SPEAKERS

The author will provide a synthesis of two observational studies on the use of ayahuasca for the treatment of addiction and eating disorders, that were based on similar research design. She will complement findings from her research with experiential knowledge acquired in over two decades of training and collaboration with indigenous plant medicine practitioners, as well as experiences gathered as psychotherapist accompanying patients in the preparation for and integration of sessions with diverse natural psychedelic compounds in intercultural therapeutic settings. Therapeutic experiences indicate that psychedelic plants can support the therapeutic process of a variety of psychological and psychosomatic disorders including addiction, eating disorders, trauma, difficult grief and depression. Therapeutic mechanisms of well-guided plant medicine experiences will be explored that facilitate psychotherapeutic change in mental health challenges. Finally also the shadow side of the use of psychedelic plants will be addressed reflecting on experiences from psychotherapeutic work with patients who have suffered trauma from inappropriate psychedelic use, shedding light on the importance of well structured and supportive contexts in the work with psychedelic plants as well as integration.