Lytt til The Psychedelic Podcast

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Sam Mandel, co-founder and CEO of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles (KCLA). Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-301-sam-mandel/?ref=278 [https://thethirdwave.co/?post_type=podcasts&p=111640&preview=true] Sam shares his journey co-founding KCLA with his father in 2014, pioneering ketamine infusion therapy when few were exploring its potential for mental health. From humble beginnings in a storage closet to becoming a leading mental health center with over 30,000 infusions administered, Sam discusses the challenges and triumphs of building a patient-centric practice. He explains the science behind ketamine's effectiveness compared to alternatives like Spravato, highlights the importance of individualized treatment, and offers a passionate critique of the current mental healthcare system while envisioning what meaningful reform could look like. Co-founder & CEO of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles (KCLA), Sam Mandel has channeled his lifelong passion for healthcare advocacy into transforming mental health care. From volunteering at a teen-to-teen suicide prevention hotline at twelve to pioneering one of the foremost Ketamine Infusion Therapy clinics in 2014 alongside his father, Dr. Steven L. Mandel, Sam has been featured in Entrepreneur's Top 10 Inspiring Healthcare Entrepreneurs (2023) and earned two 2024 Stevie Awards. Under his leadership, KCLA has provided over 30,000 infusions to more than 6,000 patients with an 83% success rate, establishing gold-standard treatment protocols while expanding services to include General Psychiatry and TMS therapy. Highlights:  * The founding story of KCLA and early skepticism from the medical community * Why IV ketamine outperforms nasal Spravato in efficacy and cost-efficiency * Creating individualized ketamine protocols for optimal patient outcomes * How insurance companies create barriers to effective mental healthcare * KCLA's 83% success rate compared to 50-70% in controlled research settings * Expanding from ketamine to TMS and general psychiatry * Preparing for future psychedelic medicines like MDMA and psilocybin * The critical flaws in America's mental healthcare system Episode Links:  * Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles (KCLA) [https://ketamineclinics.com] * The difference between Ketamine and Spravato (esketamine) [https://ketamineclinics.com/ketamine-vs-spravato/] * Third Wave’s Ultimate Guide to Ketamine [https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/ketamine/] Episode Sponsor: * Psychedelic Coacing Isntitute's Intensive for Psychedelic Professionals [https://edu.psychedeliccoaching.institute/psychedelic-intensive/?ref=12&utm_source=player&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=tw-podcast-ad] in Costa Rica - a transformative retreat for personal and professional growth.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Simon Ruffell, a psychiatrist, ayahuasca researcher, and student of curanderismo. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-300/?ref=278 [https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-300/?ref=278] Simon shares his transformative journey from being a skeptical Western psychiatrist to embracing the spiritual dimensions of plant medicine after experiencing what he describes as an "ontological shock" during an ayahuasca ceremony. He discusses his ongoing apprenticeship with Shipibo curanderos in the Amazon, his research into ayahuasca's effects on mental health and epigenetics, and his work bridging indigenous wisdom with Western scientific understanding. Dr. Ruffell explores the differences between Western medical approaches and traditional healing practices, highlighting how the Shipibo focus on harmony and balance rather than fixing specific problems. Through his organization Onaya, he conducts reciprocal research with indigenous communities, studying how ayahuasca affects veterans with PTSD and examining the epigenetic changes that may explain its profound healing effects. Dr. Simon Ruffell is trained across three modalities: Western medicine (as a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry), research psychology (with a PhD in Amazonian ayahuasca and mental health), and traditional plant medicine (as a student of curanderismo). He is the Chief Medical Officer of MINDS, a nonprofit research organization exploring the potential of psychedelics and consciousness practices to address humanity's greatest challenges. Since 2015, his work has focused primarily on exploring ayahuasca while collaborating with indigenous communities in the Amazon basin. He is the CEO of Onaya and founded the nonprofit Onaya Science, which researches the effects of ayahuasca in naturalistic Amazonian settings. Dr. Ruffell's work seeks to understand plant