The Plant Medicine For PTSD Podcast

Dr. David Zwoboda
  • 5.0 (5)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Plant Medicine For PTSD Podcast is dedicated to bringing you real stories of real people getting real help to overcome their trauma through the use of intentional plant medicine and other spiritual practices. 

  1. 35. Kat Courtney from Plant Medicine People - A Deep Dive On Ayahuasca, Dietas & Ibogaine

    2D AGO

    35. Kat Courtney from Plant Medicine People - A Deep Dive On Ayahuasca, Dietas & Ibogaine

    I am joined by Kat Courtney, founder of "Plant Medicine People" and this is a special one. Not just because Kat is one of the few people we follow in the Plant Medicine space and have a huge amount of respect and admiration for, but also because this conversation took us deep.  Kat is a true modern Plant Medicine pioneer with over 2 decades of indigenous training and ceremony experience.  She’s the author of Plant Medicine Mystery School Vol 1: The Superhero Healing Powers of Psychotropic Plants, and a traditionally trained Ayahuasquera and Huachumera.  Kat is the CEO and Co-Founder of Plant Medicine People, as well as the Co-Founder and Head of Integration for Bassé Ibogaine Clinic. We get into master plant dietas, ayahuasca, ibogaine, trauma, nervous system healing, spiritual protection, and what it actually takes to change after a big medicine experience.   We go deeper into identity, suffering, discipline, shadow work, and the gap between having a profound experience and actually building a different life afterward. Kat shares how she first found ayahuasca in the middle of serious personal struggle, how that path evolved into years of work with dietas and plant teachers, and why she sees these medicines as a way to challenge the stories we carry about ourselves.  We also break down what a dieta actually is, how social dietas work, and why distraction may be one of the biggest barriers to healing in modern life. Later in the episode, we talk about Kat’s arrest in an ayahuasca-related case, what that experience showed her about injustice, and why integration became even more important after the legal fallout.  We also get into ibogaine, what makes it different from ayahuasca, why it can be such a powerful tool for nervous system reset, and why no medicine does the work for you. Connect with Kat: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantmedicinepeople/  Plant Medicine People: https://plantmedicinepeople.com/ BASSE Ibogaine: https://basseibogaine.com/ 👉 Want support with Mindful Microdosing + integration? Visit becomingom.org or DM “INTERESTED” to @becoming.om MICRODOSING FUNDAMENTALS: go.becomingom.org/resources/microdosing-101 ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR VETERANS: go.becomingom.org/resources/healing-briefing. Thanks again for listening! Enrollment is open right now for the 2026 Operation FlowState Jiu Jitsu & Healing Retreat. Spaces are limited due to the small size of the retreat center and spots are already more than 75% filled. Visit becomingom.org/flowstate for all the info and to submit an application. Or for info on our online healing programs, DM us the word INFO on Instagram.

    2h 5m
  2. 34. Scott Oikle - The Last Rotation: War Diaries, Moral Weight, and the Two-Year Therapy That Saved His Career

    MAR 2

    34. Scott Oikle - The Last Rotation: War Diaries, Moral Weight, and the Two-Year Therapy That Saved His Career

    A lot of people think PTSD looks like bar fights, back-against-the-wall paranoia, punching holes in drywall. Sometimes it does.But a lot of the time it’s quieter and sneakier; like walking your kids downtown and realizing your body is still in Afghanistan.  In this episode I sit down with Major Scott Oikle, a Canadian Armed Forces officer who deployed to Kandahar Airfield during Afghanistan.  Scott ran base operations and was deeply involved in the dignity-heavy work around ramp ceremonies (yes, those moments when fallen service members are honored on the airfield before being flown home).  We talk about what that does to a person … the helplessness, the constant threat (rockets, attacks, chaos), and the moral weight of being “a cog in the wheel” of combat decisions.  Then we get into the part that matters: Scott didn’t push through it. A flight surgeon flagged him, he told the truth, he went to the Operational Stress Injury (OSI) clinic, did two years of intensive therapy, stayed medicated, and rebuilt his life without losing his identity or his future.  And now he’s doing the thing we all need more of: healing out loud so other people don’t suffer in silence. ➡️ Connect with Scott: Follow Scott on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_last_rotation/ Buy "The Last Rotation": https://www.amazon.ca/Last-Rotation-Afghanistan-War-Diary/dp/1069310808/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?sr=8-1 Listen to "The Last Rotation" on Audible: https://www.audible.com/?ref=Adbl_ip_rdr_from_CA&source_code=AUDORBN1011179LRQ&ipRedirectFrom=CA&ipRedirectOriginalURL=author%2FScott-Oikle%2FB0F1F3PRLH 👉 Want support with Mindful Microdosing + integration? Visit becomingom.org or DM “INTERESTED” to @becoming.om MICRODOSING FUNDAMENTALS: go.becomingom.org/resources/microdosing-101 ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR VETERANS: go.becomingom.org/resources/healing-briefing. Thanks again for listening! Enrollment is open right now for the 2026 Operation FlowState Jiu Jitsu & Healing Retreat. Spaces are limited due to the small size of the retreat center and spots are already more than 75% filled. Visit becomingom.org/flowstate for all the info and to submit an application. Or for info on our online healing programs, DM us the word INFO on Instagram.

