Ayahuasca for PTSD with Dr. Simon Ruffell MBChB, MRCPsych, PhD

In this episode Dr. Simon Ruffell joins to discuss the research on ayahuasca for PTSD. Dr. Ruffell is a psychiatrist, researcher, and student of curanderismo (Amazonian shamanism) working at the intersection of Western psychiatry, traditional plant medicine, and Indigenous knowledge systems. He is Executive Director of Onaya, Lecturer in Psychology and Psychedelics at the University of Exeter, and Chief Medical Officer of MINDS, with a focus on integrative and relational approaches to healing and consciousness. In this conversation, Dr. Ruffell explores the emerging research on ayahuasca as a treatment for PTSD, drawing on both Western scientific models and Indigenous Shipibo knowledge systems. He outlines how ayahuasca may work through mechanisms such as increased neuroplasticity, disruption of rigid predictive models, and potential epigenetic shifts related to stress and trauma, while emphasizing that these biological explanations exist alongside Indigenous understandings of "cleaning ancestral lines." Sharing preliminary findings from his ongoing research with military veterans in collaboration with Heroic Hearts Project, Dr. Ruffell discusses significant reductions in PTSD symptoms at six-month follow-up, the powerful role of community and ceremony, and the ethical complexities of studying sacred practices through Western scientific tools. He closes with a moving story of a veteran whose healing journey illustrates both the promise and the limits of psychedelic medicine when embedded in relational and cultural context.   In this episode, you'll hear: Western scientific theories for how ayahuasca may alleviate PTSD How trauma-related epigenetic changes may be transmitted across generations Preliminary results from Dr. Ruffell's study of ayahuasca for veterans diagnosed with PTSD The role of community bonding and peer support among veterans in maintaining therapeutic gains Why ayahuasca research in the Amazon includes a broader plant-based healing system—not just the brew itself How Indigenous healers interpret epigenetic findings as confirmation of longstanding ancestral frameworks The ethical considerations of bringing Western measurement tools (like EEG) into sacred ceremonial contexts   Quotes: "This is what I find most interesting about our research—that it is cutting edge science but at the same time, when we conduct it with indigenous healers, we get a whole new perspective on what could be happening when it comes to interpreting the results and also making decisions of what to research as well." [14:09] "According to measures of PTSD on the scales that we're looking at, over 80% of the participants that were scoring for PTSD before their ayahuasca retreats and no longer scoring for PTSD at that six month follow up. So it's not just immediately after the ayahuasca retreats. It's six months later. And that's super, super encouraging." [15:52] "When we take things to the lab, one of the reasons that we might see the effect size diminishing is because we no longer have shamanism, basically, which is exerting a huge effect." [16:55] "Traditionally what would happen is that the curandero would drink ayahuasca and the participants would just be there and the curandero would use the visions that they had with ayahuasca to look into the participants and to diagnose them. And then the healing would come through them singing their medicinal chants, which are the icaros. And then afterwards they would give them a prescription of plants or whatever it is that they needed. And sometimes the prescription would be to drink ayahuasca, but most of the time it wouldn't be. [27:18] "You can't separate like DMT, in my eyes, from the rest of the compounds in ayahuasca, from the ceremony, from the jungle. That, in my opinion, is what makes up Shipibo. Otherwise you just have a bunch of chemicals." [28:20]   Links: Dr. Ruffell's website Dr. Ruffell on LinkedIn Dr. Ruffell on Instagram Onaya website Onaya Science website Onaya on LinkedIn Onaya on Instagram Previous episode: Can Ayahuasca Heal PTSD? with Former Army Ranger Jesse Gould Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode, Dr. Sean M. Viña joins to discuss the ways that social inequality can impact psychedelic healing. Dr. Viña is a sociologist with a PhD from Indiana University whose research focuses on psychedelics and mental health, and social inequality. In this conversation, Dr. Viña explains that while psychedelics are often framed as transformative treatments, their benefits appear unevenly distributed and frequently constrained by structural factors such as income inequality, education, stigma, caregiving burden, segregation, and social isolation. The discussion highlights how women—particularly single mothers—may experience diminished gains due to caregiving demands and stigmatization of mental illness, while Black and Latino populations show little measurable benefit once socioeconomic inequality is accounted for. Throughout, Dr. Viña emphasizes that outcomes are shaped less by the substances themselves than by the sociocultural environments people return to after treatment, underscoring the importance of community integration and structural supports alongside clinical care.   