The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast

"We can pass 10 executive orders. We can put $500 million for drug development. And if we don't have people who are willing to hold that space... we're not going to get anywhere." - Ismail Lourido Ali, MAP Co-CEO On April 18th, just days before 420, Bicycle Day and MAPS’ own 40th anniversary, Donald Trump signed an executive order on psychedelics. But what does it mean? Especiall...

Can we practice the art of surrender before the first dose? Today on the show Robin Arnott and Dr. Sandeep Prakash explain how SoundSelf evolved from a VR curiosity into a clinically oriented tool that uses sound and light feedback to induce the unitary states therapists aim for in medicine sessions. We unpack the science of voice-activated biofeedback, ways to weave SoundSelf into preparation and...

Imagine you’re in the middle of a psychedelic journey—things are getting intense, and you just need someone to talk to. That’s where Fireside Project comes in. As the world’s first psychedelic peer support line, Fireside is redefining how we care for each other in altered states, offering a space where anyone can find guidance, validation, and a steady voice in uncertain moments. But beyond the he...

A month ago, I had the privilege of visiting Beond in Cancun, Mexico to experience an ibogaine treatment for cognitive enhancement. Today, I’m joined by Beond CEO Tom Feegel to discuss how this remarkable medicine can support a better brain. In this episode, we explore Tom’s personal journey with Ibogaine, its potential to revolutionize addiction treatment, and how it supports cognitive enhancemen...

Today, I’m joined by Juan Pablo Capello, co-founder and former CEO of New Life Health, a telehealth ketamine therapy service launched in 2021. Juan Pablo has raised concerns about low standards of care in telehealth ketamine, making this a timely conversation about the opportunities and challenges in this growing industry. In our discussion, Juan Pablo shares how his early experiences with Wachuma...

Today, we’re exploring a critical issue facing the field of psychedelic medicine: the recent FDA rejection of MAPS’ clinical trials to reschedule MDMA for therapeutic use. This setback affects many of us committed to healing and transforming society through psychedelics.  To help us understand the impact and the path forward, I’m joined by Natalie Lila Ginsberg, a leading voice in the psychedelic...

Today we’re doing something a little different. I’m re-releasing an episode from my personal podcast, Life is a Festival , because it remains one of my favorite interviews ever. This conversation, originally recorded a few years ago, is with Tricia Eastman and Joseph Barsuglia, two pioneers in the world of psychedelic medicine. We dive deep into Iboga, the Bwiti people of Gabon, and the powerful p...

After the shocking decision of an advisory committee recommendation that the FDA reject MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, I wanted to speak to someone who understands the difference between clinical trials and private practice. Dr. Jennifer Tippett is a licensed clinical psychologist and Director of Psychotherapeutic Development at atai Life Sciences, where she creates therap...

A year and a half ago, I went on an antidepressant medication, Wellbutrin, which is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. After 20 years of plant medicine, meditation, therapy, and other healing modalities, which I still use, I was still experiencing persistent challenges. With the support of my advisors and my doctor, I decided to an antidepressant while maintaining my alternative hea...

Welcome back to the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast. I'm your host, Eamon Armstrong. Today on the show, we're welcoming back Tony Moss. Tony is an artist, producer, and member of the Bird Tribe Music Collective. He is also an ayahuasca facilitator with 30 years of experience and has just released a new album, Joy. In today's conversation, we discuss the magic and science of medicine music. We talk abo...

Welcome back to the Psychedelic Therapy Podcast. After a hiatus of a year and a half, we're excited to announce our return, thanks to our new sponsors, Hurricane Lotus (formerly Maya, the original sponsor of this show) and Holos Global, we are now back and releasing regular episodes. On today's show, I’m speaking with Alexander Beiner, author of "The Bigger Picture: How Psychedelics C...

Today on the show we are discussing the state of psychedelic legislation in the wake of Colorado’s Proposition 22 passing in November. Sharing the most relevant implications for psychedelic therapists and healers we have the best person for the job, MAPS Director of Policy and Advocacy Ismail Lourido Ali. On the show we discuss legalization vs decriminalization. We look at the different tracks for...

