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FREE WEBINAR: Mental Illness and Serotonin Pharmacy: The Interface of Antidepressants with Psychedelics

Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Join this FREE, 90-minute online webinar to gain access to insights and learn about ground-breaking treatments to chronic mental health conditions.

Recent data demonstrates that psychedelic assisted therapies can produce life-changing results in persons that have struggled to find benefit with traditional antidepressants, although there are significant concerns with the compatibility of these two evidence-based approaches to treatment.

Many traditional antidepressants may reduce the therapeutic potential of psychedelics or introduce risks due to dangerous drug interactions. Moreover, current literature underscores the lack of preparedness and difficulty of tapering and stopping antidepressants for many providers and patients.

In this webinar, we will explore the drug interaction potential between antidepressants and psychedelics, compare their mechanisms of action, and summarize practical considerations for persons tapering antidepressants that are interested in psychedelic assisted therapies.

WEBINAR SESSION

Date: Saturday 19 June 2021
Time: 8:55am for 9:00am start – 10:30am (incl Q&A) (AEST)

The presentation WILL BEGIN AT 9:00am.

Location: Online. A link will be emailed to you with the viewing details.

Support these events:

Whilst our webinars are free of charge, we strongly encourage you to make a donation and support our important mission of making these therapies available through our medical system. This can be done at the time of reserving your ticket. Please share these events with your networks.

More about Mind Medicine Australia and medicinal psychedelic-assisted therapies:

Mind Medicine Australia is Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation working on the use of medicinal psilocybin and MDMA-assisted therapies to treat a range of mental illnesses. Mind Medicine Australia exists to help alleviate the suffering caused by our accelerating mental illness epidemic in Australia, through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients.

Unlike current treatments such as anti-depressants, which only manage the illness and can have nasty side effects, psilocybin and MDMA assisted therapies have been scientifically proven to be a safe and effective cure for anxiety, depression, end-of-life stress, addictions and PTSD after just a short treatment program. These medicines are also currently being researched for dementia, eating disorders, OCD and a number of other conditions. Both medicines have been granted Breakthrough Therapy Status by the FDA in the USA to fast-track their approval. This designation is only given to medicines which may prove to be vastly superior to existing treatments.

At Mind Medicine Australia we are dedicated to helping the now global movement to spread this awareness and ensure these medicines are available via the medical system. Please watch and share our 2 minute animation to find out why psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy needs to be available to those who are suffering.

Book your ticket now

Benjamin Malcolm (USA)

PharmD, MPH, BCPP

I envision a society in which access to psychedelic medicines in a variety of safe and supported settings is available for purposes of psychospiritual well-being, personal development, ceremonial sacraments, and treatment of mental illness.

I strive to let my loves and passions guide my activity and provide the canvas my life is painted on. I hope this site can be of service to my vision as well as you.

Professionally, I’m a board certified psychiatric pharmacist that provides psychopharmacology consulting for safe and beneficial psychedelic experiences, courses in psychedelic pharmacy, and a monthly membership program.

On a more personal note, I’m a lover of nature, exercise, music, and consciousness as well as being a husband and father. I’m passionate about cognitive liberty, self-realization, and psychedelic medicines.

Website: spiritpharmacist.com

Dr Alana Roy

Ph. D Psychology, B. A Social Work (MHSW)

Dr Alana Roy is a psychologist, social worker and therapist and has spent the last 13 years working in mental health, suicide prevention, trauma, sexual abuse, family violence and the disability sector. Alana has worked with borderline personality and dissociative identity disorder in various roles in the community such as: Rape Crisis Centres with victims of ritual abuse, childhood and adult sexual assault, supporting women in the sex industry, survivors of human trafficking and now as a psychedelic integration specialist.

Alana focuses on harm reduction, community and connection. She is dedicated to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and plant medicines. She has engaged with, and provides integration therapeutic support services for communities across Australia. Alana works at several universities as a Research Fellow and supervisor of students on placement. Alana passionately advocates for public policy, community education and legislative changes so that these treatments are regulated and supported by a strong, connected and skilled sector.

Learn more about Alana’s experiences in: Psychedelic Medicines: How My Journey Into The Jungle Changed My Life

The Fundamentals of Psychedelic-Assisted therapies Course

See what the program will cover here

Mind Medicine Australia is delighted to announce the launch of a new online course, The Fundamentals of Psychedelic-Assisted therapies for Mental Health. This course will help people understand the foundations of psychedelic-assisted therapies and the application of their use in the treatment of chronic mental illness. This course is open to anyone with an interest in the topic.

This course will be presented by, Dr Tra-ill Dowie and Nigel Denning.

Psychedelic Fundamentals Overview >>

Together we can evolve the state of mental health treatment in Australia, and lead the world in advancing holistic medicine.

COURSE INFORMATION

Dates:

Webinar 1 – Wednesday 15 September 2021 – The Science and History of Psychedelic Medicine

Webinar 2 – Wednesday 22 September 2021  – Theory of Mind & Altered State Based Therapy

Webinar 3 – Wednesday 29 September 2021 – Frameworks For Integrating the Transcendent Experience

Webinar 4 – Thursday 7 October 2021 – The Future of Psychedelic Medicine and Paradigm Shift

Time: 6pm – 7:30pm (incl Q&A) (AEST)

The presentation WILL BEGIN AT 6pm.

Location: Online. A link will be emailed to you when you purchase the course.

Book your ticket now

Dr Tra-ill Dowie

PhD

Dr Traill Dowie is a polymath philosopher, academic, psychotherapist, minister of religion and martial artist. He holds dual PhDs in Philosophy and Psychiatry. Traill is a co-founder of the Mind Medicine Institute, the head of school at Ikon Institute, a research fellow at La Trobe University in Philosophy, sub-editor of the Philosophy International Journal (Medwin Press) and has also trained with the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and completed their clinician qualification.

Traill is a lifelong martial artist, holding black belts in multiple disciplines. He has worked professionally as both an athletic and performance coach for high level athletes, including world champions, at a national and international level.

Growing up in the Northern Territory, Traill spent a lot of time on country where he developed an interest in ethnomedicine and traditional healing practices. This interest led Traill to Dr Raphael Locke, an anthropologist, psychoanalyst, consciousness researcher and initiated Iroquois shaman. Traill apprenticed with Dr Locke in shamanic practice for 20 years and has explored ethno-medicine and traditional practices across Australia, Asia, Central America and North America. This interest in healing and state-based technologies has been coupled with his interest in psychotherapy and psychology.

Traill has 25 years of experience working as a clinician in a variety of settings including in private practice and organisations. He began his career working in eco-psychotherapy and wilderness therapy working with complex presentations. Traill has worked in both in-patient and outpatient settings focusing on the treatment of complex trauma. Traill was the co-founder of Integrative Psychology where he co-authored a paper with his colleagues Nigel Denning and Linda Tilgner, which was tabled at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He worked with Nigel Denning to develop a protocol for individual and group psychotherapy for victims of cult abuse. Traill also chaired the Australian Counselling Association’s Trauma Standards Panel.

Nigel Denning

MA, MPsych

Nigel Denning is a Counselling Psychologist with 30 years of experience in the mental health sector.  He is the Managing Director and co-founder of Integrative Psychology and the Mind Medicine Institute.

