The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast

Whether psychedelic therapists should have their own experiences with these compounds as part of their training is a passionately debated subject. Dr. Elizabeth Nielson, cofounder of Fluence, one of the foremost organizations training psychedelic therapists, has been pondering this for sometime, including how we ask the question itself. Her recent paper in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology explores the ethical considerations in offering and providing such experiences and is the subject of today’s podcast.

Our conversation begins with the ethics of discussing personal psychedelic experiences. We talk about the work of Fluence from harm reduction to integration coaching. We discuss Dr. Nielson’s article “Psychedelics as a Training Experience for Psychedelic Therapists: Drawing on History to Inform Current Practice.” We explore the paradigms of the shamanic and Western worldview. Finally, we review other kinds of altered states of consciousness that psychedelic therapists can explore, in a.

Dr. Elizabeth Nielson is a co-founder of Fluence and a psychologist with a focus on developing psychedelic medicines as empirically supported treatments for PTSD, substance use problems, and mood disorders. Dr. Nielson is a Site Co-Principal Investigator and therapist for an FDA approved Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and has served as a therapist on FDA approved clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder, psilocybin-assisted treatment of treatment resistant depression, and earlier phase 2 and 3 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Through Fluence, she provides continuing education and training programs for therapists who wish to engage in integration of psychedelic experiences in clinical settings.

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The world of digital therapeutics is booming just as fast as psychedelic therapy. Today’s guest, Lyle Maxson, is resolutely optimistic about the positive synthesis of the two.

On the show, we discuss the science of Lyle’s software SoundSelf, which uses voice to generate a hypnotic world of light, color, and sound. We review his business partner Robin Arnott’s Technodelic Manifesto and ask the important question: Will technology replace therapists? We also cover data sovereignty, metric tracking, and finally the future of psychedelic medicine and digital therapeutics.

With a start in immersive environments at festivals, Lyle Maxson is a pioneer of Transformative Entertainment. He is Chief Strategy Officer of Entheo Digital - a digital therapeutics company pursuing FDA clearance and the creation of a wellness technology marketplace at the intersection of psychedelic therapy and experiential medicine. He is also the co-founder of Andromeda Entertainment, a VR publisher bringing to market “Games for Good,” and GeniusX, a VR education platform.

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Lisa Dannen, our colleague at Maya, recently experienced her first Ayahuasca retreat in Peru. Today on the show, she shares all the preparation and integration that went into her experience.

On the podcast, we discuss about Lisa’s work with Maya, and why she wanted to experience Ayahuasca for healing and personal growth. We discuss her 10 day experience in the Sacred Valley of Peru as well as her subsequent integration. Finally Lisa gives her advice to others planning a similar experience.

Lisa has over ten years of experience changing what people know, think, and do about controversial social issues, Lisa began her career at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, advocating for the housing rights of low-income individuals. In 2015, Lisa transitioned into the cannabis industry to help to reform discriminatory federal and state drug policies as the Marketing Director at the National Cannabis Industry Association in Denver. She currently serves as Maya’s Director of Marketing & Communications and as a passionate proponent for psychedelic healing.

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Building a psychedelic company is a lot like creating a healing container. It starts with really understand your own role as Martijn Schirp, founder of Synthesis — a psilocybin retreat center and institute in the Netherlands — discovered.

On the show we discuss Martijn’s initial roles as facilitator and then CEO of Synthesis and the value of having a comprehensive team. We compare ketamine and psilocybin and the efficacy of a communal setting for healing. We explore creating a safe healing container from medical screening all the way to evidence-based integration. Finally we discuss the stewardship model as the future of psychedelic business.

Synthesis is a legal, professionally guided truffle retreat center for professionals to experience personal growth, emotional breakthroughs, and spiritual development. Their expert team of facilitators and meditation and breathwork instructors, create an experience that blends the best of ancient wisdom, with cutting edge science.

First as CEO and now as Chief Visionary Officer Martijn has driven the vision of Synthesis Institute since he co-founded the company in 2018. He previously co-founded HighExistence and Apotheosis. His work and identity as an entrepreneur is strongly influenced by eco-phenomenological thought, and by his decade-long personal practice with Buddhism and Shamanism. He is currently focused on scaling opportunities for flourishing, well-being, and transformation through the synthesis of contemplative practices, immersive technology, and psychedelics.

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A difficult psychedelic experience once meant a hospital visit… or worse. Now, in the spirit of the Zendo Project and other psychedelic peer support organizations, we have a new hotline called the Fireside Project (call or text 62-FIRESIDE) and there’s a lot that psychedelic therapists can learn from leaders like Hanifa Nayo Washington and Adam Rubin.

On the show, we discuss the influence of ceremonial medicine and legacy psychedelic support organizations in informing Fireside. We talk about the value of community in mental health and how Fireside nurtures their own cohort of volunteers. We review the data from the first 18 days of operation and discuss potential legal issues. Finally as always, Hanifa and Adam share their advice to psychedelic therapists.

Fireside Project Co-founder, Adam Rubin is a psychedelic harm reduction activist and crisis counselor. He has worked over 45 events around the world since 2015 with many different organizations including the Zendo Project, White Bird Rock Med, RGX Medical, and Take 3 Presents. He has given trainings to peer support volunteers, local psychedelic communities, and event medical teams. He has also written a series of zines titled “The It’s Okay Psychedelic Harm Reduction Series” and distributes them for free.

