Mind State Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Elissa Gross, a licensed professional counselor and graduate of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute, to delve into the world of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Elissa shares the beginnings of her career in counseling and her transformative journey into the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes. Throughout our discussion, we explore the critical role of vulnerability in therapy, alongside the emerging potential of psychedelics in treating chronic pain and suicidality. With a blend of professional insights and personal experiences, Elissa provides a deep dive into the mechanisms and outcomes of psychedelic therapy. This episode is a must-listen for healthcare professionals exploring alternative therapies, individuals seeking novel paths to healing, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of psychology and psychedelics.

Abraham La Montagne joins the podcast to share his perspective built from a diverse background in biochemistry research, military service, Latin dancing, and of course jiu-jitsu. Abe has carved out a notable niche as a rapidly progressing Jiu-Jitsu athlete under the guidance of John Danaher.

Through our discussion, Abe shares insights into his accelerated learning approach in Jiu-Jitsu, grappling’s yin and yang, and the mindset behind his success. His unique views on the dance-like push and pull of jiu-jitsu and its mental challenges shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of the sport - mental health. The conversation takes a fascinating turn as we dive into the realm of philosophy, consciousness, and the use of psychedelics. From their potential in combating addiction to catalyzing personal transformation, Abe reveals his experiences and insights. Join us as we explore the intersection of martial arts, mental health, and psychedelics, and delve into the primal, tribal activities that keep us grounded yet propel us towards uncharted territories of the mind.

Matt Mormello joins the show to share his own path with the medicine and practice of Ayahuasca. We start out with Matt sharing his chance encounter with the power of plant medicines after watching a documentary about them. In that moment he knew with clarity that he had to pursue deeper investigation. Part of Matt's personal story is one of overcoming an extremely rare cancer at an young age of 19 years old followed by years of opiate addiction. 

Early in his plant medecine journey he met a kindred spirit in his now wife, Jeanae, who is an integral component of what they have built with New Life Ayahuasca. He shares the astonishing serendipity of how things fell into place and have led to the retreat offerings they make available today. 

Finally, we spend some time talking about what newcomers to ayahuasca can expect as they embark on their own healing journey with Ayahuasca including how they can prepare to get the most from their experience and take it back home into their lives post-retreat. 

This particular episode is special in that we recorded it down here in Costa Rica at the end of a retreat I myself was in attendance at. I'm forever grateful for the work and guidance that Matt, Jeanae, Craig and Lina offered all of us. 

Olivia starts us out with a wild story of her unique childhood growing up within the Children of God cult and how that experience led to her own struggles and challenges in her own life. One of my favorite parts about hearing Olivia tell this tale is her ability to find the silver lining and also recognize the parts of her early experience that were positive while still acknowledging the difficulties. She truly embodies the victor mentality in her life. 

After we learn the background that led her to where she is in life today Olivia shares her insight and mental tools she uses in her practice as a psychedelic assisted therapist adhering to the MAPS protocol. I learned a ton from her and am incredibly grateful for her time and passion for this subject. 

Caitlin joins the podcast in this episode to share her extensive experience with plant medicine including over 50 ayahuasca ceremonies and seven iboga experiences. She first turned to psychedelic medicine seeking relief from chronic undiagnosed illness. It's not the typical story of one and done, transcendence and healing all in a single session. It's been a long road and hard work. That's not to say progress has not been made though. Armed with deep insight and intermittent physical relief, Caitlin forges onward and shares her story. 

These days her focus remains strongly tied to the psychedelic community. We discuss the Psychedelic Society of Texas which she co-directs as well as the work being done by Decrim ATX which is focused on the deprioritization of sacred plant medicines by law enforcement. 

Derek DuChesne (dew-shane) is the co-founder of Better U Care, a psychedelic-assisted therapy company currently specializing in ketamine treatment with both at-home and in-clinic models. 

We start out with Derek sharing his own story of encountering ketamine after a bout of depression and suicidal ideation. Experiencing the transformation firsthand led to a deepening interest in the power of these medicines. This experience unfolded into an eventual collaboration with clinicians from Stanford’s Psychedelic Science Center and Depression Research Clinic to explore ways to increase accessibility to psychedelic medicine.

Join us for this episode to learn more about how you can find healing and inspiration in your own life.

Massy comes to the show to share her personal experience with Ayahuasca. She talks about how she and her husband serendipitously discovered the medicine in the aftermath of a hurricane and the profound effects it has had on her life. She provides a beautiful narration of her first encounter as well as her life afterwards.

We wrap up by spending some time talking about her latest venture, Incubate.X, which is a women led and mission driven NFT launchpad. Their first project, Onanya, is focused on building an Ayahuasca center in Peru that will incorporate the shamans that led her through her own healing journey. 

Tatyana is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner on Faculty at UT Austin with the Psych Nurse Practitioner program. She also has a private practice where she treats mental health using a combination of meds and psychotherapy. She has recently added ketamine treatment to her private practice and came to the show to share her insights and thoughts on the subject.

She comes to the table with a wealth of knowledge, experience, and skill for explaining the current state of mental health treatment, spending nearly two hours digging into the benefits and ways that ketamine can be used in conjunction with existing tools. Tatyana is an eloquent speaker, all around friendly person, and was a joy to have this conversation with.

Please enjoy!

In this impromptu episode Derrick and I catch up on what we've been working on lately and then meander into some touchy subjects like pronouns, gun control, and polyamory. Despite coming to the table with different ideas and experiences I think we both learned a bit from each other. Check it out and let me know your thoughts on this stuff!