Nigel’s expertise covers developmental trauma, institutional abuse, family violence, attachment disorder, relationship therapy and advanced concentration meditation.  He works with individuals, couples, families, groups and organisations.  Nigel has been involved in therapy and court reporting on several hundred cases from the Royal Commission into Childhood Institutional Sexual Abuse.  Nigel is a former Family Violence Coordinator for Relationships Australia. He has conducted research at the University of Melbourne, Faculty of Medicine, under the supervision of Professor Kelsey Hegarty on male perpetrator typologies. For over 10 years Nigel facilitated group psychotherapy for male perpetrators of family violence.  Nigel is an expert in trauma.

Nigel has extensive experience with psychedelic work internationally.  He began working with altered states of consciousness 35 years ago when he was introduced to Holotropic Breathwork through the guidance of Alf and Muriel Foote.  Twenty-five years ago, Nigel began to work with Dr Stanislav Grof, one of the leading pioneers in the clinical application of psychedelics.  Nigel co-founded the world’s first Spiritual Emergency Centre based on Grof’s work, in partnership with Tav Sparks, Director of Grof Transpersonal Training in North Carolina.  He was also lucky to meet Dr Albert Hoffman at a workshop organised by Grof at HR Geiger’s Museum/Gallery in Gruyere Switzerland. Nigel has also trained with the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and successfully completed their clinician qualification. Nigel is passionate about educating clinicians into the potential of non-ordinary state work when done ethically and skillfully.

Introductory 2-Day Workshop for Psychedelic Therapies

Read the testimonials

The event will also feature a two-day pre-Summit Introductory Workshop Program (17-18 November) led by Nigel Denning, Dr Tra-ill Dowie with world-leading therapist trainer Dr Bill Richards (USA) from Johns Hopkins University. It is for anyone with an interest in the topic and who is considering further development of their current therapeutic skills or who are eager to gain a detailed understanding of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of mental illness.

It will cover an introductory background history to psychedelic medicines, how they work and how they are applied in research and clinical settings. There will be a significant practical component focussing on integration of experiences – how to understand and use the kinds of experience commonly encountered when using these substances for better self-understanding and how trained therapists might help someone apply them in their own lives.

While not providing a qualification of any kind, attendees can obtain non-accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificates (related to your professional registration) for attending.

Medicine-assisted therapy is not yet legal in Australia, outside of a research context. However, given the impressive early clinical evidence to date, and the near-term regulatory changes predicted in the US and EU subject to forthcoming data, these workshops will contribute to preparing the Australia context for regulatory changes in the coming years.

The workshops will cover all three phases of medicine-assisted therapy: preparation, medicine session, and integration. Workshops will incorporate the theoretical (neuroscience, psychology, psychotherapy), practical (instruction in methods of service provision), and experiential elements of treatment (process learning that deepens and develops clinicians’ capacity).

Mind Medicine Australia Summit
2 day Introductory Therapist Workshop

Wednesday 17 November

9.00am (AEDT) Welcome to Country and Psychedelic video with music

9.15 Our contemporary mental healthcare system, our mental health emergency and
psychedelic-assisted therapies as an important new direction

9.45 Overview of Psychedelics

11:00 – 11.20 MORNING TEA BREAK

11.20 Overview of Psychedelics (continued)

12.00 Small group discussions

12.45 Feedback, Questions and Reflections

1.00 – 2.00 LUNCH BREAK

2.00 – 4.00 Psychedelic-assisted therapies

4.00 – 4.20 AFTERNOON TEA BREAK

4.20 Reflection on Day – Discussion Groups and Q & A

Thursday 18 November

9.00 – 9.15 (AEDT) Meditation/Reflection

9.15 Bill Richards – Core Competencies for Psychedelic Therapists

11.15 MORNING TEA BREAK

11.30 Bill Richards and Tania de Jong AM – The Power of Music with Psychedelics

12.30 – 1.30 LUNCH BREAK

1.30 Integration And Metacognitive Skills

2.30 Discussion Groups on Integration – Personal experience, thoughts and reflection

3.15 Questions and discussions

4.00 – 4.20 AFTERNOON TEA

4.20 The Future – Certificate in Psychedelic Therapy Professional Development Program

5.00 Final Closing Comments and Meditation

Read the testimonials

Nigel Denning

MA, MPsych

Nigel Denning is a Counselling Psychologist with 30 years of experience in the mental health sector.  He is the Managing Director and co-founder of Integrative Psychology and the Mind Medicine Institute.

Nigel’s expertise covers developmental trauma, institutional abuse, family violence, attachment disorder, relationship therapy and advanced concentration meditation.  He works with individuals, couples, families, groups and organisations.  Nigel has been involved in therapy and court reporting on several hundred cases from the Royal Commission into Childhood Institutional Sexual Abuse.  Nigel is a former Family Violence Coordinator for Relationships Australia. He has conducted research at the University of Melbourne, Faculty of Medicine, under the supervision of Professor Kelsey Hegarty on male perpetrator typologies. For over 10 years Nigel facilitated group psychotherapy for male perpetrators of family violence.  Nigel is an expert in trauma.

Nigel has extensive experience with psychedelic work internationally.  He began working with altered states of consciousness 35 years ago when he was introduced to Holotropic Breathwork through the guidance of Alf and Muriel Foote.  Twenty-five years ago, Nigel began to work with Dr Stanislav Grof, one of the leading pioneers in the clinical application of psychedelics.  Nigel co-founded the world’s first Spiritual Emergency Centre based on Grof’s work, in partnership with Tav Sparks, Director of Grof Transpersonal Training in North Carolina.  He was also lucky to meet Dr Albert Hoffman at a workshop organised by Grof at HR Geiger’s Museum/Gallery in Gruyere Switzerland. Nigel has also trained with the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and successfully completed their clinician qualification. Nigel is passionate about educating clinicians into the potential of non-ordinary state work when done ethically and skillfully.

Dr Tra-ill Dowie

PhD

Dr Traill Dowie is a polymath philosopher, academic, psychotherapist, minister of religion and martial artist. He holds dual PhDs in Philosophy and Psychiatry. Traill is a co-founder of the Mind Medicine Institute, the head of school at Ikon Institute, a research fellow at La Trobe University in Philosophy, sub-editor of the Philosophy International Journal (Medwin Press) and has also trained with the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and completed their clinician qualification.

Traill is a lifelong martial artist, holding black belts in multiple disciplines. He has worked professionally as both an athletic and performance coach for high level athletes, including world champions, at a national and international level.

Growing up in the Northern Territory, Traill spent a lot of time on country where he developed an interest in ethnomedicine and traditional healing practices. This interest led Traill to Dr Raphael Locke, an anthropologist, psychoanalyst, consciousness researcher and initiated Iroquois shaman. Traill apprenticed with Dr Locke in shamanic practice for 20 years and has explored ethno-medicine and traditional practices across Australia, Asia, Central America and North America. This interest in healing and state-based technologies has been coupled with his interest in psychotherapy and psychology.

Traill has 25 years of experience working as a clinician in a variety of settings including in private practice and organisations. He began his career working in eco-psychotherapy and wilderness therapy working with complex presentations. Traill has worked in both in-patient and outpatient settings focusing on the treatment of complex trauma. Traill was the co-founder of Integrative Psychology where he co-authored a paper with his colleagues Nigel Denning and Linda Tilgner, which was tabled at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He worked with Nigel Denning to develop a protocol for individual and group psychotherapy for victims of cult abuse. Traill also chaired the Australian Counselling Association’s Trauma Standards Panel.

