The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast

Before today’s conversation I didn’t know much about Celtic Shamanism.

Today’s guest, Darragh Stewart is a shining beacon of knowledge and joy. As a PhD in plant molecular biology, he has gone all in on plant medicine to support his psychedelic Irish brothers and everyone else who needs to break through the blockages in their lives.

On the show, we talk about how Darragh blends science and spirituality. We get into the origin and structure of Inwardbound Psychedelic Retreats, which take place legally in the Netherlands. We talk about Darragh’s passion for men’s work including the integration group he co-founded called the "Psychedelic Brothers of Ireland." Finally, we get into Celtic Shamanism and efforts to heal the broken lineage of holistic and ancestral healing in Ireland.

One important note: At Inwardbound, all clients go through a strict pre-screening process. In order to attend the retreats, participants cannot have a diagnosed psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar, clinical depression or a personality disorder. Similarly, Inwardbound is not able to  accommodate participants dealing with serious addiction, substance abuse issues, or who have a personal or family history of psychosis. If this is the case for you, it is recommended that you apply for a clinical research trial.

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Today on the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast, I am interviewing my colleague at Maya, Jessica Cadoch, our Research Manager for Public Health. 

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Have you ever wondered what it would take to create a psychedelic therapy clinic? Today’s guest, Veronika Gold, co-founder of Polaris Insight Center in San Francisco has done just that.

Our conversation starts with Veronika first meeting Stanislav Grof at 16 years old in the Czech Republic and we follow her journey from studying at CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies) to founding Polaris. We cover the challenges she has faced from battling misconceptions, to therapeutic transference, to providing equal access. We also discuss the efficacy of different therapeutic modalities as well as different molecules.

Veronika is has an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the Charles University in Prague and an M.A. in Integral Counseling Psychology CIIS. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with certificates in EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Realization Process. She is a Sub Investigator and a co-therapist in MAPS Clinical Program for MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy and has trained in Ketamine-assisted therapy with Dr. Raquel Bennett at Kriya Institute, and Dr. Phil Wolfson, and Julane Andries at the Ketamine Training Center.

Healthy therapeutic relationships are a cornerstone of creating a good set and setting for psychedelic-assisted therapy, and Veronika clearly has what it takes to help her clients heal.

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Wise psychonauts have long known that the real work of psychedelic healing is in the post-experience integration and there is no one more renowned in this field than today’s guest Deanne Adamson, founder of Being True To You.

We spend the first third of our conversation discussing preparation for psychedelic healing, including how to anchor an experience as it happens. We talk about integration as a long road of cultivation and explore when to invite more medicine work as part of that process. Deanne describes her technique of using an integration wheel for tracking outcomes. Finally we talk about integration coaching itself and the particular value of the exhaustive training provided by the Being True To You program.

Deanne is the founder of Being True To You, a certification program and network that provides one-on-one coaching to help people integrate transformational experiences. She developed the Transformational Recovery Model based on her extensive work supporting families through ibogaine and helping to facilitate the natural recovery process. She has a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling, and her academic background is based in spiritual psychology.

Integration leads to cultivation which leads to transformation. Today on the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast, Deanne shows us how to support this powerful healing process.

But first, a quick word from us at Maya. If you are a psychedelic practitioner, please consider taking 10 minutes to complete our Psychedelic Practitioners Survey. By gaining insight into psychedelic therapy practices, Maya aims to shed light on the amazing work that’s happening in this space. We believes the world of psychedelic medicine needs more data to develop best practices and help practitioners provide safe and effective services at scale. By contributing to this survey, you can also sign up to be amongst the first to get access to the Maya platform designed specifically for psychedelic practitioners.

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How will doctors who don’t know about psychedelic therapies, learn to be receptive to these innovative compounds as valuable tools for their patients? Dr. Lynn Marie Morski, host of the Plant Medicine Podcast, has a brilliant idea–to form an association dedicated to educating medical practitioners about psychedelics.

On today’s episode, we discuss why Lynn Marie created the Psychedelic Medicine Association. We talk about what it means to create a coalition of ethically aligned actors and how to advance equal access to entheogenic compounds. Lynn Marie shares her entrepreneurial challenges and her dreams about where this association could go in the next 5 to 10 years.

As you’ll learn on the show, Lynn Marie has quite an impressive background. She is a physician, an attorney, a podcaster, and the author of Quitting by Design. She works with the Veterans Administration and hosts the Plant Medicine Podcast.

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This week’s guest, Belinda Eriacho, brings powerful insights from her lineage as a Native American woman and her life experience as a powerful healer and public speaker.

