From Skeptic to Psychedelic Guide

I started my journey into psychedelic therapy as a skeptic. I have a healthy respect for the risks of substances, prescribed or otherwise. I have lost two loved ones to drug overdoses. I have worked with people trying to rebuild their lives after substance abuse and with grieving parents whose children died from drug or alcohol abuse. I am also wary of the unintended consequences of even “normal” substance use for people with particular genetic vulnerabilities.

How the heck did a drug skeptic like me become a passionate advocate of psychedelics?

I have long resonated with a mix of science and spirituality. 

Before I started studying psychedelics, I was a committed meditator with strong gravitation toward spirituality. I use mindfulness in my therapy work and believe deeply in learning to slow down and listen to our inner wisdom. My work as a psychologist and psychedelic guide feels like an expression of my spirituality, even though I do not discuss religion or the spiritual with my clients unless they bring it into our work. It feels like I am channeling the loving-kindness of something much greater than myself when I am present with people. It feels holy, for lack of a better word, to hold space for my clients authentically, compassionately, and non-judgmentally.

I am also a student of data and love how a good meta-analysis can offer guidance and often confirmation of intuitive knowledge. I love being able to use data to help me determine what to spend time focused on and what may not make an impact. I hold this alongside an awareness of the limitations of even the best research to capture the nuance and complexity of a human being. Data guides my decision-making as a clinician; I consider what the evidence suggests will be most helpful for each client or situation. I temper my reliance on data with my years of experience and faith in the wisdom within each of us.

Somehow, all of these aspects coalesced in the early 2010s in a curiosity about the emerging research on using psychedelics in therapy. I followed with interest as more and more research began to explore the potential for psychedelics to help with the mental health conditions I was so passionate about treating. As the data continued to roll in, I slowly became less wary and more curious. Knowing the best path for me involved structured intensive study, in 2021, I decided to dive in and enrolled in a year-long training program to become a Certified Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Provider through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and affiliated with MAPS (the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies).

Over that year of intensive training, I immersed myself in the literature about therapeutic approaches to psychedelics, looked closely at the risks and benefits, and decided that this was an essential and beneficial tool to bring to Catalyst. As part of the training, I was able to participate as a client, which further validated my belief in the powerful healing potential of psychedelics when done in a safe and therapeutic environment. Experiencing them also underscored the potential risks and the importance of the safeguards we have put in place.

So, now I am bringing my years of interest and study into practice as a psychedelic therapist. I welcome your skepticism, spiritual questing, and longing for healing.

There is wisdom and the potential for deep and lasting healing within each of us. These medicines seem to offer a way to help us access this deep well of inner wisdom and perhaps touch the infinite oneness.