Dr William (Bill) Richards (USA)

Ph.D.

Dr William A. Richards (Bill), author of Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences, is Director of Therapy at Sunstone Therapies in Rockville, Maryland (USA), currently focused on the implementation of psychedelic-assisted therapies in palliative care.

Bill also is the co-founder of research at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research where he contributed to the rebirth of research with colleagues from 1999-2023, and teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies and for MMA’s Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies™. Bill’s graduate degrees encompass the psychology of religion, theology,  comparative religion and clinical psychology.

Bill’s involvement with psychedelic research originated in Germany at the University of Göttingen in 1963.  From 1967 to 1977, he pursued research with LSD, DPT, MDA and psilocybin at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center.

International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness, Melbourne, Australia

Mind Medicine Australia will hold a two-day International Summit on Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Illness online in November 2021, bringing together clinicians, scientists, academics, mental and public health professionals, philanthropists, Government, law and policy makers, business, industry, investors, consumers and other interested stakeholders.

The event will also feature a two-day pre-Summit introductory workshop program (17-18 November) for anyone with an interest in the topic and who is considering further development of their current therapeutic skills or who are eager to gain a detailed understanding of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of mental illness.

Read the summit testimonials here

The two-day Introductory Workshop for Psychedelic Therapies is open to anyone with an interest in the topic and who is considering further development of their current therapeutic skills. It is particularly for those who are aiming to work in this field as and when these therapies become legally available in Australia.

It will cover an introductory background history to psychedelic medicines, how they work and how they are applied in research and clinical settings. There will be a significant practical component focussing on integration of experiences – how to understand and use the kinds of experience commonly encountered when using these substances for better self-understanding and how trained therapists might help someone apply them in their own lives. While not providing a qualification of any kind, attendees can obtain non-accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificates (related to your professional registration) for attending.

The workshop will also provide a taster for the contents of the longer Professional Development Program for clinicians and trained therapists due to commence early in 2021. Please note that the introductory workshop is not a prerequisite for anyone wishing to go on to apply for the full course, and also unfortunately cannot guarantee acceptance. The longer training will include teaching by internationally recognised leaders in the field and will follow the highest standards for recognised medicine-assisted psychotherapy training.

The Summit will feature a rich program with a mixture of international and national keynotes, workshops, hot spots and panel conversations.

View the workshop program View the full summit program

Leading international speakers confirmed for the 2-day summit and Mind Medicine Australia Ambassadors include: Professor David Nutt (UK) Head of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London and lead advisor on psilocybin assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression, Dr Gabor Maté (Canada) renowned trauma and addiction physician, Johann Hari (UK) journalist and bestselling author, Dr Ben Sessa (UK) psychiatrist, researcher and writer and currently leading the Imperial College trials on using MDMA therapy for alcohol dependence, Dr Robin Carhart-Harris (UK) Head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, Francoise Bourzat (USA) Counselor and Author, Wade Davis (Canada) Anthropologist, ethnobotanist and Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society, Dr William Richards (USA) Psychologist in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Dr Lynn Marie Morski (USA) President of the Psychedelic Medicine Association,  Professor Matthew Johnson (USA) Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with a focus on psychedelic research for the treatment of mental illness, Dr Adele Lafrance (USA / Canada) Clinical Psychologist and Research Scientist, Hon Andrew Robb AO Former Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism in Australia, Patrycja Slawuta (USA) Researcher & Psychologist, Dr Gabby Agin-Liebes (USA) Psilocybin researcher and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Admiral Chris Barrie AC (AUS) Past Chair of the Australian Defence Force and Strategic Leadership Consultant, Dr Kate Pate (USA) Neurophysiologist and writer, Dr Reid Robinson (USA) Psychedelic Psychiatrist and writer, Dr Adam Gazzaley (USA) Founder & Executive Director – Neuroscape, Shlomi Raz (USA) Chairman and CEO of Eleusis, Kelsey Ramsden (Canada) Co-Founder, CEO & President of Mindcure, John Skerritt (AUS) Deputy Secretary, Health Products Regulation Group – TGA, Dr Simon Longstaff (AUS) Executive Director of The Ethics Centre, Dr Eli Kotler (AUS) Psychiatrist and Director of Medicine at Malvern Private Hospital… and more to be announced.

Key themes will include:

Psychedelic therapies have been granted Breakthrough Therapy status by the FDA in the USA due to current promising research in the treatment of depression and PTSD. We look forward to collaborating with you to explore psychedelic treatment options to help address the mental health crisis we currently face, and offer treatments to those who need it most.

We are delighted to extend an invitation to you and your colleagues to gather online in November 2021.

Together we can change the paradigm for mental health.

FREE WEBINAR: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for psychiatrists from a trauma-informed perspective

Book your ticket now

Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Join this FREE, 75-minute online webinar to gain access to insights and learn about ground-breaking treatments to chronic mental health conditions.

Dr Eli Kotler and Mind Medicine Australia will share a special presentation on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for psychiatrists from a trauma-informed perspective. Dr Kotler is a consultant psychiatrist, holds an academic position at Monash University through the Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, and is the medical director of Malvern Private Hospital, the first addiction hospital in Australia. He is a member of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD).

Dr Kotler is also one of the 50 students in the first intake of Mind Medicine Australia’s Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (CPAT) with psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, GPs, addiction specialists, social workers, occupational therapists and counsellors.

Nigel Denning and Dr Tra-ill Dowie also will provide an overview of Mind Medicine Australia’s Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (CPAT). CPAT is Australia’s first training in psychedelic medicine work. It presents a model of psychotherapy that integrates emergent research and practice literature on brain science and psychedelics/empathogens and links this field with best practice in psychotherapy.

Nigel has developed the CPAT course in conjunction with his colleague Dr Tra-ill Dowie. Nigel is a long term student of and collaborator with Dr Stanislav Grof, one of the pioneers of medicine work and the founder, along with his late wife Christina Grof, of Holotropic Breathwork, an analogue process for medicine work.

This session will share some of the key features of the CPAT course. Nigel will also present a model of practice that provides support and psychoeducation about medicine work for patients, best practice in supporting medicine sessions and a model of integration and ethical treatment termination using a defined treatment term of no more than 20 weeks.

Following the presentation there will be a Q & A Panel with Eli Kotler, Peter Hunt AM, Tania de Jong AM, Nigel Denning and Dr Tra-ill Dowie. They will answer your questions and discuss, the CPAT Course and other support offered, and next steps forward for Australia in this exciting field.

WEBINAR SESSION

Date: Wednesday 22 Dec 2021
Time: 5:55pm for 6:00pm start – 7:15pm (incl Q&A) (AEDT)

The presentation WILL BEGIN AT 6:00pm. (AEDT)

Location: Online. A link will be emailed to you with the viewing details.

Support these events:

Whilst our webinars are free of charge, we strongly encourage you to make a donation and support our important mission of making these therapies available through our medical system. This can be done at the time of reserving your ticket. Please share these events with your networks.

Dr Eli Kotler

MBBS MPM FRANZCP Cert. Old Age Psych. AFRACMA

Eli is a consultant psychiatrist and psychodynamic psychotherapist. He is the Medical Director of Malvern Private Hospital, an addiction and trauma hospital in Melbourne. Eli completed the inaugural CPAT course, and has since been on its faculty. He was appointed as the course’s Australian Course Director in 2023.

