Co-hosts Em, Libby and Abby wrap up the season with increased knowledge, uncertainty about psychedelic American cultures, and an OnlyFans livestream. Tune in for a sneak preview of upcoming bonus content and plans for Season Two.
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Co-host Em talks with medical anthropologist Dr. Aidan Seale-Feldman. Roundtable participants Em, Allison, Ben, and Jackson talk post-secular America, how to yearn, and cigarettes vs. no helmets.
Dr. Aidan Seale-Feldman is a medical and psychological anthropologist interested in affliction and its treatments. As a Professor of Anthropology at University of Notre Dame, Dr. Seale-Feldman has spent the last decade researching mass affliction, the rise of global mental health, and primarily Western humanitarian psycho-social intervention. On this subject, she has a book coming out in December with University of Chicago Press entitled The Work of Disaster: Crisis and Care Along a Himalayan Faultline, and she has also served as a main partner for the international project “Phantoms or Phantasies: Somatic Disorders and Embodied Experiences of Loss in Changing Therapeutic Contexts.” Dr. Seale-Feldman is currently leading an interdisciplinary project “Ethical Substance: Psychedelic Medicine in Times of Social and Spiritual and Social Crisis,” which is funded by the John Templeton foundation. Here, she examines the dissatisfaction with the current psychiatric establishment and the increasing cultural fascination with psychedelic medicine.
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Co-host Libby talks with Illinois State Representative Lindsey LaPointe. Roundtable participants Libby, Nick, and Molly talk social workers in government, diversity and cost of the social work field, and good news as an oasis in our current political hellscape.
Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, former social worker who earned her degree at University of Illinois at Chicago, is currently serving her third term as State Representative of the 19th District on Chicago’s Northwest Side. Lindsey’s priorities include making health care, including mental health care, more affordable and accessible; supporting teachers and first responders who strengthen the communities in her district; and ensuring Illinois’ tax system is fair to everyone—not just the very wealthy. Lindsey has been a long-time advocate for protecting critical human services, violence prevention programs, and reforming our criminal justice system to align with evidence-based and humane practices that have proven to make communities safer at a much lower cost to taxpayers.
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Co-host Libby talks with Bia Labate about Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicine and activist research. Roundtable participants Libby and Willa talk comparative healing models, calls to action, and responsibilities for up-and-coming social workers.
Dr. Labate is the co-founder and executive director of Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicine. Chacruna aims for a world where psychedelics are understood, protected, honored, and valued and advances psychedelic justice through uplifting voices of women, queer communities, indigenous peoples, people of color and the Global South. Dr. Labate is an anthropologist, educator, author, speaker, and activist who is committed to the protection of sacred plants and uplifting marginalized voices in the psychedelic science field.
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Co-host Em talks with Andi Walsh about legal care in psychedelic social work. Roundtable participants Em, Ben, and Sara talk access, bringing politics into integration, and Bejeweled™.
Amanda "Andi" M. Walsh is an attorney and social worker by training, or as she likes to say, “a lawyer with a social worker’s heart.” Her passion is to promote healing for communities through systems and policy change, a passion that is rooted in her and her family’s story of multigenerational trauma and poverty. Her educational and professional experience is also rooted in this lived experience with a focus on legal aid, policy, advocacy, and program and organizational development. She is particularly drawn to innovative, holistic, and relational models of care that not only provides healing tools at the individual and family levels, but also addresses the systemic barriers interfering with those same healing goals (also known as social determinants of health).
As a first-generation college student, she completed her undergraduate studies at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she designed an interdisciplinary major in “Justice and Mental Health” and a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. She then received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she was a Civitas ChildLaw Fellow and completed certificates in Child and Family Law and Public Interest Law. She also obtained her Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) in Mental Health and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Health Law and Policy, also from Loyola.
Following her graduate studies, Andi stayed in Chicago working first as a legal aid attorney for families living in poverty facing mental health challenges and then moved into policy as head of the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership. In summer 2023, Andi moved to eastern Oregon, where she now works as the Senior Health Policy Advisor for the Children’s Institute. In this role, she continues to advocate for policies and systems to address the health needs and overall stability for children and families statewide, particularly through an intergenerational lens.
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Co-host Libby talks with Belinda Eriacho about indigenous practices and histories. Roundtable participants Libby, Shaleyah, Veda, and Dani talk erasure of indigenous histories, animism, and the fight to heal.
