Interviews:

Listen as I describe my path to integrating trauma-informed, psychedelic-assisted therapy in my clinical practice. I share how, early in my career, I worked with families whose loved ones had been murdered by a serial killer. I found that the models I had been trained in were not enough to address the profound spiritual trauma my clients experienced as they struggled to make sense of such horrific loss. This realization led me to begin practicing Buddhism and eventually to live in Asia, where I deepened my understanding of human suffering. While working with people from Thailand and Tibet who had endured trauma, I witnessed how cultural perspectives shape the ways we make meaning out of tragedy and resilience. I also facilitated group therapy for child sexual abuse survivors, where I discovered that while some approaches were effective for certain individuals, they were not universally helpful. From these experiences, I came to conceptualize trauma as impacting the mind, body, and spirit, all of which must be addressed in healing. I describe my initial skepticism toward psychedelic therapies, coming from a place of purism, but share how my perspective shifted as I learned more about their effectiveness. Immersing myself in advanced training and certification, I began working with clients using psychedelics in therapeutic contexts. I also discusses the breadth of her training across multiple trauma-healing approaches. I highlight Somatic modalities such as Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy; Desensitization-based methods like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Brainspotting; and Parts models including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Voice Dialogue, and Ego State Therapy. I explain how client factors often determine which approach is the best fit for a given individual. Throughout our conversation, I emphasize my commitment to helping clients heal from PTSD as efficiently as possible. This integrative vision inspired my book, The Thriving Self: A New Paradigm for Healing the Mind, Body and Spirit and Moving Beyond It.