Mind Medicine Australia FREE Webinar Series - A Radical New Somatic Approach to Psychedelic Psychotherapy - Saj Razvi (USA) and Steven Elfrink (USA)

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Join this FREE, 60-minute online webinar to gain access to insights and learn about ground-breaking treatments to chronic mental health conditions.

The proposed presentation is on the psychobiological brain states that underpin the shift in consciousness induced by psychedelic substances. In particular, we cite the entropic brain model and the work of Robin Carhart-Harris who proposes dual modes of human consciousness that correspond to the presence and absence of default mode network activity. We tie this research to our clinical experience and discuss a new speculative model for psychedelic psychotherapy that targets homeostatic autonomic self correcting mechanisms that are potentiated by the psychedelic state. Our proposal is that psychedelic consciousness and the mammalian brain networks that underpin it give rise to a somatic processing pathway that is preferentially taken by psychedelic processes, and which has an autonomic, bottom-up capacity to address stress and PTSD symptoms more effectively than traditional top down cognitive, declarative forms of therapy. We further propose that a useful frontier in the psychedelic therapy movement involves developing psychotherapies that operate inside of the non-rational, non-linear, frequently non-verbal, and non-ordinary states of consciousness that are indicative of the psychedelic state.

Learning objectives:

• To understand the neurological shifts in brain activity that is induced by psychedelic substances. 
  
• To understand the defense cascade threat response map & autonomic processing pathway that activates during psychedelic consciousness
• To understand non-traditional somatic interventions designed to target innate psychobiological self correction

WEBINAR SESSION

Date: Wednesday 3 February 2021
Time: 12:55pm for 1:00pm start – 2:15pm (incl Q&A) (AEDT)

The presentation WILL BEGIN AT 1:00pm.

Location: Online. A link will be emailed to you with the viewing details.

Post Webinar Discussion Panel:

Following the presentation there will be a Q & A panel with Saj Razvi (USA), Steven Elfrink (USA) and Tania de Jong AM. This will be an opportunity to engage in a discussion about psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies for mental illness broadly, and what Mind Medicine Australia and other local organisations are doing here in Australia.

Support these events:

Whilst our webinars are free of charge, we strongly encourage you to make a donation and support our important mission of making these therapies available through our medical system. This can be done at the time of reserving your ticket. Please share these events with your networks.

More about Mind Medicine Australia and medicinal psychedelic-assisted therapy:

Mind Medicine Australia is Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation working on the use of medicinal psilocybin and MDMA-assisted therapies to treat a range of mental illnesses. Mind Medicine Australia exists to help alleviate the suffering caused by our accelerating mental illness epidemic in Australia, through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients.

Unlike current treatments such as anti-depressants, which only manage the illness and can have nasty side effects, psilocybin and MDMA assisted therapies have been scientifically proven to be a safe and effective cure for anxiety, depression, end-of-life stress, addictions and PTSD after just a short treatment program. These medicines are also currently being researched for dementia, eating disorders, OCD and a number of other conditions. Both medicines have been granted Breakthrough Therapy Status by the FDA in the USA to fast-track their approval. This designation is only given to medicines which may prove to be vastly superior to existing treatments.

At Mind Medicine Australia we are dedicated to helping the now global movement to spread this awareness and ensure these medicines are available via the medical system. Please watch and share our 2 minute animation to find out why psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy needs to be available to those who are suffering.

More about the presenters

Saj Razvi (USA)
Director of Education
Psychedelic Somatic Institute

Saj Razvi, LPC. is a psychotherapist and Director of Education at PSI, a psychedelic therapy training institute and psilocybin based intensive treatment program in Amsterdam. He was a clinical researcher in the MAPS Phase 2 trial of MDMA-assisted therapy. Saj is the primary author of the Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP) treatment manual. He has taught trauma studies as faculty at the University of Denver as well as being a national topic expert for PESI education seminars focusing on complex trauma. Saj’s primary interest is in the development of psychotherapeutic interventions that maximize the healing capacity of psychedelic medicine, and the grass roots adoption of psychedelic therapy by private practice clinicians.

Steven Elfrink (USA)
Director of Community Outreach
Psychedelic Somatic Institute

Steven is the Director of Community Outreach for PSI. Steven was also the Founder and Executive Director for OmTerra, a non-profit focused on psychedelic therapy advocacy and education. He was a participant in the Phase 1 FDA Pharmacokinetic Study of Psilocybin at UW-Madison. Steven had a first-hand experience of the benefits and shortcomings of the current model used in psychedelic therapy. Steven brings 30 years of corporate experience in education and marketing to PSI and happily brings to PSI his incredible passion for psychedelic therapy and his commitment to help people who are suffering.

Tania de Jong AM (Moderator)
LL.B (Hons), GradDipMus
Founder & Deputy Chair of Mind Medicine Australia

Tania de Jong AM is a trail-blazing Australian soprano, award-winning social entrepreneur, creative innovation catalyst, spiritual journey woman, storyteller and global speaker. Tania is one of Australia’s most successful female entrepreneurs and innovators developing 5 businesses and 3 charities over the past 3 decades. She is Founder and Executive Producer of future-shaping events series, Creative Innovation Global. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 2008 and named one of the 100 Women of Influence and the 100 Australian Most Influential Entrepreneurs in 2018.

Support psychedelic research and therapy development

By donating to Mind Medicine Australia, you will be helping us to 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 (for example facebook, instagram and 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.