The Melbourne Chapter of Mind Medicine Australia is proud to invite you to:

Science vs Stigma: The True Cost of Psychedelic Censorship (incl. panel discussion and Q&A)

To celebrate Mind Medicine Australia's third birthday, we are delighted to invite you to a special in-person screening event of the new short documentary Science vs Stigma (incl. supper, drinks, door prizes, surprises and Q&A) on Thursday 24 February 2022 at 6:00pm for drinks and canapes and then the screening at 6:30pm followed by the Q & A panel. This film was produced in collaboration with Mind Medicine Australia late last year by one of our generous and talented community members.

This brilliant new short documentary highlights the progress and outcomes of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The film features excerpts from Mind Medicine’s International Summit as well as hard-hitting interviews with PTSD survivors. Hear from key voices in the field such as Dr. Ben Sessa, Dr. Rick Doblin, Admiral Chris Barrie, and our very own Tania de Jong AM.

“Psychedelics will be as important for psychiatry as antibiotics were for general medicine” – Dr. Ben Sessa

"Why don’t we have this in Australia, why isn’t this available to us?"
– Michael Raymond, Australian Airforce veteran whose PTSD was cured by MDMA-assisted psychotherapy

After the screening there will be a Q&A panel with Veteran and member of MMA’s Lived Experience Panel Michael Raymond, Director of the Mind Medicine Institute Nigel Denning & Executive Director of Mind Medicine Australia Tania de Jong AM. This will be an opportunity to engage in a discussion about psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies for mental illness broadly, what Mind Medicine Australia is doing to build the ecosystem in Australia and how you can get involved.

If you are a member of the Melbourne chapter, you can use the discount code MMAMEMBER for a $10 discount.

Click here to join the chapter if you haven't already>>

Membership of all MMA Chapters is FREE.

Date: Thursday 24th February 2022
Time: 6:00pm (supper and drinks) for 6:30pm start – 8:30pm (includes Q&A Panel)
Location: Dimension 5, Level 1, 10 Dorcas St, South Melbourne 3205
Ticket Price (incl. Supper, Drinks and Q&A): $40 General Admission / $30 Concession
Discount code: MMAMEMBER for Chapter Members

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About the Panel

Michael Raymond

Michael Raymond served over 16 years in the Airforce as an Electrical Engineer and Avionics Technician, working on the F/A18F Super Hornet and F-111 Fighter Aircraft. He is now a Motorcycle Coach and Transformational Coach trained in the modalities of Matrix Re-imprinting Therapy, Time-Line Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Coaching. Michael received significant healing from psychedelic medicines such as Psilocybin, Ayahuasca (DMT), San Pedro and MDMA for his PTSD, anxiety and depression. He recently contributed to Mind Medicines Healing stories, sharing his journey to South America and the profound healing experiences within a traditional shamanic framework.

Michael now advocates for therapeutic use of plant medicines to the Veteran and wider community. He hopes to help reduce the stigma around these modalities and promote safe access.

Tania de Jong AM

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.

Nigel Denning

Nigel Denning MA, MPsych is a Counselling Psychologist, AHPRA registered supervisor and Managing Director of Integrative Psychology a Psychology/Psychiatry practice in East Melbourne. He is a former Family Violence Co-ordinator for Relationships Australia and is currently the Former Deputy President of the In Good Faith Foundation, an organisation that supports Institutional Abuse and cult survivors. Nigel is also a registered Neuro-psychotherapy supervisor with IAAN.

Nigel has been involved in Transpersonal Psychology and consciousness studies for over thirty years. He has studied extensively under Stanislav Grof MD and worked closely with Tav Sparks and Grof Transpersonal Training to develop training approaches to Holotropic breathwork and therapy influenced by this modality. Nigel also conducted one of the few peer reviewed research studies on HB.

Nigel teaches and has presented at numerous national and international conferences on state change technology, including medicine work. Nigel also has an established practice in Tibet Bon Dzogchen meditation under the guidance of Dr Daniel Brown of Harvard Medical School. He runs the Mind Medicine Institute and it's Certificate of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy alongside Dr Traill Dowie.

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More about medicinal MDMA

Psychedelic-assisted therapies 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.

Results from Phase 2 clinical trials over the past decade have been so compelling that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States recently designated MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a ‘Breakthrough Therapy’. This designation highlights the FDA’s anticipation that these therapies may offer a substantial advantage over current treatments.

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.

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Many thanks to Mind Medicine Australia's Melbourne Chapter for running this event. Click here for more details or to join the Chapter!

Please support psychedelic research and therapy development by donating to Mind Medicine Australia. The recent pandemic has exacerbated Australia’s mental health epidemic and these treatments have the potential to cure millions of people who are suffering.

We are a small organisation doing big things – we need your support.

Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation.

Contact the host of Mind Medicine Australia Short Film Screening: Science vs Stigma and Q&A Panel