O.C.D. - an Interview with Katia Moritz, Ph.D., ABPP - Ep 676

Dr. Reedy welcomes Dr. Alexa Altman where she discusses how psychedelics bring the unconscious material into consciousness. She talks about the importance of integration. Dr. Altman’s Website: https://www.i-psychedelic.com 1. Single-dose psilocybin (25 mg) with psychological support for MDDJAMA – “Single-Dose Psilocybin Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder” psychiatryonline.org+15sunstonetherapies.com+15pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+15 Summary: Demonstrated strong antidepressant effects and good tolerability over follow-up. Email: [email protected] 2. One-Year Follow-Up of Psilocybin for Depression Study: Long-term effects of psilocybin therapy for depression Johns Hopkins – “Psilocybin treatment for major depression effective for up to a year” Summary: 67% of participants remained in remission one year post-treatment. 3. MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Severe PTSD Randomized, placebo-controlled MDMA-assisted therapy Nature Medicine – “MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD” Summary: Significant reduction in PTSD symptoms, well‑tolerated in a diverse cohort. Contact (MAPS / Lykos Therapeutics): Email: [email protected] 4. Psilocybin for Cancer-Related Anxiety & Depression Psilocybin in patients with life-threatening cancer PMC – “High-dose psilocybin produced large decreases in depressed mood and anxiety…” Summary: 80% of participants maintained significant symptom relief at 6 months. Website: heffter.org (contact via site) en.wikipedia.org 1. Johns Hopkins University Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research Psilocybin for depression, anxiety, addiction, and end-of-life distress Why it’s top-tier: The first major U.S. institution to receive regulatory approval for psychedelic research in modern times. 🔗 hopkinspsychedelic.org 2. Imperial College London Centre for Psychedelic Research Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, brain imaging, DMT studies Why it’s top-tier: Home of pioneering neuroimaging studies on psychedelics; led by Robin Carhart-Harris (now at UCSF). 🔗 imperial.ac.uk 3. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) MDMA for PTSD (now in Phase 3 trials), harm reduction, global education Why it’s top-tier: MAPS initiated the first FDA-approved Phase 3 trials for MDMA-assisted therapy. 🔗 maps.org 4. University of California, San Francisco Psychedelic Research Program Psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine; Robin Carhart-Harris now leads U.S. arm Why it’s top-tier: Integrates neuroscience, clinical psychology, and pharmacology. 🔗 psychedelics.ucsf.edu 5. NYU Langone Health Center for Psychedelic Medicine End-of-life anxiety, alcoholism, PTSD, and psilocybin studies Why it’s top-tier: Known for rigorous clinical trials and major collaborations. 🔗 med.nyu.edu 6. University of California, Los Angeles UCLA Psychedelic Studies Initiative Psilocybin + CBT, anxiety, clinical protocols Why it’s top-tier: Conducting one of the few FDA-regulated psilocybin trials with integrated therapy. 🔗 uclapsi.org 7. University of Wisconsin–Madison / Usona Institute Psilocybin for major depression (FDA Phase 3 trials) Why it’s top-tier: Leading U.S.-based nonprofit with regulatory traction and major academic partnerships. 🔗 usonainstitute.org 8. Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics Neurobiological mechanisms of psychedelics Why it’s top-tier: Combines Harvard academic leadership with Mass General clinical infrastructure. 🔗 massgeneral.org 9. University of New Mexico Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies & Research Group Ketamine, DMT, and MDMA research; Indigenous-informed approaches Why it’s top-tier: Interdisciplinary and trauma-informed program with cultural awareness. 🔗 hsc.unm.edu 10. Oregon Health & Science University State-licensed psilocybin therapy programs, public health, training Why it’s top-tier: One of the first institutions engaging with psilocybin therapy post-legalization under Measure 109. 🔗 ohsu.edu

Dr. Reedy welcomes Dr. Katia Moritz, an expert in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Dr. Moritz discusses common misperceptions is the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. She explores the etiology and how family members are the not cause of the issue, but may be inadvertently contributing to some of the dynamics. N.B.I.: https://www.nbiweston.com Dr. Moritz’s bio: https://www.nbiweston.com/katia-moritz

Dr. Reedy discusses the issue related to individuals choosing to cut contact with their family members. He also talks about what to do when you are on the receiving end of this kind of boundary.

Dr. Reedy discusses how rebellion is a response to a situation where the project of individuation is threatened or stalled. He explains that individuation is the answer to the soul’s longing for itself. He invites listeners to consider disregarding what they were taught about parenting, children and even this broadcast. He explained the attachment requires that we accept the premise that “our children are not our children.” (Gibran)

Dr. Reedy talks about what it means to hold space for another, what gets in the way of doing so and how this impacts the development of a child or the client in therapy. He explains that seeing someone is the key to mental health and resiliency and that the foundation of our ability to do that is in how we have managed to heal our own narcissistic wounding (the wounding of not being seen and accepted as we are).

Dr. Reedy takes live questions from the audience on parenting and boundaries. He explains how compassion is born by our boundaries. He explains that children and partners will inevitably require us to face aspects of ourselves we have avoided. We will have to fail, come up short and own our limitations as we practice self-care and attempt to meet our loved ones with love and compassion.

Dr. Reedy defines and discusses what makes for emotional safety. He talks about how emotional safety heals us and how repeated exposure to an emotional safe person changes our nervous system permanently. He explains that when the “big people” from our childhood were unable to sit with us and our feelings, we learned to hide and protect ourselves… and these efforts to protect ourselves become our mental illnesses.

Dr. Reedy discusses how skills and tools don’t make up the transformative substance of our therapy journey. He talks about a “transformation of consciousness” that occurs when we are deeply changed. He explains ego-death and how fear and love are the primary forces that drive our behavior. He explains that therapy is not about improvement but rather about self-compassion, increased consciousness, and rests on a foundation of sense of safety.

Dr. Reedy discusses how the identified patient is someone who expresses the issues with a system through mental health symptoms. He talks about projection and triangulation as ways for individuals in a system to scapegoat others and avoid the responsibility that each member of a system bears. He talks about how we can become a part of the solution as we learn to see mental health issues in the context of the greater system and make changes to disrupt patterns. He discourages the use of shame and guilt as barometers of our progress on our mental health journey.

Dr. Reedy takes live questions from the audience on attachment, parenting, and relationships. He talks about how a parent’s self-acceptance, which leads to self-awareness, is the key to your children's healthy development. He explains that self-compassion is the key to greater awareness and consciousness. And he talks about how boundaries and skills are really the evidence or signposts that reveal where we are on our journey. He emphatically points out that the goal in therapy is not to be so good we are beyond reproach, but rather the outcome of therapy is learning to love and see our "horrible, rotten, human, fallible, lovable, selves."