Could enhancing creativity be the key to healing mental illness? Laura Dawn of Grow Medicine , makes a compelling case for the value of psychedelics for enhancing flow. Our conversation begins with an exploration of eldership and indigenous concepts of reciprocity based on Laura Dawn’s recent trip to Columbia. Laura Dawn gives us practical tools for enhancing creativity and makes the case for psyc...

Can sound help us disconnect from unhealthy habitual patterns? Today’s guest Alexandre Tannous , creator of the Sound Meditation protocol, shows how we can use harmonic frequencies to release trauma, enhance self-awareness and live happier, healthier lives. Our conversation begins with Alexandre’s explanation of harmonic frequencies and the problem with the quantization of the 12-tone scale. We di...

In the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life. And as psychedelics are becoming more mainstream, there is an increased interest in using new tools to overcome these disorders. Today, with guest Adele Lafrance , we discuss the promising impact that ayahuasca, MDMA, ketamine, and psilocybin can have on a pers...

We live in a global epidemic of sexual violence and spaces for psychedelic healing are not only not exempt, but there are also factors which make sexual violence more likely in these spaces. Join us for the second half of our two-part series with author and psychotherapist, Laura Northrup, as we understand why violations occur in spaces of healing and what we can do about it. We open by discussing...

Psychedelic medicine is a powerful tool that can support the healing of survivors of sexual violence, however, the conditions of psychedelic therapy both above and below ground can also create trauma for those looking to heal. Laura Northrup, a somatic psychotherapist, author, and podcaster is our guest for a two-part series on healing sexual violence with psychedelics and how to protect those see...

Psilocybin is quickly becoming recognized as an effective modality for treating depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. Yet, the road to decriminalization and legalization of the medicine in the US and on a global scale is still slow going. Join us today with Chris Koddermann of the International Therapeutic Psilocybin Initiative , or ITPRI, to discuss his push for the ​​UN to rec...

Where do you get your psychedelic news? DoubleBlind is a leading media company and magazine that has teamed up with experts in the field to provide informative and educational news, courses, and webinars in the psychedelic space. Today on the show we are speaking with DoubleBlind Co-Founder and CEO Shelby Hartman. We begin our conversation with the inception of the magazine, the meaning behind the...

As psychedelics become increasingly popular in the US and beyond, it’s imperative that new businesses honor, protect, and profit-share with the indigenous communities who are stewards of these medicines. Today on the show, Jesse Hudson, Chief Legal Officer at Woven Science explains the recent policy paper from Woven’s nonprofit El Puente which focuses on reparations, education, preservation, and i...

Iboga (or its extraction ibogaine) is one of the most powerful psychedelic plants. Today we are joined by Jonathan Dickinson , of Ceiba Recovery , an integration coach and consultant for iboga and ibogaine healing. Our conversation begins with an overview of iboga and its unique value in treating addiction. We discuss Bwiti tradition in Gabon and Central Africa, where iboga is used as an initiator...

Today we are joined by  Saj Razvi  an expert on psychedelics and the somatic approach to healing single-event, complex, and dissociative trauma. We open with an understanding of how trauma is stored in the body, and why it can be so hard to overcome with traditional therapy. We then discuss the difference between primary and secondary consciousness, and how psychedelics play a role in di...

On today’s episode we delve into the promising future of Dr. Dan Engle’s new wellness institute, Kuya, located in Austin, Texas. The center focuses on whole human care, hoping to eliminate anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health issues. On the show,  Dr. Dan Engle  explains his history with psychedelics and the path that led him to open the center. He also speaks on his new bo...

The Psychedelic Renaissance is well underway, but thirty years ago there was another revolution in psychiatry, the introduction of prozac, the first SSRI. Today’s guest Dr Priya Parmar started her residency at that time but today she is ending her relationship with traditional psychiatry. Since 2017 she has been using ketamine in her practice which she feels is a potent frontline treatment for men...

What if a therapist could peer inside the black box of a patient’s psychedelic experience? Adam Gazzaley and his Neuroscape team at UCSF are using multimodal biosensing research to make that dream a reality. On the show, Adam explains the concept of experiential medicine and how the brain modifies itself in response to different experiences. He shares his previous work creating a video game that i...