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Friday, March 4th 7-9pm Wine & Cheese Reception begins at 6:30pm

Join us for an overview of psychedelic-assisted therapies, including treatment of addiction, depression, trauma, and end-of-life transitions.  What are the prospects for responsibly incorporating previously taboo options into therapeutic practices?

Psychologists and physicians on the panel will address topical issues involving research, practice, neurophysiology, and bioethics.  Their presentations intend to open audience discussion of psychedelic therapy in clinical contexts and as adjunct to contemplative practices.

Panelists include: Melis Alkin, Psy.D., Rael Cahn, M.D., Ph.D., Michael Carroll, Psy.D., Thad Camlin, Psy.D. researcher, and Mario Salguero, M.D., Ph.D.
Moderated by Leslie Ziegenhorn, Ph.D.

Research organizations:

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Research (MAPS)

Heffter Research Institute

The Beckley Foundation

Event related articles:

Classic hallucinogens in the treatment of addictions

Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer

Making a medicine out of MDMA

Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression

The Trip Treatment

Meditation States and Traits: EEG, ERP, and Neuroimaging Studies

Onetime party drug hailed as miracle for treating severe depression

Scientist David Nutt on the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs

Psychedelic Therapy

The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders

The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs

MDMA for treatment of trauma/PTSD

Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later

Increased frontal and paralimbic activation following ayahuasca the pan-amazonian inebriant

Additional references to recent research

Panelist Bios:

Melis Alkin, Psy.D. , a graduate of CSPP-SD, Melis Alkin is a licensed psychologist engaged in postgraduate study of Bioethics at Loyola Marymount University. In addition to clinical practice, Melis has had the opportunity to teach graduate courses and serve as an IRB member at Adler School of Professional Psychology in Vancouver. 

     Melis will review the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy in palliative care and provide a general summary of the bioethical debates on psychedelic use in healing. In light of the recent research findings on the use of this emerging therapy, she will review the debate of the term “cosmetic pharmacology” for the use psychedelics in clinical practice.

Rael Cahn, M.D., Ph.D., is Assistant Clinical Professor with the USC Department of Psychiatry and Assistant Professor of Research at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute.  He is a leading expert in the neuroscience of meditation and altered states and author of a comprehensive integrative review of the neurophysiology of meditation states and traits in Psychological Bulletin .  He has investigated the brain states associated with short and long term meditative practice as well as the effects of psychedelic medications.  He is the founder of the Holistic and Integrative Medicine group (Hi-Med) at UCSD and has a long-standing interest in advancing the cause of integrative mind-body-spirit approaches to healing and wellness. Dr. Cahn currently investigates the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the clinical benefits of meditation in  depression, anxiety and drug addiction.

     Rael will provide an overview on the neurophysiology of psychedelic-induced states of mind and the relation between these brain states and healing mechanisms for anxiety, depression, and existential suffering.  He will focus on some of the recent clinical and neurophysiological findings which provide a growing literature base from which to draw conclusions about the potential in these approaches.

Thad Camlin, Psy.D. researcher, will present preliminary results from his dissertation on ibogaine’s role in treating opioid use disorders. The initial themes emerging from his research about the lived experience of individuals taking ibogaine will be highlighted within the broader context of utilizing psychedelics to enhance clinical outcomes in the treatment of substance use disorders.

Michael Carroll, Psy.D., is a Clinical Psychologist practicing in Encinitas, CA. He completed his dissertation at CSPP-SD in 2008 on the long-term effects of psychedelic drug use. For this panel he’ll be discussing the therapeutic uses of psychedelics, and how Integral Psychology can provide a theoretical framework for understanding and working with psychedelics.

Mario Salguero, M.D., Ph.D., graduated from the University of Guadalajara Medical School after which he earned a Diploma of Clinical Nutrition at the National Institute of Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in Medicine, with a focus on personalized medicine and the clinical applications of genetic polymorphisms and epigenetics. Mario completed his Psychiatry Residency at the University of California at San Diego, where he received the “Best Resident Clinician” award three years in a row and the prestigious “Lewis L. Judd” Research Award for his research in implementing a mindfulness self-compassion intervention for residents. Mario has authored articles and chapters in scientific journals and in textbooks and fostered international collaborations, especially around integrative medicine. A Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor at the Department of Psychiatry, UCSD School of Medicine, Mario supervises residents in training. In addition, he has a Private Practice with a focus in personalizing the relationship with patients, promoting self-healing and integrating treatments from different healing disciplines as evidence supports. While Dr. Salguero will focus on contemporary use of ketamine to treat depression, he is also versed in Shamanic plant medicine traditions.

Leslie Ziegenhorn, Ph.D., this event’s moderator, is a licensed Clinical Psychologist. While most of her professional time is devoted to her psychotherapy practice in La Jolla, she also holds faculty positions at UCSD and CSPP/AIU, where she has developed and taught multiple courses.  Currently, she volunteers as Faculty Advisor for UCSD’s School of Medicine and serves on the Steering Committee for the Center for Integrative Psychology.

2.0 Professional Credit Hours

This workshop meets the qualifications for continuing education credit. Alliant International University is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (provider #PCE234), and by the California Board of Registered Nursing (provider #CEP11235) to sponsor credit for marriage and family therapists, social workers, and registered nurses. CEUs pending, CE Certificate $35.

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