In this episode, you'll hear: What inspired Dr. Viña to research social inequality and psychedelics How caregiving burden, education, and stigma modulate women's mental health outcomes following psychedelic use Why socioeconomic inequality appears to eliminate measurable benefits for many Black and Latino participants The role of segregation, policing environments, and chronic stress in shaping treatment outcomes Why American Indian populations respond better to psychedelic treatments in rural areas with greater access to nature and their culture How having access to private versus public health insurance can impact psychedelic healing Why focusing only on therapist–patient interactions may miss key determinants of success Implications for designing more equitable psychedelic treatments and research   Quotes: "Women who are highly educated actually seem to be getting about as much benefit [from psychedelic treatments] as men who are highly educated, but [lack of] education doesn't seem to negatively affect men the same way it affects women. Again, that's the pattern we see in all kinds of other health resources." [9:36] "One of the studies that we did showed that if it wasn't for education and income differences, there would be a slight benefit [from psychedelics] for black participants in these surveys. But as soon as you accounted for education inequality and income inequality, it was wiped out." [21:40] "I love the concept of the psychedelic renaissance, but when we start thinking about the statistics of who this is helping, this is a renaissance of less than 1% of people, right? This is a very small group of people who are getting benefits, just like many of the other resources that have come out in the past. … all these resources are probably valuable. They're all helpful. But there needs to be more than just the drug. There needs to be a bigger conversation about this society and the community that people are living in." [36:31]   Dr. Viña's academic articles: "Medical Sociological and Epidemiological Psychedelics Paradigm", Drug Science Policy and Law, 2025 "A Community Centered Approach to Psychedelics", Discover Mental Health, 2025 "Unequal Healing: Gender, Psychedelics, and the Burden of Care", Women and Therapy, 2026 "Psychedelics and Mental Health Treatment Seeking Among Asians and Hawaiians", Psychoactives, 2025 "American Indian areas and psychedelics: A test of the minorities' diminished psychedelic returns", Journal of Rural Mental Health, 2025 "Religious Social Integration, Psychedelics, and Psychological Distress", Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2024 "Stigma, Psychedelic Use, and the Risk of Reduced Formal Mental Health Care", Stigma and Health, 2024 With Amanda L. Stephens: "Minorities' Diminished Psychedelic Returns." Drug Science, Policy and Law, 2023 Links: Dr. Viña on LinkedIn Dr. Viña on Researchgate Previous episode: Psychedelics and Religion with Hunt Priest, MDiv Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode, Hunt Priest joins to discuss the intersection of psychedelic experiences and religion. Hunt is the founder of Ligare: A Christian Psychedelic Society and was a participant in the Johns Hopkins/NYU Psilocybin Study for Religious Leaders in 2016. The epiphanies he had at Hopkins forever changed the trajectory of his work and led him to start Ligare in 2021. In this conversation, Hunt Priest reflects on how participating in the Johns Hopkins study reshaped his understanding of Christianity, embodiment, and spiritual experience. Drawing on his background as an Episcopal priest, he explores the deep resonance between psychedelic experiences and Christianity, arguing that non-ordinary states of consciousness have always been central to religious life, even if institutional churches have often marginalized them. The discussion ranges from spiritual emergence and theological disruption to healing, discernment, and the role clergy can play in preparation and integration. Hunt also shares his own profound embodied experience during the study where he encountered Vedic and Upanishadic concepts firsthand. He explains how it ultimately led him to found Ligare, a Christian psychedelic society aimed at bridging psychedelics, healing, and the Christian mystical tradition.   