Hanifa Nayo Washington is Fireside Project’s Cultivator Of Beloved Community. She is an award-winning cultural producer and the Principal Organizer & Co-Founding Practitioner of One Village Healing, a wellness and resilience initiative. Hanifa has been combining arts, healing, and activism to make the world a better place for 20+ years and in 2017 she released her 3rd album Mantras for the Revolution. In December 2018 Hanifa received a Phenomenal Women Arts Award from the Arts Council of Greater New Haven for her contributions and achievements in the arts.

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There are only a few places in the world which offer legal access to high impact psilocybin retreats. MycoMeditations, stewarded by today’s guest Justin Townsend, is leading the way in sustainable, ethical psychedelic healing that takes into account the unique environment and needs of Jamaica and its people.

On the show, we discuss Jungian-depth psychology and other therapeutic modalities used at MycoMeditations. We talk about the value of a comprehensive, holistic team of caregivers for cathartic experiences. We review the efficacy of psilocybin as compared to ketamine therapy and ayahuasca ceremonies. Finally, we discuss the landscape of psychedelic healing in Jamaica and the importance of ethical entheogenic businesses.

MycoMeditations is a retreat that combines the powerful healing of multiple, high-dose psilocybin experiences, a safe and caring group environment created by a knowledgeable support staff, and serene locations to catalyze life-changing transformations.

As a business leader and startup advisor in a range of industries including the health care space, Justin Townsend has also been on a personal quest to explore alternative healing therapies to combat his own anxiety and depression. Over the past 20 years, Justin has delved into both transpersonal and Jungian psychology, explored psychedelic modes of healing and developed meditation and breath work techniques, which he taught in Germany. Justin joined the MycoMeditations team in 2017, becoming partner and CEO in 2019. As a retreat facilitator, Justin draws inspiration from the profound healing he is privileged to witness and believes that psychedelics offer an exciting path forward for mental health.

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Today on the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast, for the first time, we are discussing a firsthand account of a patient’s experience of psychedelic therapy. Sydney Bergen received six ketamine infusions administered by Noemi Toth. On the show Sydney and Noemi share their experience working together.

The conversation starts with Noemi’s work with the Aspen Ketamine Center and Sydney’s reasons for pursuing psychedelic therapy. We talk about ketamine’s safety as a dissociative anesthetic and the subjective experience of that dissociation. Sydney and Noemi both emphasize the importance of integration therapy after treatment, including in Sydney’s case, Internal Family Systems therapy. Finally, we end the show with lessons and suggestions for potential ketamine infusion patients.

Sydney is an Emotional Clearing Facilitator, dedicated to her own healing journey and to supporting others by sharing her story.

Noemi has been practicing as a Nurse Anesthesiologist since 2010. She has performed hundreds of ketamine infusions over the last four years and helps people overcome depression and anxiety disorders.

The Aspen Ketamine Clinic, located in Aspen Colorado, takes a multi-disciplinary approach towards mental health. In addition to resources mentioned on the show, this includes nutritional counseling and bio-identical hormone therapy as options for treatment through their network of specialists. You can learn more at https://www.ketaminevida.com/

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A hot topic in the world of psychedelic medicine is whether ketamine infusion therapy is as effective as ketamine-assisted therapy (also called KAP). Today’s guests Dr. Steven Mandel and his son Sam Mandel have administered over 13,000 treatments at their Los Angeles-based clinic and they are passionate about the power of intravenous ketamine treatment.

On the show we discuss the efficacy of IV ketamine therapy and how it compares to intramuscular as a route of administration. We talk about Dr. Mandel’s specific protocol including the use of a pump instead of a drip bag for administration. We cover the potential health concerns around ketamine and finish as always with advice to psychedelic therapists.

Dr. Steven Mandel has more than 40 years of experience utilizing ketamine as a board-certified anesthesiologist and has a master’s degree in psychology. He is the co-founder and president of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles, and the co-founder of American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists and Practitioners.

Sam Mandel is co-founder and chief operating officer of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles. A mental health advocate and entrepreneur, he oversees all non-clinical functions of the company and has been active in the ketamine infusion therapy community since its formative days.

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From reggae and cannabis to the icaros of an Ayahuasca ceremony, sound has a huge impact on altered states of consciousness, but what’s actually going on scientifically and how can we use this to improve the outcomes of psychedelic therapy? Today’s guest, Mendel Kaelen founder of Wavepaths, has researched the subject extensively.

On the show, we discuss how music and psychedelics reinforce each other exponentially. We talk about the importance of “tone color” and other aspects of structured sound for the experience of healing. Mendel shares about his creation Wavepaths, which he considers more of a musical instrument than software. Finally we explore traditional Ayahuasca icaros, the scared songs of the Amazon.

Mendel is the founder and CEO of Wavepaths, a company that is researching the psychotherapeutic potential of music and creating a tool for therapists. Mendel was also a PhD and postdoctoral neuroscientist at Imperial College London, where among other research, he investigated the role of music in psychedelic therapies.

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What if you could have a more potent mystical experience than psilocybin in a quarter of the time? 5-MeO-DMT could be the future of psychedelic medicine, but as Dr. Joseph Barsuglia explains, this would require a complete redesign of our current model of care.

On the show, we discuss the nature of mystical experiences as well as our current understanding of the science of 5-MeO-DMT. Joseph reveals some of the drug development companies interested in medicalization as well as his concerns about this process. We finish with the environmental considerations for the bufo alvarious toad and lessons this medicine has for the psychedelic movement.

Joseph is a PhD neuropsychologist and the former Director of Clinical Assessment and Research at Crossroads Treatment Center which developed a protocol following ibogaine with 5-MeO-DMT. Trained with MAPS and initiated in the Bwiti tradition in Gabon, Joseph advises on psychedelic medicine and alternative healthcare.

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