As a psychiatric trainee, Eli was awarded the Royal College of Psychiatrists Trainee Prize for his Scholarly Project on Depression, as well as a Research Committee Trainee award for his work on Philosophy of Mind. As an adjunct lecturer at Monash University, he oversees medical students on their addiction medicine rotation, and sneaks in lectures on Philosophy of Mind, Psychodynamic Psychiatry and Psychedelic Assisted Therapies (PAT). He has been invited as a key-note speaker by the RANZCP and International Psychoanalytic Association to lecture on PAT. He has been invited by the Victorian Government to design new addiction programs and works with the AFL players association.

Eli is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, and is a member of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs. He also has extensive research experience with novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. He sits on the Victorian Medical Panels, and is an expert witness in historical abuse cases.

Clinically, Eli works in a psychodynamic framework, and attempts to help his patients find freedom from their addictions and trauma through relational experiences, and experiential self-awareness. He is actively treating patients in Australia with MDMA-assisted therapy.

Dr Tra-ill Dowie

PhD

Dr Traill Dowie is a polymath philosopher, academic, psychotherapist, minister of religion and martial artist. He holds dual PhDs in Philosophy and Psychiatry. Traill is a co-founder of the Mind Medicine Institute, the head of school at Ikon Institute, a research fellow at La Trobe University in Philosophy, sub-editor of the Philosophy International Journal (Medwin Press) and has also trained with the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and completed their clinician qualification.

Traill is a lifelong martial artist, holding black belts in multiple disciplines. He has worked professionally as both an athletic and performance coach for high level athletes, including world champions, at a national and international level.

Growing up in the Northern Territory, Traill spent a lot of time on country where he developed an interest in ethnomedicine and traditional healing practices. This interest led Traill to Dr Raphael Locke, an anthropologist, psychoanalyst, consciousness researcher and initiated Iroquois shaman. Traill apprenticed with Dr Locke in shamanic practice for 20 years and has explored ethno-medicine and traditional practices across Australia, Asia, Central America and North America. This interest in healing and state-based technologies has been coupled with his interest in psychotherapy and psychology.

Traill has 25 years of experience working as a clinician in a variety of settings including in private practice and organisations. He began his career working in eco-psychotherapy and wilderness therapy working with complex presentations. Traill has worked in both in-patient and outpatient settings focusing on the treatment of complex trauma. Traill was the co-founder of Integrative Psychology where he co-authored a paper with his colleagues Nigel Denning and Linda Tilgner, which was tabled at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He worked with Nigel Denning to develop a protocol for individual and group psychotherapy for victims of cult abuse. Traill also chaired the Australian Counselling Association’s Trauma Standards Panel.

Nigel Denning

MA, MPsych

Nigel Denning is a Counselling Psychologist with 30 years of experience in the mental health sector.  He is the Managing Director and co-founder of Integrative Psychology and the Mind Medicine Institute.

Nigel’s expertise covers developmental trauma, institutional abuse, family violence, attachment disorder, relationship therapy and advanced concentration meditation.  He works with individuals, couples, families, groups and organisations.  Nigel has been involved in therapy and court reporting on several hundred cases from the Royal Commission into Childhood Institutional Sexual Abuse.  Nigel is a former Family Violence Coordinator for Relationships Australia. He has conducted research at the University of Melbourne, Faculty of Medicine, under the supervision of Professor Kelsey Hegarty on male perpetrator typologies. For over 10 years Nigel facilitated group psychotherapy for male perpetrators of family violence.  Nigel is an expert in trauma.

Nigel has extensive experience with psychedelic work internationally.  He began working with altered states of consciousness 35 years ago when he was introduced to Holotropic Breathwork through the guidance of Alf and Muriel Foote.  Twenty-five years ago, Nigel began to work with Dr Stanislav Grof, one of the leading pioneers in the clinical application of psychedelics.  Nigel co-founded the world’s first Spiritual Emergency Centre based on Grof’s work, in partnership with Tav Sparks, Director of Grof Transpersonal Training in North Carolina.  He was also lucky to meet Dr Albert Hoffman at a workshop organised by Grof at HR Geiger’s Museum/Gallery in Gruyere Switzerland. Nigel has also trained with the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and successfully completed their clinician qualification. Nigel is passionate about educating clinicians into the potential of non-ordinary state work when done ethically and skillfully.

Peter Hunt AM

B.Com, LL.B

As an investment banker Peter Hunt AM advised local and multi-national companies and governments in Australia for nearly 35 years.  He co-founded one of Australia’s leading investment banking advisory firms, Caliburn Partnership and was Executive Chairman of Greenhill Australia. Peter was a member of the Advisory Panel of ASIC and chaired the Vincent Fairfax Family Office.

Peter is an active philanthropist involved in funding, developing and scaling social sector organisations which seek to create a better and fairer world.  He is Chairman of Mind Medicine Australia which he established with his wife, Tania de Jong, in 2018. He regularly presents to Governments, regulators, clinicians, philanthropists and the general public on psychedelic-assisted therapies and the legal and ethical frameworks needed to ensure these treatments can be made accessible and affordable. He was the lead author of Mind Medicine Australia’s successful rescheduling applications for MDMA and psilocybin, which made Australia the first country in the world to reschedule these medicines.

He founded Women’s Community Shelters in 2011. Peter is a Director of The Umbrella Foundation. Peter also acts as a pro bono adviser to Creativity Australia.  He was formerly Chairman of So They Can, Grameen Australia and Grameen Australia Philippines.

Peter was made a member of the General Division of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2010 for services to the philanthropic sector.

Tania de Jong AM

LL.B (Hons), GradDipMus

Tania de Jong AM is the co-Founder and Executive Director of Mind Medicine Australia. She regularly presents on psychedelic-assisted therapies, mental health and wellbeing at major conferences and events around the world and to Governments, regulators, clinicians, philanthropists and the general public.

Tania is one of Australia’s most successful female entrepreneurs and innovators developing 6 businesses and 4 charities including Creative Universe, Creativity Australia and With One Voice, Umbrella Foundation, Creative Innovation Global, Pot-Pourri and The Song Room.

Tania was named in the 100 Women of Influence, the 100 Australian Most Influential Entrepreneurs and named as one of the 100 most influential people in psychedelics globally in 2021. Tania’s TED Talk has sparked international interest. Tania has garnered an international reputation as a performer, speaker, entrepreneur and a passionate leader for social change. Her mission is to change the world, one voice at a time!

Book your ticket now

Special Keynote with Professor David Nutt (UK) and other researchers in-conjunction with Monash University Neuromedicines Discovery Centre

Book Your Tickets Here

Join us on Friday 25th November for an afternoon event:

Special Keynote with Professor David Nutt (UK) and other researchers at Monash University Neuromedicines Discovery Centre.

“Next Generation Medicines for Better Mental Health”

12 – 5pm, Friday 25th November 2022

Lecture Theatre 3, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville 3052

Registration: https://forms.gle/4BTs1BhVzoa17mjt5

Symposium Program:

OUR PARTNERS:

Prof David Nutt (UK)

BA, MB BChir, MRCP, MA, DM, MRC Psych, FRCPsych, FMedSci, FRCP, FSB

Renowned researcher, policy advisor and author, Professor David Nutt, is currently Head of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London and the Chair of Drug Science.

