The Integration Session

Demoralization syndrome affects a substantial portion of patients with advanced cancer, but how does it differ from depression? How might psilocybin help patients find relief and peace while facing their own mortality? In this episode, Dr. Carolina Hernandorena, psychiatrist and PhD candidate in neuroscience at Queen’s University, shares her journey from psychiatric training in Argentina to psychedelic research in Canada. She differentiates demoralization from other mental health constructs, and provides insight on the rationale and protocol design for her Health Canada-approved, open-label pilot trial: “Safety and Efficacy of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for Demoralization Syndrome in Patients Diagnosed With Advanced Stage Cancer.” More broadly, Dr. Hernandorena outlines regulatory and logistical challenges of her research, and offers evidence-informed perspectives on the future of using psychedelics to address existential distress in advanced illness.

What can we learn from psychedelic use in people with lived experience of eating disorders? As a population with barely any approved medications, surprising self-reports reveal that cannabis and psychedelics may offer high rates of real-world symptom relief. In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by Sarah Rodan, a postdoctoral research associate at the InsideOut Institute in Sydney, Australia and coordinator of a groundbreaking clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant anorexia nervosa in collaboration with Imperial College London. Sarah shares key findings from her 2025 JAMA Network Open survey on prescription and non-prescription drug use among people with self-reported eating disorders, plus broader insights on the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids and psychedelics for eating disorders. This episode is a timely exploration of lived experiences, risk-benefit realities, and the urgent need for better treatment options in an understudied area of psychedelic science.

Women’s bodies have long been treated as a ‘variable’ to control for in science, rather than a focus of research inquiry. Psychedelic science is no exception, with major knowledge gaps regarding the menstrual cycle, menopause, and pregnancy. But, what might be discovered if we become more curious about women’s physiology in psychedelic science?In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley - neuroscientist, Director of Research at Heroic Hearts Projects, and Founder of Hystelica, the world’s first organization dedicated to understanding psychedelics through the lens of female biology. With over a decade of experience researching cannabinoids and psychedelics, Grace brings an essential perspective to the conversation, including how hormones, reproductive stages, and sex-specific neurobiology may shape psychedelic experiences and psychedelic treatment outcomes. Specifically, she shares: 1) why women’s biology has been historically understudied and why it matters; 2) what current evidence suggests about sex differences in response to psychedelics and how hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle impact mood; 3) early insights from psychedelics research at Hystelica; and 4) how psychedelic research protocols and trial designs could better answer these important questions. Grace also shares her personal journey into neuroscience, her connection to veterans’ mental health, and how her experience as a woman in the military helped shape her advocacy for more inclusive research practices. This conversation highlights a critical frontier in psychedelic science: designing research and care models that prioritize biological reality over convenience. Check out Hystelica: https://hystelica.com/

Join Dr. Bia Labate, anthropologist, activist, and Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, in this live interview brought to you by the Queen’s University Psychedelic Society Speaker Series. With over 30 years of global experience in psychedelic traditions, Dr. Labate shares the motivations behind her lifelong commitment to plant medicines and social justice. She explores psychedelics through an anthropological lens, the founding and mission of the Chacruna Institute, and its programs advancing reciprocity, cultural understanding, and legitimacy for sacred plants. Dr. Labate critiques the commercialization of psychedelics, power imbalances between Western science and Indigenous knowledge, and epistemic injustices in psychedelic research. She addresses global drug policy, recent decriminalization progress, and the essential role of social sciences in fostering ethical, relational, and holistic approaches to psychedelic healing. Chacruna Institute: https://chacruna.net/ Dr. Bia Labate (Beatriz Caiuby Labate) is an anthropologist, educator, author, speaker, and activist, committed to the protection of sacred plants while amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in the psychedelic science field. As a queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco, she has been profoundly influenced by her experiences with ayahuasca since 1996. Dr. Labate has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil. Her work focuses on plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, religion, and social justice. She is the Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves as a Senior Advisor for Culture and Strategy at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Additionally, she is a Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and acts as advisor for around 15 organizations, among them the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, Soltara Healing Center, Sacred Plant Alliance and the Alaska Entheogenic Awareness Council. Dr. Labate is also a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and the editor of its site. She has authored, co-authored, and co-edited 28 books, three special-edition journals, and numerous peer-reviewed and online publications.