In this episode, you'll hear: Hunt's ideas of how psychedelic experiences connect with Christian sacraments and liturgical practices How psychedelics connect with understandings of religious pluralism and the diversity of spiritual experiences Resources for working through ideas that psychedelic experiences could be sinful or demonic Hunt's thoughts on navigating theological disruption, spiritual emergence, and expanded images of God Why embodiment and bodily wisdom are central to spiritual insight and healing The vital opportunity institutional religion risks missing in the current psychedelic renaissance   Quotes: "I think there's a lot of us [clergy] out there that understand that the spiritual issues that come up with psychedelics are important and need to be tended to in a sensitive way—in an open minded way, an open hearted way." [14:36] "The Church has, over time, taught people to not trust their minds or their bodies. And that's a huge mistake because our bodies keep the score and they also are one of the places we hold wisdom—which was the biggest lesson I got from the first experience I had at Hopkins." [17:39] "That's why the spiritual care professionals could be so important: when these issues, these spirit big spiritual questions or even a collapse of your own theological framework happens, you need help to put it back together. And just like therapy helps us put our emotional life back together, I think a good spiritual director or spiritual advisor—one-on-one or small group work—can help us put our theology back together." [21:47]   Links: Ligare website Ligare on Instagram Hunt on Instagram Hunt on LinkedIn Center for Action and Contemplation website Previous episode: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Psychedelic Medicine with Matthew Johnson, PhD Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui  

In this encore episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, psychedelic science researcher and educator Dr. Manesh Girn discusses his studies investigating psychedelic brain action. Manesh earned PhD in neuroscience at McGill University and is an author on over a dozen peer-reviewed articles on psychedelics and related topics. He is also chief research officer at EntheoTech Bioscience and runs the YouTube channel the Psychedelic Scientist.  In this conversation, Manesh discusses his recent article in Trends in Cognitive Sciences titled "A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action."He explains the complexity science approach used in the article, which emphasizes the brain is a holistic, interconnected system, rather than individual component networks that can be isolated. From this standpoint, Manesh critiques some simplistic explanations of the neural mechanisms of psychedelics which focus exclusively on interactions with the default mode network isolated from other brain systems. He also explains how individual some of the neural effects of psychedelics are, citing different findings from different studies and observed variations between brain scans of different people. By better understanding these individual differences, and placing these different responses into a complexity science framework, Manesh believes that more individually-tailored psychedelic therapies are possible once the systems involved are more comprehensively understood.  Manesh closes this discussion by explaining the difference between genuine complexity and sheer chaos.  Complexity, he explains, is a delicate balance of novelty and order, which is why psychedelic experiences can be both destabilizing and productive of novel insights and personal transformation.    In this episode: The research into psychedelics and the default mode network Using frameworks from complexity science in psychedelic research Measuring entropy in the brain Differences in neurological effects from taking between different studies and different individuals How a complexity science approach to neuroscience could better inform precision psychiatry   Quotes: "You can't just look at a specific brain region or network [in psychedelic research], you've gotta talk about the brain as a whole, in this sense of seeing the brain as a system of interacting parts." [4:49] "The core idea of this paper is that psychedelics put our brain into this state that is more dynamically flexible, it's more diverse in its activity patterns, and it's more sensitive to inputs that come in." [14:17] "What we find in the brain imaging findings is that different studies disagree, but also if you look at individual people, they can have radically different effects on their brain—almost opposite." [21:37]   Links: Manesh' recent article in Trends in Cognitive Sciences: "A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action" ​​Psilocybin vs Placebo Brain Connectivity Diagram from Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris The Psychedelic Scientist YouTube Channel The Psychedelic Scientist on Instagram The Psychedelic Scientist on Twitter Manesh on LinkedIn EntheoTech website Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode, Will Van