We start the show with a land acknowledgment honoring Indigenous land rights, before exploring key aspects of Belinda’s worldview, including the importance of humor and the principle of "hózhó," which means to walk in harmonious relationship with everything around you. Belinda shares her own intergenerational trauma and her sacred corn pollen path. We end our conversation with important considerations for psychedelic therapists who wish to help heal Native Peoples.

Belinda is a healer and leader from the Dine’ (Navajo) and Zuni lineage. She is certified in Integrated Energy Therapy and has advanced degrees in Health Sciences, Public & Occupational Health, and Technology. Through her personal practice and her leadership as a public speaker, Belinda supports the healing of Native Peoples and is helping to guide the Psychedelic Renaissance towards a more holistic perspective.

Also, if you're a psychedelic practitioner, please take 10 minutes to complete our survey. Your contributions will help shed light on psychedelic-therapy practices around the world.

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Today on the show, I am honored to be speaking with a healer and guide who is deeply steeped in ritual, magic, and the wisdom of her Haitian ancestors, Florie St. Aime.

On the show we discuss how growing up in Brooklyn of Haitian descent informed Florie’s perspective on psychedelics. We talk about psychedelic medicine as ancestral healing and justice work. Florie shares her experience on MAPS’ first training for communities of color in Kentucky and what she learned from her cohort there. Finally, we discuss the importance of ritual and the influence of the regal Haitian lineage Florie holds.

Florie is a radical social worker and a graduate of MAPS’ 2019 training for communities of color. If you are interested in learning more about her work, you can email her at [email protected]. If you are inspired by her work, consider contributing to her gofundme - linked in the show notes.

Finally, a message from Maya, the psychedelic practitioner platform that makes this show possible: If you're a psychedelic practitioner, please take 10 minutes to complete our survey. Your contributions will help shed light on psychedelic-therapy practices around the world: https://www.mayahealth.com/research/surveys

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MDMA therapy for veterans suffering from PTSD has gotten a lot of attention in the world of psychedelic medicine lately. Meanwhile, Jesse Gould is bringing veterans to South and Central American retreats for ayahuasca healing with his nonprofit the Heroic Hearts Project.

On the show, Jesse explains how psychedelic therapists and healers should think about working with veterans. He describes his own experience with PTSD and ayahuasca as well as the details of the Heroic Hearts program—from funding—to integration coaching. Jesse gracefully responds to the delicate question of how U.S. foreign policy plays into healing veterans in Latin American countries.

Jesse Gould is a former Army Ranger who founded the Heroic Hearts Project in 2017 to connect military veterans struggling with mental trauma to ayahuasca retreats and other psychedelic medicine resources. Heroic Hearts is a registered 501(c)(3) non profit that has raised over $350,000—all of which goes directly to supporting veterans. Jesse speaks about psychedelics and mental health around the world and his work has appeared in the New York Times as well as numerous podcasts and conferences.

Ayahuasca is a profound medicine that has the power to positively influence veterans’ lives, so to truly support our troops, we must also support psychedelic medicine.

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Today I am speaking with trauma specialist Bessel van der Kolk, best-selling author of The Body Keeps the Score, a beloved book about healing our deepest wounds.

On the show we discuss Bessel’s work with MDMA therapy for trauma. We dispel the myth that PTSD is only something experienced by soldiers returning from war, and discuss how early attachment wounds can actually be more intractable to traditional treatment than acute trauma. We talk about why we get addicted to our own trauma and we review other psychedelic compounds like ketamine and ayahuasca.

At the end of the interview (after the outro music), Bessel generously addresses the unfortunate circumstances that lead to him being fired by the Justice Resource Institute, answering a question suggested by our Psychedelic Therapy Facebook group.

Bessel is an author, researcher, and sought after public speaker. In addition to founding Boston’s Trauma Center and his popular books, Bessel is also the Principle Investigator for MAPS’ MDMA trials at its East Coast hub in Boston.

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Today I’m speaking to Lauren Taus, a licensed psychotherapist and a yoga and meditation teacher based in Venice Beach, California. In addition to modalities like cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems work, mindfulness, and somatic techniques, she also offers ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) when she feels that it’s appropriate for clients.

On the show we discuss Lauren’s background with MAPS MDMA protocols and the tutelage of her mentor Phil Wolfson, editor of The Ketamine Papers. We talk about equal access to psychedelic medicine and her advice for young practitioners.

Lauren also has her own podcast, INbodied Life with guests like Rick Doblin, Rachel Yehuda, and Camille Barton so we share a few podcasting tips as well.

So prepare for a journey and may we all return with a little more softness.

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