The medical, scientific and social aspects of psychedelic-assisted therapy will be discussed when Fitchburg State University hosts a panel discussion of experts from medicine, neuroscience and clinical practice at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 in the main lounge of Hammond Hall.
Admission to the talk is free and open to the public.
Psychedelics, such as psilocybin and MDMA, are promising treatments for mental-health disorders including addiction, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The expert panel will discuss psychedelic-assisted therapy as well as future prospects and challenges.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Fitchburg State Associate Professor Michael Hove of the Psychological Science Department. Panelists will include:
- Yvan Beaussant (MD, MSc, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), a hematologist, palliative care physician, and clinical investigator, with training in psychedelic research and therapy. He studies the effects and mechanisms of psilocybin and MDMA-assisted therapy on depression, pain, and existential distress in patients with serious illness.
- Francis Guerriero (MA, LICSW), a therapist, trainer, supervisor, and clinical social worker in private practice. He trains and supervises local clinicians in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. He was a therapist on a national study of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, deemed a breakthrough therapy by the FDA and currently under FDA review for approval.
- Alexandre Lehmann (PhD, McGill University, Montreal), a cognitive neuroscientist and a psychedelic science advisor to media and nonprofits. Fascinated by the therapeutic potential of music and non-ordinary states, he has been involved in ketamine and psilocybin research.
The event is sponsored by the university’s Psychological Science Department and its School of Health and Natural Sciences.