medicines from both Indigenous and Western perspectives, and he is currently training in Shipibo Shamanism under Don Rono Lopez. Highlights: * A spiritual attack during ceremony that shifted his perspective on reality * Bridging indigenous wisdom with Western scientific research * The difference between psychedelic guides and trained shamans * Ayahuasca and epigenetics: clearing ancestral trauma * How traditional medicine evolves and adapts over time * Remarkable PTSD treatment outcomes with veterans * Approaching healing as returning to harmony * EEG research during ceremonial Icaros singing * Shamans as navigational experts of the psychedelic realm * When to choose Western medicine vs. traditional approaches Episode Links: * Dr. Simon Ruffell's Website [https://www.drsimonruffell.com/] * Onaya [https://onaya.io/] * Onaya Science [https://onaya.science/] Episode Sponsor * Psychedelic Coacing Isntitute's Intensive for Psychedelic Professionals [https://edu.psychedeliccoaching.institute/psychedelic-intensive/?ref=12&utm_source=player&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=tw-podcast-ad] in Costa Rica - a transformative retreat for personal and professional growth.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Raymond Turpin, a psychologist and psychedelic researcher who has been studying these medicines since 1984. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcasts/episode-299/?ref=278 [https://thethirdwave.co/podcasts/episode-299/?ref=278] Dr. Turpin shares his journey from discovering Timothy Leary's writings as a college student to founding the Pearl Psychedelic Institute in North Carolina. He discusses his experience as one of only two sites nationwide to provide MDMA-assisted therapy through the FDA's expanded access program, the profound healing he witnessed in patients with treatment-resistant PTSD, and the challenges faced after the FDA's rejection of MDMA therapy in 2024.  Through stories of clinical breakthroughs, educational initiatives, and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, Dr. Turpin offers insights into the evolving landscape of psychedelic medicine and his hope for its future integration into mainstream mental healthcare. Dr. Raymond Turpin is the Executive Director and Clinical Director of the Pearl Psychedelic Institute in western North Carolina. He has been studying and researching psychedelics since 1984 and earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Dr. Turpin served as an investigator in an Expanded Access program providing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant PTSD and has worked with ketamine-assisted therapy while providing psychedelic integration services. Since 2022, he has been a Mentor for the Certificate in Psychedelic Therapy and Research program at CIIS. His clinical experience spans psychiatric hospitals, emergency units, residential treatment facilities, schools, and community mental health clinics. Highlights: * A psychedelic calling that began in 1984 * How a mushroom trip changed his career path * When conventional mental health tools fall short * MDMA's remarkable results with treatment-resistant PTSD * From 71 to 18: Dramatic PTSD symptom reduction * The FDA rejection: A devastating setback * Hurricane Helene's impact on Asheville's healing community * Why psychedelics threaten traditional mental health paradigms * Turning trauma's irritant into a pearl of wisdom * Education as resistance against misinformation Episode links:  * The Pearl Psychedelic Institute [https://pearlpsychedelicinstitute.org] * The Pearl Institute YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS9t3ks9KexUGpsARu0Mzpg] * California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) Certificate in Psychedelic Therapy and Research program [https://www.ciis.edu/research-centers-and-initiatives/center-for-psychedelic-therapies-and-research/about-the-certificate] * Webinar: MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD: Expanded Access & Beyond [https://www.pearlpsychedelicinstitute.org/events-training] * Timothy Leary's autobiography "Flashbacks" (1984) [https://www.amazon.com/Flashbacks-Timothy-Leary/dp/0874773172] Episode Sponsor: * The Intensive for Psychedelic Professionals [https://edu.psychedeliccoaching.institute/psychedelic-intensive/?ref=12&utm_source=player&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=tw-podcast-ad] in Costa Rica - a transformative retreat for personal and professional growth.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Katelyn Kalstein, a licensed naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, and psychotherapist specializing in integrative mental health and psychedelic medicine. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-298/?ref=278 [https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-297/?ref=278] Dr. Kalstein shares her journey from growing up with natural remedies to her transformative experiences in India and Brazil, where she first encountered ayahuasca and joined the Santo Daime church. She discusses her unconventional career path through naturopathic medicine, neurofeedback at 40 Years of Zen, and as Clinical Director at Field Trip Health in Los Angeles. Dr. Kalstein offers valuable insights on the importance of community in healing, the limitations of current medical models, and why psychoanalytic theory remains essential in psychedelic work.  Through her experiences with various modalities, she illuminates the path toward a more integrated approach to mental health that honors both traditional wisdom and modern science. Dr. Katelyn Kalstein is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, acupuncturist, and psychotherapist specializing in ketamine assisted psychotherapy. The former Clinical Director of Field Trip Health in Los Angeles, Dr. Kalstein has seen hundreds of patients through ketamine treatment, both as a prescriber and a therapist. She is certified in Psychedelic Therapy and Research (CIIS) and looks forward to utilizing MDMA and psilocybin therapy when they become legally available. Starting her career in primary care medicine, Dr. Kalstein is passionate about an integrative approach to mental health care - treating mind, body and spirit. In addition to formal training, Dr. Kalstein has over 20 years of personal experience with psychedelics and meditation, traveling to India, Peru and Brazil for over a decade in order to study with various spiritual teachers and shamans. She has a deep respect for indigenous knowledge and mindfully integrates these teachings into her modern clinical practice.   Driven by a passion for the safe and ethical use of psychedelics, she views these medicines as powerful catalysts for personal and planetary change. Highlights: * Her grandfather's natural medicine influence * First ayahuasca experience—in an Indian ashram * The Santo Daime church experience * Shaving her head and following a guru * Disillusionment with conventional medicine * Neurofeedback vs. psychedelic experiences * Field Trip's clinical model challenges * Psychoanalysis in psychedelic integration * Understanding healthy ego development * Nashville's emerging psychedelic community Episode links:  * Website [https://www.drkalstein.com/] * Instagram: @drkatelynkalstein [https://www.instagram.com/drkalstein/] * Simply Being Therapy (Nashville) [https://simplybeingtherapy.com/] Episode Sponsor: * The Intensive for Psychedelic Professionals [https://edu.psychedeliccoaching.institute/psychedelic-intensive/?ref=12&utm_source=player&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=tw-podcast-ad] in Costa Rica - a transformative retreat for personal and professional growth.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes New York Times bestselling author Norman Ohler. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-297/?ref=278 [https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-297/?ref=278] Norman shares his deep research into the hidden history of LSD, revealing the untold connections between Arthur Stoll (CEO of Sandoz), Nazi Germany, and the CIA's MKUltra program. He explains how LSD's development as a mental health medicine was derailed by intelligence agencies seeking a "truth drug" for interrogations, and how the substance traveled from Swiss laboratories to Nazi concentration camps and eventually to American universities. Norman also discusses his personal connection to psychedelics through his mother's Alzheimer's treatment with microdosing, and offers thoughtful reflections on the current psychedelic renaissance. Norman Ohler is one of Germany's best living writers: a New York Times Bestselling author, translated into over 30 languages. His books include "Blitzed", "The Bohemians", and "Tripped". He has 2 children and lives in Berlin. Highlights: * Welcome & introduction * Who is Arthur Stoll, the grandfather of psychedelics? * The Nazi Germany and LSD connection * Albert Hoffman's complicated relationship with LSD * The pharmaceutical politics behind psychedelic suppression * Reflections on the modern psychedelic renaissance * The challenges of psychedelics in a globalized society * From "Blitzed" to "Tripped": Norman's research journey * Norman's personal connection: Microdosing for Alzheimer's * The mysterious story of JFK and LSD Episode Links: * Website [https://www.normanohler.de/] * Instagram: @normanohler [https://www.instagram.com/normanohler/?hl=en] * Norman’s book "Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age" [https://amzn.to/3QOXVa7] * Norman’s previous book "Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich" [https://amzn.to/442J3fY] * Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William Shirer [https://amzn.to/4iDeZfo] These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links.