Derveer, MD joins to unpack what we know about which psychedelic medicines are best suited to particular mental health conditions. Dr. Van Derveer has trained several thousand mental health professionals in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, provided ketamine assisted therapy to hundreds of people, and has staffed MDMA therapy trials with MAPS. His book, Psychedelic Therapy: A Revolutionary Approach to Restoring Your Mental Health and Reclaiming Your Life, will be published by Shambala in the spring of 2026. In this conversation, Dr. Van Derveer offers a clinician's framework for thinking through how different psychedelic medicines may align with different mental health conditions. He explores how factors such as anxiety levels, trauma history, prior psychedelic experience, and a person's orientation toward spiritual versus medical healing shape treatment decisions. Across discussions of anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, and eating disorders, Dr. Van Derveer reflects on the relative roles of ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA, and emerging short-acting psychedelics, while underscoring the importance of community, and integration. Throughout, he returns to a central theme: many conditions labeled as psychiatric may also reflect deeper forms of disconnection—social, existential, and spiritual—and psychedelic therapies can be powerful tools for restoring those lost connections when used thoughtfully.   In this episode, you'll hear: Why safety, medication interactions, and psychiatric history must come before all other considerations The difference between clinical and ceremonial approaches to psychedelic healing Considering when group versus individual approaches to psychedelic therapy may be best suited for a particular patient How ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA may play distinct roles in treating anxiety and depression Considerations of dose, tolerance, and maintenance sessions for ketamine treatments Why MDMA-assisted therapy stands out for chronic and severe PTSD Dr. Van Derveer's perspective on emerging psychedelic medicines and the future of treatment   Quotes: "As time wears on, I lean more toward the group dynamic [for psychedelic therapy] because of the power of community and healing in community. And also, of course, it can help mitigate the cost of access for people." [8:24] "There's a lot of conversation about ibogaine right now, and I think it's an incredibly powerful, beautiful, sacred, ancient medicine that has a role. But it has a lot more porcupine quills on it than, say, ketamine or MDMA." [27:16] "In acute suicidality, I think ketamine is the treatment of choice. There's nothing like it. … it can be quite impressive how quickly suicidal thoughts melt away. But it is a short game because often it doesn't stick for people. And that's a huge drawback." [28:39] "We know that there are clear associations between chronic depression and high levels of inflammation in the body and also in the brain. Ketamine and psilocybin both have strong anti-inflammatory effects. But it seems like somehow the pathways that psilocybin is working on… tends to produce longer term benefits." [30:10] "I tend to think that spiritual connection—in whatever your language is, whatever your metaphors are, however you think about it—is something that we need to think about for health overall." [40:21]   Links: Dr. Van Derveer on LinkedIn Dr. Van Derveer on Instagram Dr. Van Derveer on X Dr. Van Derveer's forthcoming book, Psychedelic Therapy: A Revolutionary Approach to Restoring Your Mental Health and Reclaiming Your Life Integrative Psychiatry Institution website  Previous episode: Is Psilocybin Safe for Me? with Seth Mehr, MD Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode, Alicia Bigelow, ND joins to discuss the potential of psychedelic medicine to support the menopause transition. Dr. Ali Bigelow is a naturopathic physician, ketamine provider and licensed psilocybin facilitator in Portland, OR. She leads individual and group retreats, enjoys incorporating live music into her sessions when desired, and is passionate about supporting those navigating life transitions, such as end of life and menopause, through her low dose group, Menomorphosis. Dr. Bigelow will be doing retreats in 2026 with Rise Up Journeys at RiseUpJourneys.com In this conversation, Dr. Bigelow explores the emerging intersection between psychedelics and the menopausal transition, framing perimenopause and menopause as profound neuroendocrine, psychological, and existential shifts rather than merely clinical syndromes. She also discusses how hormonal changes—particularly declining estrogen—interact with serotonin, inflammation, and neuroplasticity, potentially shaping psychedelic experiences and outcomes. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Bigelow emphasizes the unique capacity of psychedelics to support self-actualization, identity reformation, and meaning-making during midlife, especially when combined with hormone therapy, intentional integration practices, and strong community support.   In this episode, you'll hear: Why perimenopause and menopause represent a major but under-recognized neurobiological life transition How estrogen, serotonin receptors, and psychedelics like psilocybin may interact in midlife What we know (and don't yet know) about hormone replacement therapy and psychedelic efficacy The potential anti-inflammatory effects of psychedelics and their relevance to menopausal symptoms How ketamine may function differently from classic psychedelics during hormonal transitions Why psychedelics can support identity reorientation, self-actualization, and "not caring" in generative ways The critical role of community, creativity, and nervous system regulation in integration during midlife   Quotes: "We don't honor and celebrate aging and elderhood overall in our culture. … What I do feel is really vital is that we gather and support each other in all of life's transitions, and [menopause has] not only been underrepresented, but also just under honored." [3:29] "As [estrogen] levels decrease, there's a decrease in serotonin receptors—which is the 5-HT2A receptor. And so that reduces our sensitivity to, and activity of serotonin. And psilocybin and LSD and other 5-HT2A agonists—they can enhance their receptors and the activity of those receptors." [13:20] "The understanding is that with [estrogen] hormone replacement therapy you would then, theoretically, see a replenishment of [serotonin] receptors, and then the psilocybin would have more ability to act on those receptors." [15:37] "Psilocybin—and psychedelics in general—and the menopausal transition are just really beautiful complements to each other and they become even more potent when used together." [19:48]   Links: Dr. Bigelow on LinkedIn Dr. Bigelow on Instagram Dr. Bigelow's website Synaptic Institute website  Rise Up Journeys website  Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode, Matthew W. Johnson, PhD returns to discuss how psychedelics can be leveraged to catalyze human agency. Dr. Johnson has been at the forefront of psychedelic research for 21 years, having conducted seminal research on the effects of psilocybin on mystical experience, personality, and treatment of cancer distress, major depressive disorder, and tobacco addiction. His work with tobacco addiction received the first federal funding for a classic psychedelic in the modern era of research. In this conversation, Dr. Johnson explores psychedelics as powerful enhancers of human agency—the felt capacity to steer one's own life, make meaningful choices, and act from a place of inner autonomy. Drawing from two decades of research across depression, cancer distress, addiction, and healthy volunteer studies, he argues that increases in agency may be a core, yet under-recognized, mechanism behind therapeutic change. Dr. Johnson discusses agency as a "meta-executive" function intertwined with free will, mental flexibility, and meaning-making, and suggests that psychedelics may uniquely illuminate and strengthen this capacity. In closing, he shares thoughts on how individuals can better take advantage of psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity to increase agency in their own lives.   In this episode, you'll hear: What Dr. Johnson means by "agency" and why he sees it as central to psychedelic healing Clinical examples of participants who rediscovered autonomy, changed behaviors, or reframed their suffering after psilocybin sessions Why psychedelics may enhance big-picture psychological flexibility, not just moment-to-moment cognitive flexibility How increased agency may help people with depression, addiction, and cancer distress shift entrenched patterns of thinking and behavior Potential future research directions for studying the neuroscience of agency   Quotes: "It's not just that enhancing agency is the elephant in the room of why psychedelics are working, it's also that I think psychedelics can be a tool for finally understanding this thing of human agency." [4:31] "Even if you think the sense of free will is an illusion, it has to be an evolutionarily advantageous illusion. Why else would it be seemingly universal?" [12:30] "When someone really has one of these 'ah-ha' experiences, they can really come to this perspective of 'no, no, no, no, no, I really am choosing how I'm thinking about myself.' In cancer [patients] it happened a lot." [21:51]   Links: Previous episode: The Latest Research on Psilocybin for Depression with Matthew Johnson, PhD Previous episode: Exploring DMT Entities with Matthew Johnson, PhD Previous episode: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Psychedelic Medicine with Matthew