects [45:29] Sexual boundary violations in psychedelic therapy [48:15] Why silence enables abuse [50:15] The small percentage of predators [54:43] Empowerment model for participants [57:44] Mandatory disclosure laws proposal [59:59] Who should avoid psychedelics [01:04:59] Should therapists have psychedelic experience? [01:12:13] Final thoughts: "The future is unwritten" Resources:

EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy Queering Psychedelics NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine Dance Safe (harm reduction) The Fireside Project (peer support)

Connect with Dr. Belser: Email: [email protected] Subscribe for weekly interviews: mindbodyhealthpolitics.org

Dr. Lauren Rosewarne on Perversion, Porn, and What We Won't Talk About

Description:Pop culture isn't just entertainment—it's become our default sex educator. Dr. Lauren Rosewarne breaks down how algorithms profit from our sexual confusion and why "perversion" is actually universal human experience.

Guest Bio: Dr. Lauren Rosewarne is a media scholar at the University of Melbourne who has built her career studying topics most academics avoid: perversion, masturbation, pornography, and how pop culture becomes our informal sex educator. Author of numerous books including "Part-Time Perverts," "Cheating on the Sisterhood," and research on masturbation in popular culture, she examines how entertainment fills the gaps left by formal education—particularly around sexuality and human behavior.

Key Topics:

Why pop culture has become our default sex educator

How algorithms track sexual curiosity and profit from shame

The myth of "perversion" and why sexual interests are universal

Media representation of masturbation and female sexuality suppression

Pornography consumption patterns revealing hidden curiosities

The feedback loop between audience clicks and content creation

Violence in entertainment vs. the death of musicals and romance

Sexual assault statistics and what they reveal about society

Capitalism as the root cause of inequality and social problems

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00] Intro: Why We Live in Isolation Instead of Tribes

[02:25] Does Media Lead Us or Do We Lead Them?

[07:20] The Algorithm Knows What You Click On[11:49] Why Musicals Died and Violence Took Over

[15:10] The Problem with Calling Things "Perversion"

[22:35] Why We're All Perverted (And That's Normal)

[26:21] Masturbation Gets a Bad Rap in Pop Culture

[33:57] The Orgasm Gap Mirrors the Economic Gap

[37:45] Are 43 Men in California Programming America's Sexual Taste?

[44:13] The Novelty Factor in Human Curiosity

[46:30] One in Four Women Will Be Raped: What This Says About Us

[51:30] Why Capitalism Is the Root of Most Problems

[56:52] 20% of Americans Can't Read But They Can Vote [01:02:35] What Lauren Learned Writing "Cheating on the Sisterhood"

Dr. Jarrett Rose reveals groundbreaking research from inside a week-long psychedelic retreat in Jamaica where 11 strangers took escalating doses of psilocybin—and discovered something clinical trials are missing entirely.

Guest Bio:Dr. Jarrett Rose is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at SUNY Polytechnic Institute studying psychedelic culture and group therapy dynamics. A former high school dropout who was medicated with Ritalin against his will, he earned his PhD from York University in Toronto and now conducts participant-observation research in real-world psychedelic settings. He recently published groundbreaking research on collective effervescence in psychedelic therapy and is collaborating with Dr. Daniel Kruger on psychedelic community studies.

Key Topics:

- Why 99% of psychedelic therapy happens in groups, not clinical trials

- The economics making individual therapy impossible for most people

- How "collective effervescence" amplifies healing outcomes beyond individual sessions

- Escalating doses: 3-5g, then 5-7g, then 7-10g over one week

- Building therapeutic community vs. sterile medical settings

- Social integration as crucial missing piece in clinical research

TIMESTAMPS:[02:48] Dr. Rose introduction - from Utica to Toronto[04:00] Personal balance: golf, surfing, and academic life[07:00] "I failed out of high school" - ADHD and Ritalin[10:47] From dropout to PhD: the inspiration story[11:00] Dr. Miller's Cokenders program - Ritalin to cocaine pipeline[12:00] Marriage across borders: Utica to Toronto love story[15:45] Dr. Miller's wife's cancer journey and dense breast tissue warning[19:00] Radical transparency in personal conversations[20:00] Why individual psychedelic therapy costs are unsustainable[21:00] The 99% reality: underground and group-based therapy[23:00] Myco Meditations Jamaica research methodology[26:00] "From Isolation to Social and Psychedelic Integration" study[28:00] Clinical trials vs. real-world group dynamics[30:00] 11 strangers becoming therapeutic allies[32:00] Opening up about "deepest, darkest fears"[33:00] Collective effervescence in healing communities[34:00] Collaboration with Dr. Daniel Kruger on psychedelic surveys[36:00] The dosing protocol: escalating 3-5g to 7-10g[38:00] Integration circles: 11 participants, 8-9 therapists[40:00] The price reality: $8,000-$10,000+ per retreat[42:00] 70% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck[44:00] Vision for accessible group therapy clinics[47:00] Howard Becker's social learning theory of drug use[49:00] Brotherhood of Eternal Love and Timothy Leary connection[51:00] Modern surfers and medicalized psychedelic use

Resources:

