Mind Medicine Australia FREE Webinar: From Research to Practice: A Journey into PAT and Emerging Career Paths

Don’t miss out – Get your tickets early!

Join our upcoming FREE Webinar with Lauren Macdonald (UK), Dr David Erritzoe (UK) and Dr Eli Kotler.

Topic: From Research to Practice: A Journey into PAT and Emerging Career Paths

In this session, we will hear from the leaders of our Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (CPAT) and world-renowned faculty. It will cover:

• Translating Scientific Research into Clinical Practice: Bridging the gap between PAT research and therapeutic application, adapting within clinical settings to support integrative and holistic healing
• Core Competencies for PAT Practitioners: Foundational skills including trauma-informed care, cultural sensitivity, somatic awareness, self-awareness, embodying loving presence and more
• Building a Career in PAT: Emerging pathways and opportunities: Exploring emerging career pathways, merging scientific insight with spiritual/Indigenous wisdom, collaborative and interdisciplinary models of care, training, accreditation and supervision
• The Therapeutic Alliance in PAT: The importance in both individual and group settings
• Future Directions: Ethics, Accessibility, and Community: Navigating ethical considerations, advocating for balanced medicalisation, building an equitable and accessible model

EVENT DETAILS

• DATE: 16th April 2025
• TIME: 6:55pm (AEST) for 7:00pm start, finishing at 8:15pm
• DURATION: 75 minutes (incl Q&A)
• LOCATION: Online - a link will be emailed to you with the viewing details

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Dr Lauren Macdonald (UK)

Psychedelic Clinical Trial Doctor, Retreat Facilitator and co-founder of Essence Medicine

Lauren Macdonald is a psychiatry doctor, psychedelic therapy guide and group facilitator. For the last few years she has been a clinical trial doctor at The Centre for Psychedelic Research (Imperial College London) investigating psilocybin-assisted therapy for anorexia-nervosa, chronic pain, and treatment-resistant depression. 

Alongside her clinical roles Lauren regularly facilitates psilocybin retreats in The Netherlands, and is co-founder of Essence Medicine, an organisation providing psycho-spiritual group support to people facing life threatening illness. Lauren is also passionate about educating future psychedelic facilitators and delivers integrative, experiential and heart-centred training for Mind Medicine (Australia) and PsyEdu (UK).

Lauren has trained in medicine, psychology, MDMA-assisted therapy, and yoga, and continues to be a student of earth-based, indigenous wisdom traditions. She is driven to help people come home to themselves, unfold more of who they truly are, and deepen into the beauty and mystery of life.

Dr David Erritzoe (UK)
Psychiatrist and Neuroscientist

Dr. David Erritzoe is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist. He holds a Clinical Senior Lectureship (i.e. Assistant Professorship) in General Psychiatry in the Centres for Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London and CNWL Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Following training in neuroreceptor PET imaging at Columbia University in New York in 2002/03, he undertook a PhD at University Hospital Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. Since moving to Imperial College in 2009 he has been conductingand overseeing clinical and neuroimaging trials (using PET, MRI, and EEG) into affective disorders and addiction. David is the Clinical Director of Imperial’s Centre for Psychedelic Research. Since early 2021 he has also headed up a new NHS-based research clinic at St Charles Hospital, the CIPPRes Clinic. He is topic lead in Psychiatry at Imperial College London’s Medical School, whilst also lecturing in MSc and BSc neuroscience programs. He has authored more than 110 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 4 book chapters.

Dr Eli Kotler
Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist

Dr Eli Kotler is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Psychodynamic Psychotherapist. He is the Medical Director of Malvern Private Hospital, an addiction and trauma hospital in Melbourne. Eli completed the inaugural Mind Medicine Australia Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (CPAT) course, and has since been on its faculty, currently serving as CPAT’s Australian Course Director.

As a psychiatric trainee, Eli was awarded the Royal College of Psychiatrists Trainee Prize for his Scholarly Project on Depression, as well as a Research Committee Trainee award for his work on Philosophy of Mind. As an adjunct lecturer at Monash University, he oversees medical students on their addiction medicine rotation. He has been invited as a keynote speaker to several conferences and meetings to discuss addictions, trauma and psychedelics. 

Eli sits on the Committee of the ANZMHA to help organise their yearly addiction conference. He also sits on the inaugural Clinical Advisory Group for the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. Eli is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, and is a member of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs. He also has extensive research experience with novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.

Due to his interest in trauma, Eli has been appointed an Independent Medical Examiner by WorkSafe Victoria. He has been appointed by the Minister for Workplace Safety to sit on the Victorian Medical Panels, and is an expert witness in historical abuse cases.

Clinically, Eli works in a psychodynamic framework, and attempts to help his patients find freedom from their addictions and trauma through relational experiences, and experiential self-awareness. He is part of the AFL Player's Association referral network for addiction issues, and his interests in depth-psychology and neuroscience led him to found the Melbourne Neuropsychoanalytic Group. Eli is a Board Director of Mind Medicine Australia.

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MEDICINAL PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENTS

Psychedelic-assisted treatments offer enormous potential in providing a meaningful alternative to current treatments for mental illness. PTSD is a debilitating condition that affects tens of millions of people worldwide, with many more trauma victims diagnosed with comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders. In recent clinical trials, MDMA has been shown to produce reliable clinical improvements, restoring patient safety and self-agency even for individuals who have suffered with PTSD for many years, and for whom many treatments have failed.

The wave of clinical psychedelic research and regulatory support is rapidly building, with experts forecasting the availability of psychedelic-assisted treatments in the US and EU within the next 2 to 5 years, subject to positive clinical outcomes in large trials that are currently underway.

SUPPORT PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH AND THERAPY DEVELOPMENT

Your donation to Mind Medicine Australia will help us accelerate the availability and best practice of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in Australia. We are a small organisation doing big things – we need your support. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation.

DISCLAIMER

Mind Medicine Australia does not encourage or facilitate illegal use of psychedelics or plant medicines. MMA focus is focused on clinical and legal use only supported by the emerging science and legislative processes. Mind Medicine Australia reserves the right to record and publish webinars on various social media platforms. You agree that you will not discuss any names, locations or specific details of illegal use of psychedelics both verbally or via any written forms of communication via Mind Medicine Australia social media platforms i.e. Facebook, Instagram or zoom private and public chat forms during the webinar. Breaches of these guidelines may result in not being able to participate in the event. We thank you for support and cooperation on these matters. Mind Medicine Australia is focused specifically on the clinical application of medicinal psilocybin and medicinal MDMA for certain mental illnesses.