From Johns Hopkins to Ottawa, Dr. Jérémie Richard is a clinical psychologist with unique binational experience in the field of psychedelic science. Now an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa and director of the Clinical & Applied Psychedelic Science Lab, Dr. Richard joins host Dr. Elena Koning to trace his career path and share his most personally impactful and ongoing work in psychedelic psychotherapy. The conversation explores the differences in Canada-US regulatory landscapes, their impact on research and access, and psychedelics’ potential for transdiagnostic care. Looking forward, Dr. Richard offers a visionary take on how emerging perspectives on mental illness may outgrow current DSM categories, and what psychotherapy could become in 25 years - including whether (and how) psychedelics will reshape it. Dr. Jérémie Richard is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. He is a clinical psychologist in Quebec and Ontario whose work is helping chart new paths in mental health, addiction, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research. As an emerging scholar, Dr. Richard is exploring the psychological, biological, and sociocultural dimensions of mental health, investigating how difficulties with depression, anxiety, addiction, and developmental vulnerabilities influence people’s lived experience and their response to mental health treatments. He is the director of the Clinical & Applied Psychedelic Science Lab (CAPS Lab) at the University of Ottawa, where he investigates how the use of psychedelics in naturalistic or clinical settings can influence mental health, physical health, and quality of life, with a commitment to rigorous science and the provision of compassionate care. With an expanding portfolio of over 40 peer-reviewed publications and in his role as core faculty in the Psychedelics and Consciousness Studies Program at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Jérémie Richard is emerging as a leading voice in bridging traditional psychotherapy with innovative therapeutic approaches.

Psychedelics are increasingly recognized as an approach to help heal trauma – but without the proper support, the same experience that enables healing could lead to re-traumatization. How does this work and what should psychedelic therapists do about it? Guy Simon is a clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and PhD candidate experienced in trauma-informed psychedelic therapy. Guy’s recent work touches on both the protective and destabilizing effects of psychedelics in several trauma contexts, including childhood abuse and mass violence events. For example, he interviewed survivors of the 2023 Nova Festival Attacks about their psychedelic experiences during the attacks, and the implications for psychedelic therapy. In this episode of The Integration Session, Guy describes his research findings, trauma-informed tools for clinicians, and advice for anyone considering psychedelic medicine for their trauma. Guy Simon is a clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and PhD candidate in medical anthropology. His research explores trauma, healing, and altered states of consciousness, with a focus on the phenomenology of psychedelic experiences. He leads qualitative and ethnographic investigations into how users, therapists, and underground practitioners conceptualize the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, particularly in the context of trauma and integration.  Guy is the founder and clinical director of Impulse, an integrative clinic, and serves as Chair of the Clinical Advisory Committee of SafeHeart. This nonprofit organization supports survivors of collective trauma through psychedelic-informed care. His work bridges clinical practice with anthropological theory, emphasizing the role of set, setting, and cultural context.  Guy teaches and lectures internationally on psychedelic integration, trauma-informed therapy, and epistemologies of healing. He is currently based in the Netherlands, expanding his research and collaborations across European academic and therapeutic communities.

How does one pivot from running a successful construction business in India to becoming a leading voice in psychedelic advocacy and mental health in Canada? In this episode of The Integration Session, host Elena is joined by Osheen Dayal–a University of British Columbia Psychology alumna, former co-president of the Women Empowerment Club, and current Master’s student in Counselling Psychology at Adler University. As the YouTube Committee Lead and Podcast Host at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Canada, Osheen is at the heart of psychedelic science communication, advocacy, and story-telling. Together, Elena and Osheen discuss Osheen’s unique journey to psychedelic therapy training, her perspectives on cultural healing, spirituality, social justice and equity, as well as shared interests in science communication across the psychedelic field.

2025 was a pivotal year for psychedelic research at the Centre for Psychedelics Health & Research (CPHR) and across Canada. In this year-end finale of The Integration Session, host Dr. Elena Koning sits down with CPHR Director Dr. Claudio Soares for a reflective conversation on progress, breakthroughs, and the road ahead. Dr. Soares shares his professional journey in psychiatry, the evolution of CPHR into one of Canada’s leading multidisciplinary hubs for psychedelic science, education, and clinical innovation, and the centre’s key milestones to date. Major highlights include the launch of the first Health Canada-approved Phase 2 clinical trial of at-home, low-dose (non-hallucinogenic) psilocybin for generalized anxiety disorder, and a Phase 2, multi-center clinical trial of a rapid-acting DMT formulation (VLS-01 Buccal Film) for treatment-resistant depression. Looking to 2026, Dr. Soares shares CPHR’s exciting plans, including expanded research priorities, enhanced knowledge translation efforts, and strengthened national and international partnerships to responsibly advance psychedelic medicine. Dr. Claudio Soares is a physician, researcher, and educator with over 25 years of experience in mental health and women’s health. He is a Professor of Psychiatry at Queen’s University and Director of the Centre for Psychedelics Health and Research, leading innovative clinical research and knowledge dissemination initiatives. He also serves as Regional Clinical Co-Lead for Mental Health and Addictions at Ontario Health East and is President of The Menopause Society, a global organization dedicated to advancing women’s health at midlife and beyond. His expertise spans mood disorders, reproductive psychiatry, menopause, clinical trials, mobile health technologies, psychedelics research, and health innovation.