Johnson, PhD Dr. Johnson on X Dr. Johnson on InstagramDr. Johnson on LinkedIn Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode, Dmitry Repin, PhD joins to discuss the intersection of bodily movement and psychedelics. Dr. Repin is the co-founder of the Institute for Psychedelic Research at Tel Aviv University, holds a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, and is the producer and creative force behind the Everything Else Matters documentary. In this conversation, Dr. Repin explores how psychedelics may influence movement, proprioception, and motor learning, drawing from his background in neuroscience and his transformative experiences with dance practices like Gaga. He describes his team's innovative clinical study pairing psilocybin with guided movement training to investigate whether altered states can open temporary windows of enhanced plasticity for learning new movement patterns. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Repin reflects on why so many people feel inhibited in their bodies, how psychedelics might soften these constraints, and what traditional movement-based ceremonies can teach modern clinical research about embodiment, healing, and the relationship between perception and action.   In this episode, you'll hear: How dance and Gaga inspired Dr. Repin's scientific interest in movement during psychedelic states Kinesiophobia and why many people experience fear, shame, or inhibition around movement Why Dr. Repin chose psilocybin for his study on psychedelics and movement How Dr. Repin's study measures movement changes using optical tracking and multi-dimensional metrics What makes Gaga movement practices unique compared to other approaches to dance and movement The structure of the psilocybin-plus-movement protocol developed at Tel Aviv University How psychedelics may temporarily enhance motor learning through shifts in proprioception and neuroplasticity What ritual and communal dance contexts reveal about the embodied dimensions of psychedelic experiences   Quotes: "If we understand those [neurological] mechanisms, we can try to influence certain situations where people have deficits related to movement." [4:47] "For example, when I go to a dance training session [after a recent psychedelic experience], I find that I actually internalize movement patterns much faster than I do otherwise—and it's noticeable to my dance teacher." [8:56] "Part of the hypothesis that we have is that certain qualities or dimensions of movement might be affected more or less by psychedelics than others and that potentially, will give us some insights into the specific brain mechanisms because certain different types of movement sometimes require different circuits to engage in different parts of the body." [19:47] "Some initial wisdom, some anecdotes, or some best practices that have been developed within those non-clinical settings may be very useful to inform clinical—and maybe other—areas that use psychedelics." [27:03]   Links: Everything Else Matters documentary The Institute for Psychedelic Research at Tel Aviv University Dr. Repin on LinkedIn Dr. Repin on X Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode, Psychedelic Medicine Podcast host, Dr. Lynn Marie Morski, provides the latest updates from the field of psychedelic medicine. Dr. Morski discusses the breakthrough therapy designation which a number of psychedelic compounds have received in the past few years, the most recent of which is BPL-003, a nasal spray formulation of 5-MeO-DMT. One of the exciting aspects of this new compound, Dr. Morski notes, is that it is shorter-acting than most serotonergic psychedelics—a feature which may make treatment with this substance less expensive and more accessible.  Another exciting development is the COMPASS Pathways phase 3 trial of COMP360 psilocybin. Dr. Morski shares that the company believes they are nine to twelve months ahead of schedule, which means that if all goes well, this psilocybin compound could be approved for treatment resistant depression as early as sometime in 2027. She also discusses why the US FDA said they rejected MDMA for PTSD and what this governing body would like to see from subsequent research before reconsidering this decision. In closing, Dr. Morski shares excitement about the development of novel psychoplastogens—the non-hallucinogenic psychedelics—which may help bring many of the same healing benefits to populations currently unable to be served by the existing compounds under investigation.   