The Integration Session

Want to stay updated on the latest advancements in psychedelic science without reading lengthy scientific papers? Welcome to the first Research Recap, where Elena breaks down three recent studies in psychedelic science, in a digestible format. In this episode, we touch on the potential of psilocybin therapy for mood symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, psychedelic use in eating disorder populations, and how psilocybin could extend cell...

What makes an exceptional psychedelic guide? Should access to psychedelics be as straightforward as obtaining a driver’s license? And what do over 100 studies reveal about psychedelic use outside clinical settings? In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by Dr. Mark Haden, a pioneer in psychedelic research, therapy, and drug policy reform. We discuss his recent study on naturalistic psychedelic use, his influentia...

What if healing isn’t just something that happens inside us—but also something that lives in our relationships with the land, the sky, and the more-than-human world around us?

In this episode of The Integration Session, Elena is joined by Keith Williams, Andrée-Anne Bédard, and Laura Pustarfi to explore the concept of inner healing intelligence—a central yet undertheorized idea in psychedelic therapy. Drawing from their recent publi...

There’s an ongoing legal fight for access to psychedelics in Canada, including as part of experiential training for psychedelic therapists. But, is it really necessary to have a psychedelic experience in order to be a good psychedelic therapist? What is going on with Health Canada’s confusing response to the issue and where is psychedelic drug policy headed?

In this episode, we are joined by two leading voices in the national conver...

What kind of setting is optimal for psychedelic experiences? In research, many contextual factors are underreported, inconsistently reported, or treated like a black box, making it near impossible to answer this question. Thankfully, a recent paper published in Nature Medicine has brought together international experts to advise on how best to solve the issue. 

In this episode of The Integration Session, we’re joined by the paper’s ...

Have you ever wondered what happens when psychedelics—specifically MDMA, the substance often associated with rave culture—meets couples therapy? The therapeutic potential of MDMA has made waves in both the scientific community and the media, including its use as a tool to enhance couples therapy in the context of trauma. In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by a leading expert in the field—Dr. Anne Wagner—who c...

Microdosing—commonly defined as the regular consumption of small, unimpairing amounts of psychedelics—is a controversial topic in the psychedelic space. Anecdotal reports claim substantial benefits for mood and creativity, but many scientists are skeptical with mixed findings in the research. So, what’s the truth behind microdosing? To help answer this question, Dr. Rotem Retranker conducted the first double-blind, placebo-controll...

What makes a great psychedelic study design? As we saw last year with the US FDA rejection of MDMA, it might not be the ‘gold-standard’ randomized controlled trial (RCT)—psychedelic therapy might demand a new kind of science. In this episode, I’m joined by PhD student Marcus Glennon, first author of a recent publication from top researchers across the UK who have put together their best research recommendations for psychedelic stud...

What if the future of psychedelic medicine lies in stories that are largely forgotten in society today?

Long before psychedelic therapy became a billion-dollar industry, it was a radical experiment on the Canadian prairies. Long before LSD grabbed headlines, Indigenous communities were practicing plant-based healing grounded in connection and spiritual ceremony. And well before clinical trials standardized “set and setting,” it was ...

Something big is happening: Canadian researchers have recently secured $5M in funding to advance cancer care with psychedelics. In this episode of The Integration Session, Dr. Ron Shore and Dr. Harriet Richardson provide an inside perspective on CAN-PACT—a national collaborative that’s aiming to transform mental health support in cancer care with high-quality research, clinician training, and policy development. We discuss how psyc...

The story of psychedelic science is not like any other field of research. From ancient rituals to the war on drugs to modern clinical trials, psychedelic science has undergone a significant evolution and we are constantly making new discoveries that change not only our understanding of these mysterious substances but also how we think about the human mind and consciousness itself. So how long until these therapies are accessible to...