Chronic pain impacts over 1.5 billion people worldwide, with the majority of affected individuals being women. As conventional treatments don’t always help, there’s an emerging interest in the potential of psychedelic therapies. In this episode of The Integration Session, we explore the current state of the science on psychedelics as an approach to alleviating pain and improving quality of life in women with chronic pain. Dr. Sinziana Pop from the Francis Crick Institute shares her diverse expertise on the topic, future research plans, and why it’s so crucial to take a women-centered approach to psychedelic chronic pain research. This is an especially important topic for psychedelic scientists considering that, in existing clinical trials, most participants are males and sex is not often accounted for in analyses. Dr. Sinziana Pop is a neuroscientist with over a decade of experience researching brain function and evolution. In recent years, her focus has shifted from curiosity-driven "blue sky" neuroscience to exploring unconventional approaches for treating chronic pain in women. Recognizing that individual experiences are central to effective treatment, she is now pursuing psychedelic research, with the aim of designing clinical trials informed by women with lived experience of chronic pain.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to sit with someone having one of the most profound experiences of their life? In this deeply candid conversation, psychedelic therapist Denise Rue brings a wealth of experience to our discussion about facilitating psychedelic therapy. We discuss her journey to the field, the nuances of guiding individuals through psychedelic therapy, the surprising ways clinical hypnosis and psychedelics intersect, comparisons between group retreats and 1:1 therapy, advice for aspiring therapists (e.g., informed consent, boundaries, harm reduction), the role of poetry in psychedelic therapy, and questions that every prospective client should ask before trusting someone with their psychedelic experience. Denise Rue, MA, MFA, MSW, is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapist, and founder of the New Jersey Psychedelic Therapy Association. From 2019-2022 Denise worked as a retreat leader and lead therapist at a legal psilocybin retreat center in Jamaica, and continues to lead retreats in Portugal, Mexico, and Colorado.  Denise has had the privilege of facilitating over 1,750 psilocybin sessions, and as many group integration sessions. She has a profound respect for the healing potential of this medicine, as well as a deep sense of the responsibility practitioners hold in shepherding people on their journeys. Denise has a private psychotherapy practice in New Jersey, specializing in individuals with complex trauma, especially adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She utilizes a variety of modalities in her work, including ketamine-assisted therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), somatic therapy and clinical hypnosis. Denise will soon be launching her psychedelic education, integration, and harm reduction business, Interweave Healing, with her colleague, Jessalyn Maguire, LSW. 

Which psychedelic therapy is the most cost-effective? How can we determine the value of a psychedelic treatment? In this episode of The Integration Session, we discuss the crucial economic landscape of psychedelic therapies with Dr. Elliot Marseille, a health economist and founding director of the Collaborative for the Economics of Psychedelics at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. As a leading expert and author of several recent scientific publications on the topic, we explore the economic viability of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, the economic potential of group therapy models for conflict zones and low-income countries, and the crucial study design approaches to enhance affordability, feasibility, and regulatory impact.