Under the leadership of Professor Nutt, the Psychedelic Research Group at Imperial College is one of the world’s foremost psychedelic research laboratories, publishing landmark research on psychedelic therapies and neuroimaging studies of the psychedelic state.

Professor Nutt has also held many leadership positions in both UK and European academic, scientific and clinical organisations, including presidencies of: the European Brain Council, the British Neuroscience Association, the British Association of Psychopharmacology, the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

He was previously Chair of the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Prof Arthur Christopoulos

BPharm, PH.D, FAA, FAHMS

Arthur Christopoulos is Professor of Analytical Pharmacology, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Director of the Neuromedicines Discovery Centre, Monash University, Parkville, Australia. Prior to his appointment as Dean, he was a Senior Principal Research Fellow of the NHMRC. His work focuses on novel paradigms of drug action at G protein-coupled receptors, the largest drug-target class for current medicines, and has been applied to fundamental and translational studies encompassing neurological and psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and chronic pain.

Professor Christopoulos has over 340 publications, including in leading journals such as Nature, Science and Cell. He has also been the recipient of multiple major national and international awards. Since 2014-present, Clarivate Analytics have named him a Highly Cited Researcher in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and in 2021 also named him a Highly Cited Researcher in Biology & Biochemistry. In 2017, he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and in 2021 was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

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FREE WEBINAR: What Psychiatrists and other Clinicians need to know about Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies

Book your ticket now

Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Join this FREE WEBINAR presented by Dr Ben Sessa (UK) and Dr Eli Kotler.

On 3 February 2023, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced that, from the 1st July 2023, the medical use of MDMA and Psilocybin will be rescheduled from Schedule 9 (prohibited substances) to Schedule 8 (controlled medicines) of the Poisons Standard. This will enable authorised psychiatrists to prescribe these substances for treatment resistant depression and treatment resistant post-traumatic stress disorder. The decision acknowledges the enormous number of Australians who lodged their submissions in support and the fact that treatment resistant patients aren’t benefitting from currently available treatments. Australia can be very proud of the fact that we are the first nation in the World to reschedule these medicines for medical purposes and Australia is now an innovative leader in the treatment of mental illness.

Mind Medicine Australia is receiving hundreds of enquiries about the way this program is likely to work in practice, as well as enormous interest in medicine supplies, clinician training and costs to patients.

As a result, we are thrilled to announce that renowned psychiatrist, Dr Ben Sessa (UK) together with Dr Eli Kotler will share a special presentation on psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) for psychiatrists and other clinicians. They will provide a high level overview of the use of PAT and its application for your patients from a trauma-informed perspective.

Chairman of Mind Medicine Australia, Peter Hunt AM will discuss next steps for Australia including the opportunities emerging for psychiatrists and clinical sites to deliver these treatments, affordable medicine supplies, the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Course (CPAT) and updates on the global Faculty and other support offered, clinical reporting obligations and access to Real World Evidence and outcome data.

WEBINAR SESSION (this session is for psychiatrists and other clinicians)

Date: Thursday 27 April 6pm Melbourne AEST
Time: 5:55pm for 6:00pm start – 7:30pm (incl Q&A) (AEST)
The presentation will commence at 6:00pm and conclude by 7:30pm
Location: Online. A link will be emailed to you with the viewing details

In this session, Dr Sessa (UK) will explore how psychedelic-assisted therapies works by explaining:

Following the presentation there will be a Q & A Panel with Dr Ben Sessa (UK), Dr Eli Kotler, Peter Hunt AM and Tania de Jong AM.

The event is free of charge. However, we welcome donations (tax deductible) to advance our critical mission towards ensuring these therapies become available and accessible to medical practitioners and their patients. This may be done at the time of reserving your ticket.

Due to the nature of this presentation, ONLY verified psychiatrists and clinicians will be admitted into the session.

At a time when mental illness is increasing across the population, we all need to work together to encourage innovation in treatments to support and heal the millions who are suffering immensely.

Please do let us know any questions.

Looking forward to you joining us for this unique, educational event.

Dr Eli Kotler

MBBS MPM FRANZCP Cert. Old Age Psych. AFRACMA

Eli is a consultant psychiatrist and psychodynamic psychotherapist. He is the Medical Director of Malvern Private Hospital, an addiction and trauma hospital in Melbourne. Eli completed the inaugural CPAT course, and has since been on its faculty. He was appointed as the course’s Australian Course Director in 2023.

As a psychiatric trainee, Eli was awarded the Royal College of Psychiatrists Trainee Prize for his Scholarly Project on Depression, as well as a Research Committee Trainee award for his work on Philosophy of Mind. As an adjunct lecturer at Monash University, he oversees medical students on their addiction medicine rotation, and sneaks in lectures on Philosophy of Mind, Psychodynamic Psychiatry and Psychedelic Assisted Therapies (PAT). He has been invited as a key-note speaker by the RANZCP and International Psychoanalytic Association to lecture on PAT. He has been invited by the Victorian Government to design new addiction programs and works with the AFL players association.

Eli is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, and is a member of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs. He also has extensive research experience with novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. He sits on the Victorian Medical Panels, and is an expert witness in historical abuse cases.

Clinically, Eli works in a psychodynamic framework, and attempts to help his patients find freedom from their addictions and trauma through relational experiences, and experiential self-awareness. He is actively treating patients in Australia with MDMA-assisted therapy.

Dr Ben Sessa (UK)

MBBS, B.SC, MRC PSYCH

For over 15 years Dr Ben Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic and cannabis research and clinical medicine in the UK through his affiliations with Imperial College London. Ben qualified as a medical doctor from UCL in 1997 and went on to specialise in psychiatry. For 25 years he has worked as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with young people and adult patients in the field of addictions and trauma-related psychiatry.

Ben started studying psychedelics as a junior doctor and has taken part in research projects at Bristol University, Cardiff University and Imperial College London with LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ketamine and MDMA – receiving and/or administering all of these compounds in legal research settings.

One of the first doctors to develop the field of contemporary psychedelic research in the UK, he was the former co-founder, former CEO, and subsequently the former Head of Psychedelic Medicine at Awakn Life Sciences, a Bio-Tech company carrying out psychedelic research into addictions. Awakn opened four clinical centres in the U.K. and Europe, providing psychedelic psychotherapy with ketamine, for a wide range of psychiatric indications, as well as an extensive R&D psychedelic research program.

Ben was one of the first Medical Cannabis psychiatric prescribers in the UK.

Ben is a trained MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin therapist. He has led research into MDMA-assisted therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder and is published widely in the academic and medical press.

Ben is the co-founder and past president of the Breaking Convention conference. He is the author of The Psychedelic Renaissance (2012/2017), the novel ‘To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic’ (2015) and Altered States (2021). Ben lives and works in Bristol, UK.

Website: www.drsessa.com

Peter Hunt AM

B.Com, LL.B

As an investment banker Peter Hunt AM advised local and multi-national companies and governments in Australia for nearly 35 years.  He co-founded one of Australia’s leading investment banking advisory firms, Caliburn Partnership and was Executive Chairman of Greenhill Australia. Peter was a member of the Advisory Panel of ASIC and chaired the Vincent Fairfax Family Office.

Peter is an active philanthropist involved in funding, developing and scaling social sector organisations which seek to create a better and fairer world.  He is Chairman of Mind Medicine Australia which he established with his wife, Tania de Jong, in 2018. He regularly presents to Governments, regulators, clinicians, philanthropists and the general public on psychedelic-assisted therapies and the legal and ethical frameworks needed to ensure these treatments can be made accessible and affordable. He was the lead author of Mind Medicine Australia’s successful rescheduling applications for MDMA and psilocybin, which made Australia the first country in the world to reschedule these medicines.

