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 conta...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 4 min
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 th...
Jun 10, 2021•1 hr 9 min
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 cathar...
May 11, 2021•1 hr 1 min
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 subjectiv...
Apr 19, 2021•1 hr
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. ...
Apr 02, 2021•1 hr 13 min
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 sou...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 9 min
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 t...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Today’s guest is a legend in the field of traumatic stress studies. Dr. Rachel Yehuda has been researching stress and PTSD for 30 years and now with the promising results from MDMA clinical trials trials, she and her team have founded the Mount Sinai Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research . On the show, we discuss the four pillars of Mount Sinai’s new center. We go deep into the history of the PTSD diagnosis and the evolving understanding of how trauma works in the brain, including an exp...
Feb 20, 2021•1 hr 7 min
When ancestral wisdom is missing from modern psychedelic conversations, the Black-led Sabina Project is there to educate, reduce harm, and facilitate ceremony. On today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast, Charlotte James and Undrea Wright invite us to reconnect to Sacred Earth Medicines. We begin the show discussing Kambo, a healing ritual using the poisonous secretions of the giant monkey frog. We talk about why it is so necessary to connect to ancestral wisdom in the modern psychedel...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 3 min
If there was ever a people who understand the importance of evidence-based healthcare, it’s the Germans, and they are starting to get very interested in psychedelic medicine. Today our guest is Dr. Andrea Jungaberle, co-founder of the MIND Foundation , a research center and nonprofit advocacy group for psychedelics in Berlin. On the show we discuss the current landscape of psychedelic-assisted therapy in Germany. Andrea shares about the importance of evidence-based care and the forthcoming 144 p...
Feb 04, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Equal access to psychedelic medicine is a huge issue in this burgeoning field. Today’s guest, Genesee Herzberg has prioritized ethics in founding Sage Institute , a sliding scale clinic that offers psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy and is also supporting the proliferation of ethical clinics through a new consulting group, Forth Road Health . On the show, we discuss how Sage Institute uses the community mental health clinic model to provide greater access to psychedelic-assisted ther...
Jan 27, 2021•54 min
Can psychedelics be considered a “neurological contact lens” for those on the Autism spectrum? Today’s guests Aaron Paul Orsini and Justine Lee are determined to find out and are sharing their findings with the world. On the podcast, we discuss how experimenting with LSD helped Aaron understand and appreciate his Autism as a kind of altered state and led to his book Autism on Acid. We cover seven key takeaways for using psychedelics to work with autistic populations. Justine shares h...
Jan 19, 2021•1 hr 13 min
While 2020 has been difficult in so many ways, this year brought psychedelic medicine further ahead by leaps and bounds. At Maya, we were honored to share the wisdom of 25 healers and leaders in the psychedelic world through this podcast. Today we are sharing their advice to practitioners. On the show, our guests offer advice and perspectives to the therapists doing this important work. Their wisdom is at times simple, profound, and even controversial or contradictory. They speak of how to appro...
Dec 31, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Jonathan Sabbagh is building a space and solution for independent therapists who want to provide Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) by offering a prescription service, a medically supervised location, and a community. On the show, we talk about Jonathan’s startup Journey and the tools he is creating to democratize access for independent psychedelic practitioners. We discuss set and setting and the Journey space. We talk about vetting and training psychedelic therapist and how Journey endeavor...
Dec 21, 2020•49 min
Today on the podcast, I'm speaking to Dr. Molly Maloof , a concierge and lifestyle medicine practitioner who has developed a comprehensive protocol for Ketamine-assisted therapy. On the show, we talk about Molly’s professional journey from burning out in residency to concierge medicine to Stanford professor and Ketamine practitioner. We discuss her protocol in detail and why one shouldn’t try to treat their own depression with street Ketamine. Finally, Dr. Molly gives her advice to new practitio...
Dec 14, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Today on the he Psychedelic Therapy Podcast I’m speaking to a man who is changing the narrative around plant medicine in Asia. Jonathan de Potter , founder of Behold Retreats has big visions for the region and it starts with helping business leaders awaken. On the show, we talk about the challenges of addressing mental health issues in Asia. Jonathan shares his perspective of what makes a great psychedelic practitioner from his own experiences. We discuss Behold Retreats and why Jonathan is focu...
Dec 04, 2020•59 min
Today I’m interviewing Ronan Levy, co-founder of the psychedelic healthcare company Field Trip . The company includes Field Trip Health Centers for ketamine-assisted therapy, Field Trip Digital (including the apps Trip and Portal), and Field Trip Discovery, which amongst other pursuits is developing the novel psychedelic FT - 104. On the show we talk about Ronan’s experiences with psychedelics and meditation and the business of Field Trip in detail. Ronan shares his perspective on the modernizat...
Nov 13, 2020•1 hr 13 min
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 le...
Oct 30, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Today on the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast, I am interviewing my colleague at Maya, Jessica Cadoch, our Research Manager for Public Health. On the show, we discuss Jessica’s master's research in psychedelics and addiction. We talk about the paradigm shift in care she sees between the concept of the "powerless addict" and the idea of the empowered inner healer. We also discuss psychedelic societies, of which Jessica is an Executive Director in Montreal. Finally we touch on psychedelic ethics,...
Oct 24, 2020•46 min
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,...
Oct 09, 2020•59 min
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. D...
Oct 02, 2020•1 hr 13 min
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...
Sep 25, 2020•1 hr 1 min
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 a...
Sep 18, 2020•1 hr
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...
Sep 11, 2020•1 hr 7 min
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 fundi...
Sep 04, 2020•1 hr 12 min
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 re...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 25 min
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 . W...
Aug 16, 2020•59 min
Today I am speaking to Bia Labate, the Executive Director of Chacruna, a popular psychedelic website and research institution. She is the Public Education and Culture Specialist at MAPS, adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), and author of over 20 books. On the show we discuss the mission of Chacruna--to give a voice and platform to people who have been traditionally excluded from the field of psychedelic science. We discuss how psychedelic therapists can becom...
Jul 30, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Today I am speaking to Kevin Franciotti, founder of Psychedelics in Recovery, a fellowship of individuals in 12-step programs who wish to use psychedelics and plant medicines as part of their recovery. A passionate enthusiast of psychedelic medicine, Kevin’s work is informed by his own relationship to addiction. On the show we discuss Kevin’s experience using ibogaine as a treatment for his own opiate addiction and how his work in recovery helped him become a leader in the community.. We talk ab...
Jul 24, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Are you curious about psychedelic medicine for addiction and people in recovery? Today’s guest, Dr. Charles Flores ( Vital Puma Integral Recovery ), has spent 25 years exploring transpersonal psychology and substance abuse disorders. On the show we discuss how psychedelic medicine can facilitate breakthroughs in addictive patterns. We talk about “process addiction” and the default mode network and we do so through the lens of pornography and internet addiction. Dr. Flores cautions against seeing...
Jul 10, 2020•1 hr 4 min