Can psychedelic experiences be considered ‘authentic’ spirituality? How can these substances foster spiritual healing, and what ethical principles must guide their use in society? In this episode of The Integration Session, we take a deep dive into the topic with distinguished theological ethicists Dr. Tracy J. Trothen and Ron Cole-Turner. Together, we explore how psychedelics could enrich spiritual health, the ethical tightrope of integrating them into mental health care and religious contexts, how spirituality can be measured in clinical trials, and the role of theological ethics in bridging divides within faith communities. Tune in for this thought-provoking conversation that weaves together science, spirituality, and ethics to reimagine the responsible use of psychedelics. Tracy J. Trothen is an interdisciplinary professor of ethics at Queen’s University, jointly appointed to the School of Religion and the School of Rehabilitation Therapy. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada and has expertise in clinical spiritual care. Trothen is the author or editor of numerous articles, chapters, and books including her co-authored books, Understanding Religion and Artificial Intelligence: Meaning-Making in the Digital Age (with R. Reed, 2026), and Religion and the Technological Future: An Introduction to Biohacking, AI, and Transhumanism (with C. Mercer, 2021). Tracy co-chairs the American Academy of Religion's (AAR) Artificial Intelligence Unit and is a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR).Ron Cole-Turner explores the spiritual significance of psychedelics for Christians. He is the author of Psychedelics and Christian Faith: Exploring an Unexpected Pathway to Healing and Spirituality (2025). Some recent articles include “Psychedelic Integration and Spiritual Growth in a Christian Context” (2025) and “Psychedelic Mysticism and Christian Spirituality: From Science to Love” (2024). He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and taught theology and ethics at the seminary level for 35 years. He is a founding Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion.

For thousands of years, humans have used psychedelics, but how have these substances influenced our evolutionary path? Does the Stoned Ape Theory hold true? And might psychedelics offer solutions to humanity’s greatest challenges, such as political division, war, and climate change? In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by Dr. Michael Winkelman, author of The Handbook for Entheogenic Healing and a recent article in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies, “Psychedelics and the Future Evolution of Humanity.” We explore how psychedelics have shaped human development and their potential to guide our future. From enhancing brain plasticity to promoting ultrasociality that could reduce conflict, could psychedelics be a key to addressing today’s most urgent global issues?Michael J. Winkelman, Ph.D. (University of California-Irvine), M.P.H. (University of Arizona) is retired from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University where he served as the Head of Sociocultural Anthropology; Director of the Ethnographic Field School in Ensenada, BC, Mexico; and Director of the M.P.H. in Community Health. Winkelman served as President of the Anthropology of Consciousness section of the American Anthropological Association, as was the founding President of its Anthropology of Religion Section. Winkelman has engaged in cross-cultural and interdisciplinary research on shamanism, psychedelics, and the alteration of consciousness for 40 years. His books on shamanism (Shamans, Priests and Witches [1992] and Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing [2nd ed., 2010] use cross-cultural and evolutionary methods to examine these ancient spiritual and ritual healing capacities. He is the co-editor of Psychedelic Medicine (2 volumes, 2007), Advances in Psychedelic Medicine (2019) and a Frontiers in Psychology special issue on Psychedelic Sociality, and editor of a special issue of the Journal of Psychedelic Studies on Psychedelics in History and World Religions. He recently edited the Handbook of Entheogenic Healing (Brill, 2025). He served as an expert witness for Santo Daime in their defense against the US Department of Justice in 2009.

Want to stay updated on the latest advancements in psychedelic science without reading lengthy scientific papers? Welcome to the first Research Recap, where Elena breaks down three recent studies in psychedelic science, in a digestible format. In this episode, we touch on the potential of psilocybin therapy for mood symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, psychedelic use in eating disorder populations, and how psilocybin could extend cellular lifespan. Elena provides a clear breakdown of what the researchers did, why it matters, and the critical details often missed by mainstream media. Research Recap is perfect for curious minds and cuts through the academic jargon to expand your knowledge of psychedelic science. 

What makes an exceptional psychedelic guide? Should access to psychedelics be as straightforward as obtaining a driver’s license? And what do over 100 studies reveal about psychedelic use outside clinical settings? In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by Dr. Mark Haden, a pioneer in psychedelic research, therapy, and drug policy reform. We discuss his recent study on naturalistic psychedelic use, his influential work in shaping psychedelic therapy training, and his vision for a public health approach to psychedelics. Mark Haden is a major figure in the field of psychedelic medicines, with a long list of past and present activities and responsibilities. Among—and beyond—these, he is the Clinical Supervisor for the Psychedelic Treatment Program at Qi Integrated Health and the Vice President of Business Development at Clearmind Medicine.  He is an instructor, teaching psychedelic therapy with the ATMA program and has written a book, the Manual for Psychedelic Guides (now in its third edition) which makes this information widely available. Mark served as the Executive Director for MAPS Canada for 10 years and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health. Mark has published numerous articles in respected journals, has presented at conferences and training events in many countries, and was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 for drug policy reform work. Mark also has a well-deserved reputation as an exciting speaker who never fails to engage and surprise audiences. You can read his latest publications and listen to his presentations here: www.markhaden.com

