31: Beyond Profit: Decolonizing Psychedelic Programs w/Dr. Pilar Hernandez-Wolfe

In this conversation, Pascal Tremblay speaks with Dr. Pilar Hernandez-Wolfe, a counseling psychologist, family therapist, and advocate for ethical and culturally grounded psychedelic practices. Together, they explore the intersections of decolonization, access, and ethics within the rapidly evolving psychedelic space.

Dr. Hernandez-Wolfe shares her personal and professional journey, highlighting her experiences with yagé (ayahuasca), her work in Oregon’s psilocybin-assisted therapy framework (Measure 109), and the challenges of creating inclusive and spiritually integrated training programs.

This episode is for facilitators, therapists, and experts in the psychedelic field looking to navigate the complexities of ethics, reciprocity, and community-based healing.

Key Topics and Themes

• Social Location and Psychedelic Work – How personal and cultural backgrounds shape access, opportunities, and perspectives in medicine work.
• Colonialism and Privilege in Psychedelics – Why the psychedelic industry often mirrors systemic inequalities and how to challenge those dynamics.
• Experiences with Measure 109 (Oregon’s Psilocybin Program) – Insights from working on the initiative, the systemic barriers, and the commercialization of psychedelic care.
• Decolonization and Border Thinking – Bringing Indigenous knowledge, spirituality, and relational ethics into psychedelic spaces.
• The Challenges of Training and Access – The high cost of legal psychedelic therapy training, alternative community-driven education models, and the importance of non-Western ways of knowing.
• The Role of Reciprocity and Spiritual Ethics – Why reconnecting with nature, community, and spiritual practice is essential for the future of psychedelic healing.
•  Introducing Weaving Bridges Natural Fellowship – Dr. Hernandez-Wolfe’s innovative church-based approach to psychedelic education, based on reciprocity, gift economies, and ethical integrity.
• Choosing the Right Psychedelic Training Program – A guide for facilitators on navigating the many available programs, balancing scientific knowledge with spiritual wisdom, and finding ethical alignment.
• The Future of Psychedelic Work – Moving beyond profit-driven models to create truly healing, inclusive, and regenerative spaces.

Quotes from the Episode

• “We need to move beyond the human-centered view and actually ask the mushrooms and the plant medicines what is needed.” 

• “The psychedelic space is still shaped by extractive, capitalist systems—our work is to create alternatives that center reciprocity and ethics.”

• “We don’t all have the answers. Diversity brings richness, just like in nature.”

• “It’s not about the right way or the wrong way—it’s about having spiritual ethics lead the way rather than colonialism and extractive systems.”

Resources and Mentions

• Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass (Book)

• Gloria Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera (Book)

• Measure 109 and Oregon Psilocybin Services – Additional information

• Nectara Mentorship Program – www.nectara.co/interwoven

• Subtle Winds Psilocybin Training (Oregon-based model)