Belinda is of Dine’ (Navajo) and A:shiwi (Pueblo of Zuni) descent. She is the founder of Kaalogii, which focuses on cultural and traditional teaching and inner healing. She holds degrees in Health Sciences, Technology, and Occupational and Environmental Health, In addition, has completed training in the MAPS MDMA-Assisted Therapy, EMDR Therapy, and Ketamine Assisted-Therapy programs. She is also a board member and co-founder of the Church of the Eagle and the Condor, a Native American Engagement Coordinator for SoundMind, a member Psychedelic Association of Arizona, and was recently involved with the State of Colorado’s Federally Recognized American Tribes and Indigenous Community Working Group as part of the rollout of the Natural Medicine Regulation and Legalization. She is an author of articles on topics impacting Native American communities. In addition, a contributing author to several psychedelic books that help bring innerstanding of indigenous views and bridging gaps of understanding.
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Further recommendations from today’s guest:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOJPqwhJkes
- Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair by Hilary Giovale
- My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Co-host Abby talks with Dr. Hanna Molla about her psychedelic research in the De Wit lab. Roundtable participants Abby, Shaleyah, and Michelle talk interdisciplinary work, spirituality in research, and their favorite compliments.
Dr. Molla is an instructor and postdoctoral researcher under the mentorship of previous guest, Dr. Harriet de Wit in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience Research Department at University of Chicago. Dr. Molla’s research focuses on neural and cognitive effects of drug use and she has a particular interest in cannabanoids and psychedelic compounds.
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Co-host Em talks with Illinois State Representative Theresa Mah about the HOPE Pilot Program. Roundtable members Em, Laura, and Sara discuss pragmatist approaches, DSM-5 politics, and uncertain futures.
Representative Mah represents the 24th district in the Illinois General Assembly. Rep. Mah holds a PhD in Modern American History and has served as a senior advisor in Governor Pat Quinn’s administration, as chair and vice-chair on the healthcare licenses committee, co-chair of the progressive caucus, co-chair of the Illinois Asian-American legislative caucus, and a member of the house executive committee. She is a passionate advocate in the areas of civil rights, immigrant rights, workers’ rights, consumer protection, healthcare access, and workforce and education development. Today, Rep. Mah talks to us about the HOPE Pilot Program, which is being filed parallel to the CURE Act, which legalizes psilocybin-assisted therapy.
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Co-host Libby talks with licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist Jordan Dobrowski. Roundtable members Libby, Keagan, and Giulia discuss ableism in the psychedelic space, non-ordinary states of consciousness, and k-holes.
Jordan Dobrowski (she/they) is a licensed clinical social worker with experience in providing psychotherapy to youth and adults in both English and Spanish. She received her Masters in Social Work with certificates in trauma-informed care and culturally responsive mental health care for immigrant families from the University of Chicago in 2018. In addition to their private practice, Willow & Leaf Counseling, Jordan has been an educator for Naropa University and the Integrative Psychiatry Institute’s Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy training programs. Jordan orients their work on anti-oppressive and client-centered practices drawing from ACT, IFS, EMDR and other expressive modalities. Her clinical interests include chronic illness, neurodivergence, sexual and gender identity development, treatment-resistant depression, trauma, co-dependency and cultural concerns. She identifies as neurodiverse, chronically ill, and queer.
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Building off of last week’s episode, co-host Abby talks with licensed psychologist Vilmarie Narloch. Roundtable members Abby, Grace, and Jackson debate the ins and outs of nonprofit funding, the anticapitalist potential of psychedelics, and Jackson’s status as “alternative.”
Dr. Vilmarie Narloch is a co-founder and director of The Sana Healing Collective, a Chicago-based non-profit organization committed to the development of psychedelic-assisted therapy alongside other integrative practices. Dr. Narloch is an activist, advocate for science- and reality-based drug education, and harm reductionist. Her work focuses on individual and group psychedelic-assisted therapy and views the profession through a humanistic lens.
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Show notes:
- Sounds of Sana Album: https://sanahealingcollective.org/soundsofsana
- Sign-ups for Creative Healing: Using Art to Deepen Psychedelic Preparation and Integration (May 3rd, 2025): https://sanahealingcollective.org/events/creativehealing
- Sana Collective’s Donation Page: https://sanahealingcollective.org/donate
Audibly ailing co-host Em talks with licensed psychologist and professor Geoff Bathje. Roundtable members Em, Shaleyah, Ben, and Ana discuss the individualism-collectivism spectrum, cultures of healing, and believing in the power of planes.