He founded Women’s Community Shelters in 2011. Peter is a Director of The Umbrella Foundation. Peter also acts as a pro bono adviser to Creativity Australia.  He was formerly Chairman of So They Can, Grameen Australia and Grameen Australia Philippines.

Peter was made a member of the General Division of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2010 for services to the philanthropic sector.

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CLINCIANS’ WEBINAR: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Q&A

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Join this FREE WEBINAR. Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Q&A for Clinicians

Presented by Dr Lauren Macdonald (UK), Dr Ted Cassidy & Peter Hunt AM

There are only a matter of weeks to go until MDMA & psilocybin-assisted therapies become available in Australia outside of clinical trials. Clinicians are filled with questions, as they wonder how things will progress once July 1st comes.

And so we would like to invite students and graduates of our CPAT program and other clinicians to join us for this important Q&A session. It will be illuminating and clarifying for all.

In this session, we will cover:

1. What’s going to happen from July?

Co-founder of Monarch Mental Health Dr Ted Cassidy & Chair of MMA Peter Hunt AM will answer questions from community members such as:

  1. How does the authorised prescriber process work?
    What will the roll out look like at a clinic actively offering PAT?
    What do doctors interested in supporting PAT need to know?
    What options exist for non-psychiatrists wanting to get started working with PAT?

2. What’s it like working as a psychedelic therapist?

Dr Lauren Macdonald from Imperial College London will share her perspective on the experience of working clinically with psychedelics. You’ll learn:

  1. How to develop as a skillful, safe and ethical psychedelic-assisted therapist.
  2. What are some of the biggest challenges for clinicians entering this space to consider?
  3. What advice would you give to clinicians before their first dosing session?

We’ll be accepting written questions before and during the webinar. You’ll find a link to submit questions in your confirmation email.

Date: Tuesday 6 June 2023

Time: 6:25pm for 6:30pm start – 7:45pm (incl Q&A) (AEST)
The presentation WILL BEGIN AT 6:30pm.

Location: Online. A link will be emailed to you with the viewing details

Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

More about medicinal psychedelic treatments:

Psychedelic-assisted treatments offer enormous potential in providing a meaningful alternative to current treatments for mental illness. PTSD is a debilitating condition that affects tens of millions of people worldwide, with many more trauma victims diagnosed with comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders. In recent clinical trials, MDMA has been shown to produce reliable clinical improvements, restoring patient safety and self-agency even for individuals who have suffered with PTSD for many years, and for whom many treatments have failed.

The wave of clinical psychedelic research and regulatory support is rapidly building, with experts forecasting the availability of psychedelic-assisted treatments in the US and EU within the next 2 to 5 years, subject to positive clinical outcomes in large trials that are currently underway.

FREE WEBINAR: Swimming in the Sacred – Wisdom from the Psychedelic Underground

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Join this FREE WEBINAR. Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Swimming in the Sacred – Wisdom from the Psychedelic Underground

Presented by Dr Rachel Harris (USA)

Based on her book by the same title, Dr. Harris will report on interviews with fifteen women elders who have been guiding underground journeys for at least twenty years and some for thirty or more. The interviews were personal and extensive, exploring themes rather than how-to instructions—presence, commitment to self-healing, apprenticeship, medicines as on-going process, relationship with medicines, clearing energy, self-responsibility. The women make careful distinctions between personal history and numinous experience. They live in both this world and an unseen world where time is not linear, intuition is paramount and intention is everything. These women are not psychedelic therapists and although some are indigenously trained, they are best described as priestesses in the model of the Eleusinian Mysteries. These elder guides represent an alternative way of being with entheogens, distinct from the medical research model. Their roots predate the current psychedelic renaissance and reach back into the original protocols still used today. These women are a rare source of insight and experience that the new trove of psychedelic therapists and researchers would be wise to consider.

EVENT DETAILS

DATE: Wednesday 6th September
TIME: 11:55am (AEST) for 12:00pm start, finishing at 1:15pm
DURATION: 75 minutes (incl Q&A)
LOCATION: Online – a link will be emailed to you with the viewing details

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Dr Rachel Harris
Psychologist
PhD

Rachel Harris, PhD is a Psychologist with both a research and clinical background. She was in the 1968 Residential Program at Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA and remained on the staff for a few years. During the decade she worked in academic research, Rachel received a New Investigator’s Award from the National Institutes of Health and published over forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals. Rachel was in private psychotherapy practice for thirty-five years specializing in people interested in psychospiritual development. Rachel is the author of Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety (New World Library, 2017) and Swimming in the Sacred: Wisdom from the Psychedelic Underground (New World Library, 2023).

—

MEDICINAL PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENTS

Psychedelic-assisted treatments offer enormous potential in providing a meaningful alternative to current treatments for mental illness. PTSD is a debilitating condition that affects tens of millions of people worldwide, with many more trauma victims diagnosed with comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders. In recent clinical trials, MDMA has been shown to produce reliable clinical improvements, restoring patient safety and self-agency even for individuals who have suffered with PTSD for many years, and for whom many treatments have failed.

The wave of clinical psychedelic research and regulatory support is rapidly building, with experts forecasting the availability of psychedelic-assisted treatments in the US and EU within the next 2 to 5 years, subject to positive clinical outcomes in large trials that are currently underway.

SUPPORT PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH AND THERAPY DEVELOPMENT

Your donation to Mind Medicine Australia will help us accelerate the availability and best practice of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in Australia. We are a small organisation doing big things – we need your support. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation.

Melbourne Introductory Workshop for Clinicians, Interested Professionals and Leaders on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies with Dr Ben Sessa (UK)

Book your ticket now

Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Half day workshop presented by Mind Medicine Australia featuring Dr Ben Sessa (UK):

Introductory Workshop for Clinicians, Interested Professionals and Leaders on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies with Dr Ben Sessa (UK)

A limited number of Medical and Allied Health Students may also register for these very special workshops.

Dr Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic research for over 15 years through his affiliations with Bristol University and Imperial College London, under the auspices of Professor David Nutt. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this fast developing field in Australia.

In this workshop, Dr Sessa (UK) will explore how psychedelic-assisted therapies works by explaining:

  1. Neuropharmacology of MDMA and psilocybin and dosing protocols
  2. Preparing the therapist + facility/clinic
  3. What to expect / how to be ready
  4. Key features of the “set and setting”
  5. The “patient journey”
  6. Patient selection (inclusion and exclusion criteria, when to know that PAT might be the most appropriate next option)
  7. Obtaining consent (key concepts / risks to explain)
  8. Supportive care during drug tapering
  9. Preparation sessions
  10. Treatment sessions
  11. Appropriate behaviours
  12. Managing edge cases
  13. Key differences to standard therapy approaches
  14. Managing integration

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is for any professional who wants to learn more about the rapidly emerging field of psychedelic medicine and the use of psychedelic-assisted therapies in clinical practice. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a global clinician and researcher in the field. It will provide you with knowledge and skills to more effectively educate your clients and colleagues about these newly available transformational therapies.

It is of even greater value for those who are interested in transitioning to work in the psychedelic medicine space now or in the future.

Tickets are strictly limited and early bird ticket offer ends on October 20. Please register now before you miss out.