In this episode, you'll hear: Which psychedelics currently have breakthrough therapy designation and for which indications Details of recent ketamine research for inpatient depression care and why these results are not as negative as they may seem The current horizons of psychedelic research and what indications may soon be explored Sources of hope in the current state of psychedelic research and the legal landscape   Quotes: "[BPL-003] showed rapid and durable antidepressant outcomes after a single dose. … here we have something that is under an hour [of psychedelic experience] for treatment resistant depression." [7:43] "Keeping patients blinded to whether or not they got the placebo or MDMA is a big focus that [the FDA] wanted to emphasize for these future phase 3 trials." [19:07] "I know we had a big setback last year. I think a lot of us thought by this time we'd be a year into MDMA being approved and we're not. However, there are so many things on the horizon that are worth being excited about." [23:48]   Links: Psychedelic Medicine Podcast on Instagram Psychedelic Medicine Podcast on YouTube Jelovac A, McCaffrey C, Terao M, et al. "Serial Ketamine Infusions as Adjunctive Therapy to Inpatient Care for Depression: The KARMA-Dep 2 Randomized Clinical Trial" JAMA Psychiatry, 2025. Beckley Psytech Limited Phase 2 Trial: BPL-003 Efficacy and Safety in Treatment Resistant Depression COMPASS Pathways Phase 3 Trial: Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of COMP360 in Participants With TRD Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Complete Response Letter (CRL) to Lykos Therapeutics, declining to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Psychedelic Alpha Psychedelic Drug Development Bullseye Chart Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode Matthew Hicks, ND, MS joins to dive into the topic of psilocybin-assisted group therapy for depression. Dr. Hicks is a research Investigator at the National University of Natural Medicine as well as a Naturopathic doctor and licensed psilocybin facilitator at Synaptic Institute. In this conversation, Dr. Hicks shares findings from one of the first studies investigating psilocybin-assisted group therapy for depression, conducted in Oregon's new legal psilocybin framework. He explains how the high cost and labor-intensive nature of psychedelic therapy inspired him to explore a group model that could make treatment more financially accessible while preserving - and even enhancing - its therapeutic potential. Dr. Hicks describes the structure of the study and discusses how initial participant hesitancy about group work transformed into deep connection and shared healing. He also highlights the study's significant reductions in depression scores, improvements across quality-of-life measures, and the potential for group-based approaches to pave the way toward insurance reimbursement and broader access to psychedelic care.   In this episode, you'll hear: Why affordability and accessibility were central motivations for developing a group-based psilocybin protocol The benefits and challenges of conducting psilocybin sessions in a shared group setting How Dr. Hicks' study balanced inclusion of low-income participants with safety and stability criteria The details of the group treatment structure for Dr. Hicks' study Why Dr. Hicks believes group formats may be inherently therapeutic in addition to their economic efficiency Dr. Hicks's vision for future efficacy and cost-effectiveness studies that could enable insurance coverage   Quotes: "In terms of the group dynamic, almost everyone in the intake process was very reluctant. They were trepidatious. They were a little worried about the group part of it. And almost everybody at the end of it, when we did the follow ups at the group, was amazing. People made friends. They felt really supported. They felt really seen by the process of hearing other people's journeys and the growth that they went through—and seeing some other examples of transformation was really powerful and was really encouraging to me." [10:29] "So [there are] really positive aspects to doing this in a group format that's not just economic—it's not just cheaper to do this in group, it actually has therapeutic benefits that you miss out on when you only do this one on one." [11:12] "That was always my question in the follow up sessions: 'did your participation in this study change the way you engaged in psychotherapy? Did it change the relationship with your therapist?' And a lot of people reported that it did. They felt they were able to open up and engage more deeply, be more introspective. And it did, in many cases, not all, improve their psychotherapy outcomes as well." [18:24] "Some people reported that hearing someone else in the group crying for a bit really opened up something in them and they almost felt grateful for that. This other person is having a meaningful experience over there, and that's something they wouldn't have gotten on their own if they hadn't heard that person crying." [22:45]   Links: Dr. Hicks on LinkedIn Synaptic Institute website  Dr. Hicks' research at Synaptic Institute National University of Natural Medicine website  Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui