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A therapist’s experience with MDMA

I’m a Therapist Who Tried MDMA—Here’s How the Experience Shaped My Perspective on Psychedelic Therapy

Sara Reed, licensed marriage and family therapist, tried MDMA therapy as part of MAPS’ training program. Her experience deepened her understanding of herself and helped her process the loss of her grandmother. 

“As the medicine and the music carried me away, my grandmother appeared. Tears flowed down my face and joy filled my heart. It had been years since I had felt her presence like this. Seeing her in this bright, liberating light was an important part of my grieving process.

She took me to a place I knew existed but had never seen. I traveled to what felt like the essence of the universe, a space of Divinity, a place where I belonged. The vision revealed my presence within this enormous Whole—a place that had no beginning or end, where there is no distinction or separation from love. I call that place home. And for the first time in my adult life, I felt freedom. Me, a young Black woman. Free. Human.”

The experience also made Sara realize that the psychedelics industry needs to prioritize culturally sensitive care to make treatments safer and more accessible for BIPOC communities.

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“I felt joy like I’ve never experienced”

‘I felt more joy than I thought possible’

Steve struggled with depression for 30 years. Traditional antidepressants numbed both his highs and lows, leaving him feeling like a “functional zombie”.

Things finally changed when he volunteered for a psilocybin trial at Imperial College London.  

“With the first dose, I felt joy like I’ve never experienced – and more like myself than I’ve ever felt… It took from not knowing myself at all to having a sense of what my place was in the greater scheme of things,” he said.

The second dose was much more challenging, but “therapeutically more useful,” as it forced him to deal with suppressed emotions.

“The drug gives us part of a healing process. It exposes you to different possibilities – another way of being,” Steve explains.

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Are psychedelics the key to a healthy family dynamic?

‘I Did Ayahuasca With My Parents And It Deepened Our Relationship’

To learn more about psychedelic medicine, Dr. Adele Lafrance attended an ayahuasca ceremony with her parents. It was so transformative that she’s planning to conduct studies on how psychedelics can support healthy family relationships.

She explains that the ceremony “planted the seeds for deeper emotional intimacy” and allowed her family to talk about love in a vulnerable way for the first time. The experience helped her heal from painful childhood memories.

“I felt a level of understanding toward my parents that was so deep, forgiveness wasn’t necessary. It was beautiful.”

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Discovering self-worth with ketamine

Healing my worth: Sarah’s story

Despite having a supportive family and a healthy lifestyle, Sarah had crippling self doubt and suicidal ideation. It wasn’t until she tried ketamine therapy that she realized why she felt these emotions.

The experience revealed that she never healed the scars of feeling unloved during her parents’ divorce. Her dream-like visions on ketamine showed her that separation is a natural part of life, and that she doesn’t need to be perfect to deserve love.

Sarah finally believes “I’m worth being here,’ she says. 

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Reboot your brain 

‘Magic’ Mushrooms, Ecstasy, Other Psychedelics Could Become Legal in California

Marcus Capone, a former Navy SEAL who was battling PTSD, finally got his life back after travelling to Mexico for an ibogaine treatment. 

He instantly felt like a huge weight had been lifted, as if his brain “was rebooted like a new operating system.”

“You can’t hide from the medicine. It’s going to reach down and it’s going to pull out everything that is affecting you,” he explains.

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Ibogaine is a psychedelic substance found in the root  bark of the iboga tree! Learn more here.

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Curing the worst pain known to humans

Take Two Shrooms and Call Me in the Morning: The Medical Promise of Magic Mushrooms

For years, Brad Badelt suffered from debilitating cluster headaches (which are often called “suicide headaches” and described as the worst pain known to humans).

After seeing countless neurologists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and naturopaths, he would still experience the horrible headaches several times a day for weeks on end.

After taking one dose of shrooms, things finally changed. 

“When I woke the next morning, I felt different: the mental fog brought on by my cluster headaches was gone. For the next twelve months, I remained headache free. Every year since, I’ve downed a dose of shrooms, and every year my cluster headaches have remained in remission.”

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Old Town Road to success

Lil Nas X took psychedelic mushrooms for album inspiration

Lil Nas X was honoured as a visionary at the Wall Street Journal’s Innovator Awards after releasing his latest album, ‘Montero’. Were magic mushrooms the secret behind his success?

The artist says that his first-ever mushroom trip was a pivotal moment while recording the album. The experience helped him reflect on himself and break free from feelings of self-consciousness.

“I was able to open up a lot. I was able to write actual stories about my life and put it into my music. I actually did that for the first time,” Nas explained.

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Can shrooms make you a better leader?

Mark Messier on leadership, trust and magic mushrooms

Magic mushrooms may have been the key to this NHL legend’s success.

Mark Messier, the only NHL player to lead two different teams to Stanley Cup championships, said that a magic mushroom trip at age 19 sparked his interest in spirituality and the power of the mind.

“I had no idea the mind was that powerful. Obviously it turned out to be an amazing experience, but more important was the question afterwards: wow, how can I use my mind to empower myself to be a better player, to be a better person, to have more energy, to create a better aura?,” he explains.

The trip inspired Messier to learn about Eastern philosophies, Buddhism, Indigenous spirituality, and meditation, which had a major influence on him both as a player and a leader.

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How shrooms are saving the butterflies!

Monarch butterflies are being wiped out. These combat veterans are trying to save them.

An eye-opening psychedelic journey inspired this former Navy SEAL save the butterflies while helping veterans cope with trauma.

Mark Matzeldelaflor founded a nonprofit called Guardian Grange after a magic mushroom trip showed him the healing power of nature.

“I just reconnected to nature and my past, where I was like a kid in the woods. And I realized there’s so much healing in being outside in nature, getting your hands in the dirt and doing good work,” he said.

The organization provides a safety net for veterans where they can learn about conservation, sustainability and regenerative agriculture while transitioning back to civilian life. Its first major initiatives is to build a preserve for Western monarch butterflies, which have had a 99.9% population decline in California.

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The cure for writer’s block?

Kacey Musgraves on writing new album Star-crossed: “You aren’t owed a visit by the muse. She can visit or not visit”

Was Kacey Musgraves’ new album inspired by shrooms?

Two days before recording Star-crossed, Kacey went on a guided psilocybin journey that brought up a lot of feelings. She laid blindfolded and listened the Johns Hopkins psychedelic therapy playlist, which is curated by neuroscientists to trigger different emotions.

“Music has never sounded so good than it did when I was in that state,” she says. “You notice every nuance of every note. You react viscerally to it. And that served as a lot of the inspiration for the new record.”

She said that psilocybin helps people confront their demons, which “instantly makes them smaller”. After struggling through a recent divorce, the experience helped Musgraves find hope and gratitude for her other relationships in life.