Psychedelics + psychotherapy
Psychedelics and me
I believe that psychedelics can help people, particularly those that have not been helped by Western medicine, psychiatry and psychotherapy.
I think it possible, via known protocols, for most people to take psychedelics safely, and that psychedelics should be available to more people for insight, healing and recreation. I hope psychedelics become more available for responsible use, in the UK and internationally.
I am a member of the interdisciplinary research team at OnAya, a consultant to the British Transpersonal Association, and a member of the UK-based Institute for Psychedelic Therapy (IPT).
(Sorry 😌, but I cannot offer psychedelics, trip sitting or guided dosing sessions)
I offer psychotherapy, which may serve useful in the context of your psychedelic use elsewhere. I do not offer sessions with psychedelics, and could help you only in the most general terms, via information in the public domain, to locate psychedelic-assisted therapy, guided sessions or trip sitting. As a psychotherapist I only offer talking therapy, within the constraints of the relevant laws, my insurance, and my professional regulatory bodies.
My research
My research interest is the reverential use of ayahuasca in small groups for insight and healing.
I am currently researching experiences of ayahuasca for my PhD in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London.
I publish recordings of my talks and other contributions whenever I can.
“Whilst the doors of the temple stand open, night and day, before every man, and the oracles of this truth cease never, it is guarded by one stern condition; this, namely; It is an intuition. It cannot be received at second hand. Truly speaking, it is not instruction, but provocation, that I can receive from another soul. What he announces, I must find true in me, or wholly reject; and on his word, or as his second, be he who he may, I can accept nothing.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Psychedelic integration
If you have had or are planning personal, psychedelic experiences elsewhere, you may wish to discuss that in psychotherapy. Psychedelic experiences can be provocative, frustrating and ambiguous. Psychotherapy offers one way to help make sense of these psychedelic experiences.
In a paid session, I’m happy to talk to you about your past or planned use of psychedelics elsewhere and how it’s relevant to something that’s bothering you. There is no advice that I think works for everyone, no ‘one size fits all’. I don’t take you through a system with steps and materials. What I offer is a focus on you, lead by you, about you - in relation to your work with psychedelics.
I typically work in longer term engagements but, if I have availability, I can offer shorter term 50-minute, 1-1 sessions if you wish to discuss your planned, personal psychedelic use or psychedelic integration. I will aim to help you make sense of what you’re looking for or what happened. My focus generally isn’t about conveying my expertise. However, if you ask, I am happy to discuss my psychedelic knowledge, personal experience, research, career path and so on. I frequently share such information in lectures, YouTubes, podcasts, and social media.
The Bad Trip
While some psychedelic experiences are rewarding and welcome, others can be intensely disturbing. This disturbance can last for years and decades. So by ‘psychedelic integration’, I don’t mean that I will encourage you to uncritically accept problematic experiences. What I encourage is making sense of, and taking a stand on, what happened for you.