What if healing isn’t just something that happens inside us—but also something that lives in our relationships with the land, the sky, and the more-than-human world around us?In this episode of The Integration Session, Elena is joined by Keith Williams, Andrée-Anne Bédard, and Laura Pustarfi to explore the concept of inner healing intelligence—a central yet undertheorized idea in psychedelic therapy. Drawing from their recent publication in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies, they unpack the origins of inner healing intelligence, its connections to Indigenous philosophies and vitalism, and how it expands psychedelic healing beyond the individual toward ecological and relational dimensions. They also offer ideas about practical ways to study inner healing intelligence and ways that you can connect with your own inner healer. Keith Williams is an Assistant Professor (Educational Studies) at Athabasca University. Keith gardens and swims in the powerful Bay of Fundy tidal environment. His work focuses on better understanding how to be good relations with our more-than-human kin. Keith draws heavily on posthuman and Indigenous thought and he relies heavily on his lived experience with family members—human and otherwise.Andrée-Anne Bédard is the program manager for the Bachelor of Indigenous Midwifery at First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) in Tyendinaga, Mohawk territory. She is a clinical herbalist, educator and researcher with keen interest in the transformative potential of relational education. She is a mother of three and is known in her community to be of a caring and inquisitive nature. Laura Pustarfi, Ph.D., is Director of the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research Certificate Program and adjunct faculty in Philosophy and Religion at CIIS. Her scholarly interests include plant studies, integral ecology, psychedelic philosophy, and environmental humanities, especially environmental philosophy, eco-phenomenology, and religion and ecology. She is co-editor with David Macauley of The Wisdom of Trees: Thinking Through Arboreality.Additional Content Discussed in the Episode:1. Laura’s co-edited book, including a brilliant chapter on arboreal ethics: Macauley, D., & Pustarfi, L. (Eds.). (2025). The Wisdom of Trees: Thinking Through Arboreality. State University of New York Press.2. Colleague Pedro Favaron (professor at PUCP ‘la catolica’ in Lima, poet and filmmaker) recent films about ayawaska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8sU0isQIlY (with English subtitles) and citations for some of his papers that relate directly to ancestral healing among the Shipibo: Favaron, P., & Bensho, C. (2022). Rao bewa: los cantos medicinales del pueblo shipibo-konibo. Literatura: teoría, historia, crítica, 24(2), 139-165.Favaron Peyón, P. M. (2024). La fuerza de la palabra: reflexiones lingüísticas a partir de la etnografía shipibo-konibo. Revista Colombiana de Antropología, 60(1), 127-149.https://asapjournal.com/node/geosemantics-ii-the-sacred-web-of-existence-an-indigenous-womans-good-word/

There’s an ongoing legal fight for access to psychedelics in Canada, including as part of experiential training for psychedelic therapists. But, is it really necessary to have a psychedelic experience in order to be a good psychedelic therapist? What is going on with Health Canada’s confusing response to the issue and where is psychedelic drug policy headed?In this episode, we are joined by two leading voices in the national conversation: John Gilchrist, Director of Communications at TheraPsil, and Eugene Oscapella, lawyer, professor, and long-time drug policy reform advocate at the University of Ottawa. Together, they help us unpack the recent federal court ruling against Health Canada, the debate over experiential training for psychedelic therapists, and the parallels—and differences—between psychedelic policy today and cannabis reform in the past. Tune in to gain insight into the legal and political forces shaping Canada’s path towards evidence-based psychedelic care, and what a more compassionate, responsible regulatory framework might look like moving forward. Eugene Oscapella completed undergraduate studies in economics at the University of Toronto in 1974 and received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ottawa in 1977. He obtained his Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1979. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1980. Mr. Oscapella was associated with the Law Reform Commission of Canada for over 14 years and was the first chairman of that body's Drug Policy Group. Mr. Oscapella was a founding member of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, an independent organization created in 1993 to examine Canada’s drug laws and policies. For several years he sat on the policy committee of the Canadian Criminal Justice Association and later sat on the steering and policy committees of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, formed in 2011. He has appeared many times before Canadian parliamentary committees on drug policy issues, including the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs and the House of Commons Special Committee on the Non-medical Use of Drugs. He has lectured on drug policy issues in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa for over a quarter century and has also lectured and been published widely in Canada and abroad about drug policy issues. In April 2011, he received the Kaiser Foundation National Award for Excellence in Public Policy for his drug policy reform work.John Gilchrist is an ardent supporter of drug policy reform and believes the growing acceptance of psychedelics and psychedelic therapy marks a paradigm shift in the treatment of mental health. John was aware of the healing powers of psilocybin and other psychedelics but was truly blown away by a personal story from a patient in 2021. Since then, John has been focused on doing whatever possible to support the legalization of psychedelic therapy and to help change public perception towards it. He is honoured and privileged to support TheraPsil’s patients alongside such a professional and dedicated team.