EVENT DETAILS

DATE: Tuesday 14 November 2023
TIME: 10:00am until 1:00pm workshop with catered lunch from 1:00pm-2:00pm
LOCATION: 468 St Kilda Road Melbourne

Book your ticket now

Dr Ben Sessa (UK)

MBBS, B.SC, MRC PSYCH

For over 15 years Dr Ben Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic and cannabis research and clinical medicine in the UK through his affiliations with Imperial College London. Ben qualified as a medical doctor from UCL in 1997 and went on to specialise in psychiatry. For 25 years he has worked as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with young people and adult patients in the field of addictions and trauma-related psychiatry.

Ben started studying psychedelics as a junior doctor and has taken part in research projects at Bristol University, Cardiff University and Imperial College London with LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ketamine and MDMA – receiving and/or administering all of these compounds in legal research settings.

One of the first doctors to develop the field of contemporary psychedelic research in the UK, he was the former co-founder, former CEO, and subsequently the former Head of Psychedelic Medicine at Awakn Life Sciences, a Bio-Tech company carrying out psychedelic research into addictions. Awakn opened four clinical centres in the U.K. and Europe, providing psychedelic psychotherapy with ketamine, for a wide range of psychiatric indications, as well as an extensive R&D psychedelic research program.

Ben was one of the first Medical Cannabis psychiatric prescribers in the UK.

Ben is a trained MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin therapist. He has led research into MDMA-assisted therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder and is published widely in the academic and medical press.

Ben is the co-founder and past president of the Breaking Convention conference. He is the author of The Psychedelic Renaissance (2012/2017), the novel ‘To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic’ (2015) and Altered States (2021). Ben lives and works in Bristol, UK.

Website: www.drsessa.com

Public Lecture in Canberra: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies: The New Frontier in Treating Mental Illness

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The Australian National University and Mind Medicine Australia are delighted to present an International Public Lecture featuring renowned psychiatrist and researcher, Dr Ben Sessa (UK), live in person.

Dr Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic research for over 15 years through his affiliations with Bristol University and Imperial College London, under the auspices of Professor David Nutt. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this fast developing field in Australia.

In this lecture, he will explain:

After Dr Sessa’s lecture, he’ll be joined onstage with Prof Paul Fitzgerald for discussion and Q&A with the audience.

Tickets are strictly limited. Please register now to secure your seat.

 

EVENT DETAILS

DATE: Wednesday 15 November 2023
TIME: 6:30pm start, finishing at 8:30pm
DURATION: 120 minutes (incl Q&A)
LOCATION: ANU College of Law, 5 Fellows Road, Ground Floor, South Wing Law Theatre Acton, ACT 2601

 

Book your ticket now

Dr Ben Sessa (UK)

MBBS, B.SC, MRC PSYCH

For over 15 years Dr Ben Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic and cannabis research and clinical medicine in the UK through his affiliations with Imperial College London. Ben qualified as a medical doctor from UCL in 1997 and went on to specialise in psychiatry. For 25 years he has worked as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with young people and adult patients in the field of addictions and trauma-related psychiatry.

Ben started studying psychedelics as a junior doctor and has taken part in research projects at Bristol University, Cardiff University and Imperial College London with LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ketamine and MDMA – receiving and/or administering all of these compounds in legal research settings.

One of the first doctors to develop the field of contemporary psychedelic research in the UK, he was the former co-founder, former CEO, and subsequently the former Head of Psychedelic Medicine at Awakn Life Sciences, a Bio-Tech company carrying out psychedelic research into addictions. Awakn opened four clinical centres in the U.K. and Europe, providing psychedelic psychotherapy with ketamine, for a wide range of psychiatric indications, as well as an extensive R&D psychedelic research program.

Ben was one of the first Medical Cannabis psychiatric prescribers in the UK.

Ben is a trained MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin therapist. He has led research into MDMA-assisted therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder and is published widely in the academic and medical press.

Ben is the co-founder and past president of the Breaking Convention conference. He is the author of The Psychedelic Renaissance (2012/2017), the novel ‘To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic’ (2015) and Altered States (2021). Ben lives and works in Bristol, UK.

Website: www.drsessa.com

Prof Paul Fitzgerald

MBBS, MPM, Ph.D, FRANZCP

Paul Fitzgerald is Professor of Psychiatry at Monash University and Director of the Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health based at Epworth Camberwell. He is a qualified psychiatrist, has a Masters of Psychological Medicine and research PhD. His main clinical and academic interest is in the development, evaluation and clinical translation of new therapies for mental health conditions. His research program has been mainly focussed on various forms of brain stimulation including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial alternating current stimulation, magnetic seizure therapy and deep brain stimulation.

He has conducted over twenty clinical trials in depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, autism and Alzheimer’s disease along with numerous experimental studies. He has established multiple clinical TMS services, is a founder and board member of TMS Clinics Australia, and established Australia’s first TMS clinical training program. He has had continual NHMRC grant support for almost 20 years.

Canberra Introductory Workshop for Clinicians on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies with Ben Sessa (UK)

Book your ticket now

The Australian National University School of Medicine and Psychology and Mind Medicine Australia are delighted to present a half-day Introductory Clinicians’ Workshop on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies with Dr Ben Sessa (UK).

 

Dr Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic research for over 15 years through his affiliations with Bristol University and Imperial College London, under the auspices of Professor David Nutt. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this fast developing field in Australia.

In this workshop, Dr Sessa (UK) will explore how psychedelic-assisted therapies works by explaining:

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is for any healthcare professional who wants to learn more about the rapidly emerging field of psychedelic medicine and the use of psychedelic-assisted therapies in clinical practice. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a global clinician and researcher in the field. It will provide you with knowledge and skills to more effectively educate your clients and colleagues about these newly available transformational therapies.

It is of even greater value for those who are interested in transitioning to work in the psychedelic medicine space now or in the future.

 

EVENT DETAILS

DATE: Thursday 16 November 2023
TIME: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
LOCATION: ANU, 54 Mills Road, Florey Building Flexible Learning Space, Level 2 Acton, ACT 2601

 

Book your ticket now

Dr Ben Sessa (UK)

MBBS, B.SC, MRC PSYCH

For over 15 years Dr Ben Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic and cannabis research and clinical medicine in the UK through his affiliations with Imperial College London. Ben qualified as a medical doctor from UCL in 1997 and went on to specialise in psychiatry. For 25 years he has worked as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with young people and adult patients in the field of addictions and trauma-related psychiatry.

Ben started studying psychedelics as a junior doctor and has taken part in research projects at Bristol University, Cardiff University and Imperial College London with LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ketamine and MDMA – receiving and/or administering all of these compounds in legal research settings.

One of the first doctors to develop the field of contemporary psychedelic research in the UK, he was the former co-founder, former CEO, and subsequently the former Head of Psychedelic Medicine at Awakn Life Sciences, a Bio-Tech company carrying out psychedelic research into addictions. Awakn opened four clinical centres in the U.K. and Europe, providing psychedelic psychotherapy with ketamine, for a wide range of psychiatric indications, as well as an extensive R&D psychedelic research program.

Ben was one of the first Medical Cannabis psychiatric prescribers in the UK.

Ben is a trained MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin therapist. He has led research into MDMA-assisted therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder and is published widely in the academic and medical press.

