New Advancements in Psychedelic Integration - Mapping the Mind 2020

Panelists: Lauren Taus, Dawn Decunha, Deanna Rogers, Robin Banister and Joe Moore (moderator). In this panel a group of psychedelic therapists, facilitators, and guides delve into our evolving understanding of psychedelic integration. They examine questions around how the integration process can facilitate or hinder transformative and healing experiences with psychedelics. The discussion touches on topics including the role of peer support in the healing process, whether therapists should be required to have personal experiences, and the perils of spiritual bypassing and how to avoid them. ------------------ Lauren Taus Licensed in both NY and CA, Lauren Taus is a psychotherapist with over ten years of experience in the field. Lauren works actively with ketamine assisted psychotherapy in her Venice Beach based, private practice where her father is her primary prescribing MD. Lauren is also trained by MAPS in their MDMA assisted therapy protocol, and she eagerly looks forward to integrating this tool in her work. Lauren's approach is relational, body based and integrative. She draws primarily from Gestalt, IFS and somatic experience. She has 20+ years as a yoga teacher, and she invites her clients to come home to their bodies through feeling more than thinking. Lauren also hosts a podcast called Inbodied Life that focuses on mental health and psychedelics. Lauren's deepest wish is to use her direct service work and her voice to support the larger movement of decriminalization and de-stigmatization so that people can get the healing that they deserve in a just and equitable world. -------- Dawn DeCunha Dr. Dawn DeCunha is a clinical psychologist, with an active practice in Toronto, Canada. She is a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario and the Canadian Register of Health Service Psychologists. She is the founder of Psychology Works, a community-based clinic providing psychological assessment and treatment. Her trauma informed practice has included extensive work in Family, Civil and Criminal Court. More recently, she turned her attention to the most promising area of research the history of psychology: Psychedelic Assisted Research and Therapy. Dr. DeCunha is a graduate of the prestigious post-graduate program in Psychedelic Research and Therapy, at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is also fully trained by Compass Pathways and is currently engaged in Phase 2 clinical trials investigating Treatment Resistant Depression and Psilocybin. Her training in psychedelic research and therapy is recognized by Health Canada, the FDA as well as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as specialized therapy training for novel pharmaceutical treatment protocols in Phase 11b clinical trials. She provides psychedelic consulting to organizations and looks forward to training new therapists in preparation for Phase III clinical trials. -------- Deanna Rogers Deanna has been working with plant medicines for the last decade and with the Temple of the Way of Light since 2013 after following a deep call to the jungle. She has worked with hundreds of people encompassing many aspects of plant medicine experiences: applicant assessment, program design, preparation, retreat facilitation, group processing and integration support. Her goal is to empower people to cultivate deep connection to self, to help integrate trauma and align to their path going forward. She has trained with and is inspired by Indigenous Curanderos, Dr. Gabor Maté and is currently studying Somatic Experiencing. -------- Robin Banister Robin is a bilingual therapist and holds a Masters-level degree in Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy. Her professional life is divided amongst private practice in Toronto as well as being a founding member and Mental Wellness Director at Rise Wellness Retreats. This company focuses on the mental health benefits of psilocybin and safely incorporating it into an individual's wellness journey, with her role emphasizing the preparation and integration of a psychedelic experience. Robin received training in Psychedelic Integration for clinicians by Fluence as well as Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy training. -------- Moderator: Joe Moore Joe is a co-founder of Psychedelics Today. He is a long time student of psychedelics, psychology, and of the pioneering psychedelic psychiatrist, Dr. Stanislav Grof. After discovering the work of Dr. Stanislav Grof in 2001, Joe began studying psychedelics. In 2003 he started participating heavily in Holotropic Breathwork workshops. Joe spent time community organizing in Boston around permaculture, psychedelics, breathwork, shamanism and more. His biggest event in Boston was the “Ayahuasca Monologues” in 2011. In addition to running Psychedelics Today, Joe coordinates Breathwork workshops in Breckenridge, Colorado. Joe previously spent 15-years in the software industry