Geoff Bathje is a co-founder of The Sana Healing Collective, a Chicago-based non-profit organization committed to the development of psychedelic-assisted therapy alongside other integrative practices. Dr. Bathje’s own work focuses primarily on substance use and addiction, multicultural issues, trauma, and the mind-body connection in therapy. Alongside his research on cultural competence, harm reduction, and the medicinal use of psychedelics, Dr. Bathje is deeply invested in community psychology, community organizing and activism, and intersectional approaches to social justice.
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Co-host Libby talks with MAPS Global Impact Officer. Roundtable members Libby, Sara, and Anna discuss harm reduction, the limits of behavioral health therapies and community-specific frameworks for psychedelics.
Natalie Lyla Ginsberg earned her Masters in Social Work at University of Columbia in New York, founded the policy and advocacy department at MAPS, and now serves there as a Global Impact Officer. She’s also worked to address racial discrimination in drug policy by aiding in cannabis legalization efforts in New York and is the co-founder of the Jewish Psychedelic Summit.
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Newly forged co-host Abby talks with Dr. Darron Smith about psychedelic research within and for marginalized communities. Roundtable members Abby, Ben, Shaleyah, and Kaitlin discuss equity in research, mindfulness techniques, and alternative modes of healing like beds of nails.
Darron Smith is an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he teaches in the physician assistant program, MEDEX. He serves on the advisory board at Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicine and is on the board of directors for Roots to Harmony Institute for Expanded Consciousness. His research areas address the need for psychedelic-assisted therapies in the Black community and the effects of systemic subjugation on mental and physical health of marginalized groups.
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Co-host Em talks with Illinois State Senator Rachel Ventura about the proposed Illinois CURE Act. Roundtable members Em, Courtney, Jack, and Michelle discuss regulars at city council meetings, public advocacy, and the tension between spirituality and service center licensure.
Senator Ventura represents the 43rd district in the Illinois State Senate. Her record demonstrates a deep engagement with environmental justice, the criminal justice system, the rights of migrants and non-citizens, public education, and much more. As chief sponsor of the Illinois CURE Act, Sen. Ventura discusses today the potential benefits and healing behind legalizing state-regulated psilocybin-assisted services.
Contact your local representative to voice your support for the CURE Act today. Find your representative: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/.
(House Bill 1143, Senate Bill 2184. The associated Hope Pilot Program, mentioned at the end of this episode, is House Bill 2992). Find your representative: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/
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Co-host Libby talks with Illinois State House Representative La Shawn K. Ford about the proposed Illinois CURE Act. Roundtable members Libby, Laura, Shaleyah, and Ben discuss the war on drugs, policing, and lessons learned from cannabis legalization.
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford represents Illinois’ 8th district since 2007. Rep. Ford is dedicated to addressing social justice issues, including disparities in employment, education and healthcare. He’s also driven efforts to improve housing, foster small business development, and expand veteran protections. Today, he discusses the Illinois CURE Act, which aims to bring a state-regulated model to Illinois.
Contact your local representative to voice your support for the CURE Act today! Find your representative: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/
A fact check on today’s discussion: the IL CURE Act does include expungement for past criminal offenses related to psilocybin possession.
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Co-host Em talks with Dr. Harriet De Wit about the ins, outs, promises, and shortfalls of psychedelic research. Roundtable members Em, Abby, and Ben discuss the social construction of meaning, Nietzsche's death of God, and Ben's love of cigarettes.
Dr. Harriet De Wit is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and a Professor of the Neuroscience Institute at University of Chicago. Dr. De Wit's research centers around the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral effects of a wide range of drugs and psychedelic substances in healthy adults. Her recent research has examined the prosocial effects of MDMA, the impacts of LSD, THC, and amphetamines on neural complexity and cognitive processing, and the efficacy of microdosing. Dr. De Wit has been a consultant for the FDA and serves as a lead editor for the journals Psychopharmacology and Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Dr. De Wit has been a critical figure within the field of psychedelic medicine, as evidenced by numerous awards for outstanding research.
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Co-host Libby talks with Kevin Barrett about fundamentals of psychedelic-assisted therapy and the future role of social workers. Roundtable members Libby, Abby, Kaitlin, and Em discuss appropriate clientele, rigidity within the field of social work, and how to save the world.
Kevin Barrett is a Chicago based psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker. He specializes in psychoanalytic psychotherapy helping people gain a better understanding of themselves and their relationships. He is a candidate at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis with additional training in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and the mental health needs of the queer community.
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Co-hosts Em and Libby introduce Psychedelics in Social Work, a podcast and student organization at University of Chicago's Crown Family School for Social Work, Policy, and Practice.
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