Ben is the co-founder and past president of the Breaking Convention conference. He is the author of The Psychedelic Renaissance (2012/2017), the novel ‘To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic’ (2015) and Altered States (2021). Ben lives and works in Bristol, UK.

Website: www.drsessa.com

Sydney Introductory Workshop for Clinicians, Interested Professionals and Leaders on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies with Dr Ben Sessa (UK)

Book your ticket now

Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Half day workshop presented by Mind Medicine Australia featuring Dr Ben Sessa (UK):

Sydney Introductory Workshop for Clinicians, Interested Professionals and Leaders on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies

A limited number of Medical and Allied Health Students may also register for these very special workshops.

Dr Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic research for over 15 years through his affiliations with Bristol University and Imperial College London, under the auspices of Professor David Nutt. He brings a wealth of knowledge to this fast developing field in Australia.

In this workshop, Dr Sessa (UK) will explore how psychedelic-assisted therapies works by explaining:

  1. Neuropharmacology of MDMA and psilocybin and dosing protocols
  2. Preparing the therapist + facility/clinic
  3. What to expect / how to be ready
  4. Key features of the “set and setting”
  5. The “patient journey”
  6. Patient selection (inclusion and exclusion criteria, when to know that PAT might be the most appropriate next option)
  7. Obtaining consent (key concepts / risks to explain)
  8. Supportive care during drug tapering
  9. Preparation sessions
  10. Treatment sessions
  11. Appropriate behaviours
  12. Managing edge cases
  13. Key differences to standard therapy approaches
  14. Managing integration

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is for any professional who wants to learn more about the rapidly emerging field of psychedelic medicine and the use of psychedelic-assisted therapies in clinical practice. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a global clinician and researcher in the field. It will provide you with knowledge and skills to more effectively educate your clients and colleagues about these newly available transformational therapies.

It is of even greater value for those who are interested in transitioning to work in the psychedelic medicine space now or in the future.

Tickets are strictly limited and early bird ticket offer ends on October 20. Please register now before you miss out.

EVENT DETAILS

DATE: Friday 17 November 2023
TIME: 10:00am until 1:00pm workshop with catered lunch from 1:00pm-2:00pm
LOCATION: Sydney University, Susan Wakill Health Building, Seminar Room 322

Book your ticket now

Dr Ben Sessa (UK)

MBBS, B.SC, MRC PSYCH

For over 15 years Dr Ben Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic and cannabis research and clinical medicine in the UK through his affiliations with Imperial College London. Ben qualified as a medical doctor from UCL in 1997 and went on to specialise in psychiatry. For 25 years he has worked as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with young people and adult patients in the field of addictions and trauma-related psychiatry.

Ben started studying psychedelics as a junior doctor and has taken part in research projects at Bristol University, Cardiff University and Imperial College London with LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ketamine and MDMA – receiving and/or administering all of these compounds in legal research settings.

One of the first doctors to develop the field of contemporary psychedelic research in the UK, he was the former co-founder, former CEO, and subsequently the former Head of Psychedelic Medicine at Awakn Life Sciences, a Bio-Tech company carrying out psychedelic research into addictions. Awakn opened four clinical centres in the U.K. and Europe, providing psychedelic psychotherapy with ketamine, for a wide range of psychiatric indications, as well as an extensive R&D psychedelic research program.

Ben was one of the first Medical Cannabis psychiatric prescribers in the UK.

Ben is a trained MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin therapist. He has led research into MDMA-assisted therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder and is published widely in the academic and medical press.

Ben is the co-founder and past president of the Breaking Convention conference. He is the author of The Psychedelic Renaissance (2012/2017), the novel ‘To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic’ (2015) and Altered States (2021). Ben lives and works in Bristol, UK.

Website: www.drsessa.com

FREE WEBINAR: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture

Book your ticket here

Join this FREE WEBINAR. Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture.

Presented by Dr Gabor Maté (Canada)

 

Half of North American adults suffer from chronic illness – this fact is viewed by Western medicine largely in terms of individual predisposition and habits. Western medicine imposes two separation of which neither are tenable scientifically.

First, Western practice separates mind from the body – largely assuming most chronic illnesses as having nothing to do with people’s emotional or psychological experiences. And yet, a large and irrefutable body of research has clearly shown that physiological and behavioural functioning of human beings can be understood only if we integrate our bodily functions with those of the mind: functions such as awareness, emotions, our interpretations of and responses to events, and our relationships with other people.

Second, Western practice views people’s health as separate from the social environment, ignoring social determinants of health such as class, gender, economic status, and race. In reality, such factors are far more important influences on health and longevity than solely individual predispositions and personal factors such as genes, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and so forth.

This webinar will show you how a society dedicated to material pursuits rather than genuine human needs and spiritual values stresses its members, undermines healthy child development and dooms many to chronic illness – from diabetes to heart disease, from auto immune conditions to cancer. Dr Gabor Maté’s talk will also weave in the importance of psychedelic-assisted therapies to help us heal from a range of mental stresses exacerbated by our increasingly toxic and traumatised world.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

  1. How to identify the two separations imposed by Western Medicine on the health and well-being of the population
  2. Three chronic conditions that are correlated with stressful social environments
  3. One shift in focus that would support a healthier population

You will then have the opportunity to ask Dr Maté any questions.

EVENT DETAILS

DATE: Tuesday 5th December
TIME: 12:55pm (AEDT) for 1:00pm start, finishing at 2:15pm
DURATION: 75 minutes (incl Q&A)
LOCATION: Online – a link will be emailed to you with the viewing details

—

MEDICINAL PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENTS

Psychedelic-assisted treatments offer enormous potential in providing a meaningful alternative to current treatments for mental illness. PTSD is a debilitating condition that affects tens of millions of people worldwide, with many more trauma victims diagnosed with comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders. In recent clinical trials, MDMA has been shown to produce reliable clinical improvements, restoring patient safety and self-agency even for individuals who have suffered with PTSD for many years, and for whom many treatments have failed.

The wave of clinical psychedelic research and regulatory support is rapidly building, with experts forecasting the availability of psychedelic-assisted treatments in the US and EU within the next 2 to 5 years, subject to positive clinical outcomes in large trials that are currently underway.

SUPPORT PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH AND THERAPY DEVELOPMENT

Your donation to Mind Medicine Australia will help us accelerate the availability and best practice of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in Australia. We are a small organisation doing big things – we need your support. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation.

DISCLAIMER

Mind Medicine Australia does not encourage or facilitate illegal use of psychedelics or plant medicines. MMA focus is focused on clinical and legal use only supported by the emerging science and legislative processes. Mind Medicine Australia reserves the right to record and publish webinars on various social media platforms. You agree that you will not discuss any names, locations or specific details of illegal use of psychedelics both verbally or via any written forms of communication via Mind Medicine Australia social media platforms i.e. Facebook, Instagram or zoom private and public chat forms during the webinar. Breaches of these guidelines may result in not being able to participate in the event. We thank you for support and cooperation on these matters. Mind Medicine Australia is focused specifically on the clinical application of medicinal psilocybin and medicinal MDMA for certain mental illnesses.

Dr Gabor Maté CM (Canada)

BA, MD, Doctor of Laws (honoris causa)

Gabor Maté (pronounced GAH-bor MAH-tay) is a retired physician who, after 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of five books published in nearly 40 languages, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. For his ground-breaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. His most recent book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture is a New York Times and international bestseller.

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