What kind of setting is optimal for psychedelic experiences? In research, many contextual factors are underreported, inconsistently reported, or treated like a black box, making it near impossible to answer this question. Thankfully, a recent paper published in Nature Medicine has brought together international experts to advise on how best to solve the issue. In this episode of The Integration Session, we’re joined by the paper’s first author Dr. Chloé Pronovost-Morgan who was involved in a global Delphi study to establish the first-ever standardized guidelines for reporting setting in psychedelic trials. Her team talked to 89 experts from 17 countries to come up with a set of 30 important variables, including ones that you probably haven’t even thought about. We discuss why context in psychedelic trials matters, the implications for drug regulation, and how you can use these guidelines to change the way you study and think about psychedelics. Chloé Pronovost-Morgan is a first-year psychiatry resident with a strong interest in extra-pharmacological determinants of therapeutic outcomes. She holds an MD from McGill University and an MSc in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience from Maastricht University. As part of her master’s, she launched The Delphi Study on Setting at Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research, under the supervision of Dr. Leor Roseman and Dr. Kyle Greenway – an international expert consensus project that led to the development of the ReSPCT guidelines for reporting setting variables in psychedelic clinical trials. Now back in her hometown of Montreal, she hopes to pursue a career as a clinician-scientist in psychiatry.

Have you ever wondered what happens when psychedelics—specifically MDMA, the substance often associated with rave culture—meets couples therapy? The therapeutic potential of MDMA has made waves in both the scientific community and the media, including its use as a tool to enhance couples therapy in the context of trauma. In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by a leading expert in the field—Dr. Anne Wagner—who conducted the first clinical trial of MDMA-assisted couples therapy. We discuss what MDMA really is, its unique effects on the brain and body, and Dr. Wagner’s findings about its promising role for relational healing. Dr. Anne Wagner, C.Psych. (she/her), is a clinical psychologist, speaker, writer and treatment development researcher living in Toronto, Canada. Anne is the founder of Remedy, a mental health innovation community, and Remedy Institute, Remedy’s home for research. She is the lead investigator of the pilot trial of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD + MDMA and the randomized trial of Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD (CBCT) + MDMA, a couples therapy for PTSD. Anne is deeply committed to bridging the worlds of psychotherapy and non-ordinary states of consciousness, and has a passion for its use for relational healing. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology and an Associate Member of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is the Past-Chair of the Traumatic Stress Section of the Canadian Psychological Association, has served as a Global Ambassador for the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, and is a former board member of Casey House, Toronto’s hospital for those living with and at impacted by HIV/AIDS.For more information on her studies, including to apply, please visit www.remedyinstitute.ca.For more information on her clinical practice, please visit www.remedycentre.ca.

Microdosing—commonly defined as the regular consumption of small, unimpairing amounts of psychedelics—is a controversial topic in the psychedelic space. Anecdotal reports claim substantial benefits for mood and creativity, but many scientists are skeptical with mixed findings in the research. So, what’s the truth behind microdosing? To help answer this question, Dr. Rotem Retranker conducted the first double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial on microdosing psilocybin for depression. In this episode of The Integration Session, I ask Rotem about his findings, the potential mechanisms underlying microdosing, different study designs to help determine safety and effectiveness, and his opinion about the future of microdosing psilocybin for mental health. Tune in for this discussion that covers topics on the cutting edge of psychedelic microdosing work. About Dr. Rotem Petranker: Rotem obtained his BSc from the University of Toronto, his Master's from York University, and his PhD from McMaster University. He is the director of the Canadian Centre for Psychedelic Science and co-founder of the Psychedelic Studies Research Program at the University of Toronto. Rotem's research interests are in areas related to sustained attention, emotional regulation, creativity, and their potential relationship with psychedelics. Rotem is dedicated to promoting open science principles in general, and particularly so in the fledgling field of psychedelics. He is clinically interested in the application of psychedelics to treat certain mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and OCD. Rotem recently completed the world's first clinical trial on the effects of microdosing psilocybin on symptoms of depression and is excited to further explicate the mechanisms of action behind psychedelics.