Journal article: "From Isolation to Social and Psychedelic Integration: A Sociology of Collective Effervescence and Therapeutic Community in Psychedelic‐Assisted Therapy" (Sociology of Health and Illness 2025)

Myco Meditations Jamaica retreat program

Dr. Alex Belser, clinical scientist and psychologist formerly at NYU and Yale, reveals why 98% of psychedelic therapy happens underground—and the dark history the field doesn't want you to know. Guest Bio: Dr. Alexander Belser is a clinical scientist, psychologist, and psychedelic researcher. Author of EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy for Depression (Oxford University Press) and Queering Psychedelics: From Oppression to Liberation, he has been a leader for LGBTQIA+ advocacy in psychedelic spaces. Key Topics:

The economics forcing psychedelic therapy underground Hidden history of conversion therapy with LSD Current threats to LGBTQ+ research Solutions for accessible psychedelic healing

TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] Cold Open Montage [01:20] Welcome & the return to tribal living [02:24] Dr. Belser introduction - Brooklyn, NY [04:13] The future of community psychedelic medicine [06:02] Johnson & Johnson's $32,000/year ketamine vs. generic [07:42] Why 98% of psychedelic therapy is underground [09:21] Harm reduction approach to underground therapy [12:51] The economics don't add up - $5,000 minimum per session [15:02] Why FDA requires two therapists in the room [21:43] The hidden history of LGBTQ oppression with psychedelics [22:14] "Tim Leary said LSD is a specific cure for homosexuality" [23:44] Teenage conversion therapy - 800μg doses [25:15] "The transcripts are terrifying" [26:07] Living male-female dyad requirements [27:29] "There's a war on trans folks in the United States" [28:59] All LGBTQ research being shut down [31:54] Intersectional violence in NYC [35:50] The masculinity crisis and violence [37:17] Post-traumatic sexual stress disorder theory [41:41] Embrace Pleasure book - reclaiming psychedelic sexuality [43:29] Unwanted complications vs. adverse effects [45:29] Sexual boundary violations in psychedelic therapy [48:15] Why silence enables abuse [50:15] The small percentage of predators [54:43] Empowerment model for participants [57:44] Mandatory disclosure laws proposal [59:59] Who should avoid psychedelics [01:04:59] Should therapists have psychedelic experience? [01:12:13] Final thoughts: "The future is unwritten" Resources:

EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy Queering Psychedelics NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine Dance Safe (harm reduction) The Fireside Project (peer support)

Connect with Dr. Belser: Email: [email protected] Subscribe for weekly interviews: mindbodyhealthpolitics.org

Discover how scientific self-experimentation went from heroic standard practice to career-ending stigma—and what we lost about consciousness research in the process.

Why 19th-century scientists routinely self-experimented with psychoactive substances

How the 1962 FDA amendments changed scientific culture forever

The underground networks continuing psychedelic research outside institutions

What the MDMA therapy rejection reveals about modern scientific politics

Links & Resources:

"Psychonauts" by Mike Jay

"Free Radicals: How a Group of Romantic Experimenters Gave Birth to Psychedelic Science"

Full interview available on Mind Body Health & Politics podcast

Imperial College London psychedelic research

Native American Church peyote ceremonies

Timestamped Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction: The Scholar's Privilege (02:00) - When Self-Experimentation Was Standard Practice(05:00) - Humphrey Davy and the Birth of Psychedelic Science (11:00) - Freud, Cocaine, and Neurasthenia (15:00) - William James and the Stream of Consciousness (20:00) - Barry Marshall: The Last Nobel Prize Self-Experimenter (25:00) - How the FDA Changed Everything in 1962 (30:00) - UK Government vs. Psychedelic Research (35:00) - MDMA Therapy and Medical Double Standards (40:00) - The Underground Networks Filling the Gap

In this illuminating conversation, Dr. Richard Miller speaks with Satya, a Portuguese healer and former professional surfer, about the vital importance of self-care for those in helping professions. From the healing power of small communities to the ongoing work of trauma integration, this discussion offers practical wisdom for sustaining oneself while serving others.

About Our Guest

Satya is a 47-year-old healer based in Portugal who transitioned from professional surfing to founding the Awareness Facilitator School, which combines psychotherapy, meditation, quantum physics, ancient philosophies, and bodywork. Her approach emphasizes helping clients "rise in consciousness" rather than treating them as patients.

Key Topics & Timestamps

02:10 - Life in a small Portuguese surfer village and the healing power of community

10:23 - Satya's journey from professional surfer to healer

13:42 - The profound impact of ayahuasca on healing deep trauma

17:33 - Dr. Miller's parallel journey creating Wilbur Hot Springs as a nature sanctuary

22:26 - The importance of self-care for healers and caregivers

26:56 - Practical approaches to maintaining well-being: silence, rest, and food

30:15 - Satya's personal healing journey with childhood sexual abuse

35:12 - Dr. Miller shares his own experience with childhood sexual trauma

39:46 - The Awareness Facilitator School and its approach to healing

43:04 - Nutrition practices for optimal health and healing

48:06 - Important health information about breast cancer detection

51:26 - The importance of strength training as we age

55:41 - Final message: "Don't abandon yourself"