    58 min

  3. FEB 27

    33. The Missing Piece in PTSD Healing: Someone Who Actually Gives a Shit

    You don’t need another therapist who nods, takes notes, and sends you home with “coping skills” while your nervous system is still on fire.  You don’t need another corporate “healing experience” that treats you like a chart number.  What most people with PTSD/CPTSD actually need first?  Someone who genuinely gives a shit ... and a community that proves it. In this episode, I tell the story of a retired Navy corpsman who joined our program almost on an impulse… and immediately braced for regret because that’s his pattern.  But a week into “negative one,” he said something that hit me hard: the reason he took the leap was simple: he felt like we actually cared.  Not in a cheesy “Olive Garden” way (please don’t sue me), but in the real way: family-run, direct, human, and built around listening deeply so people can start asking better questions of themselves.  That’s the difference between “treatment” and transformation. I also share a moment from one of our Operation Flow State retreats where a guy who’d literally argued with his therapist that joy isn’t real watched me playing with my daughter and realized: “Oh… joy exists. I just can’t access it yet.”  That’s the work: reconnection to yourself, to people, to meaning, to joy. If you’re tired of being treated like another patient and you’re ready for real trauma healing + integration support (PTSD, CPTSD, depression, anxiety, veterans/first responders), reach out. Visit becomingom.org or DM INTERESTED to @becoming.om. MICRODOSING FUNDAMENTALS: https://go.becomingom.org/resources/microdosing-101 ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR VETERANS: https://go.becomingom.org/resources/healing-briefing Thanks again for listening! Enrollment is open right now for the 2026 Operation FlowState Jiu Jitsu & Healing Retreat. Spaces are limited due to the small size of the retreat center and spots are already more than 75% filled. Visit becomingom.org/flowstate for all the info and to submit an application. Or for info on our online healing programs, DM us the word INFO on Instagram.

    9 min
  4. 32. Ryan Carey - Why Veterans Get Misread + How Plant Medicine & Integration Actually Help

    FEB 25

    32. Ryan Carey - Why Veterans Get Misread + How Plant Medicine & Integration Actually Help

    Most people don’t have a “drinking problem” or an “anger problem.”  They’ve got a coping solution… and it’s the only one they’ve got.  And when you rip that away without building anything better? Then you just made life harder and called it “healing.” In this episode, I sit down with my friend Ryan Carey; former pro football player (CFL), Canadian military veteran, and a guy who’s been deep in the weeds of brain injury, PTSD, and plant medicine work.  We talk about why the medicine rarely starts where you think it will (hint: it’s usually family, grief, and shame first), why “the body keeps the score” is cliché because it’s true, and why integration isn’t some cute add-on but the whole damn point.  We also get into TBI/CTE realities (sports, blast exposure, concussions), the trap of “journey-chasing,” and why learning to sit in silence can be harder than a cold plunge… and also more life-changing. If you’re a veteran, first responder, or just a human trying to stop white-knuckling your way through life: this one’s for you Check out everything that Ryan does here: https://www.instagram.com/emergent_savage/ 👉 Want support with Mindful Microdosing + integration?  Visit becomingom.org or DM “INTERESTED” to @becoming.om MICRODOSING FUNDAMENTALS: go.becomingom.org/resources/microdosing-101 ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR VETERANS: go.becomingom.org/resources/healing-briefing. Thanks again for listening! Enrollment is open right now for the 2026 Operation FlowState Jiu Jitsu & Healing Retreat. Spaces are limited due to the small size of the retreat center and spots are already more than 75% filled. Visit becomingom.org/flowstate for all the info and to submit an application. Or for info on our online healing programs, DM us the word INFO on Instagram.

    1h 25m

  5. FEB 23

    31. Healing PTSD in a Relationship: Why Your Partner Has to Be In the Loop

    “Hey honey… I met a stranger online and I’m gonna pay them lots of money to help me learn about drugs.” If that’s how you’re planning to tell your spouse you’re exploring plant medicine for PTSD/CPTSD, please don’t. In this episode, I talk about the real make-or-break factor in healing while you’re in a relationship: your partner doesn’t have to do psychedelics… but they DO need to be aware, supportive, and not actively sabotaging the process. I share what I’ve seen over the last couple of weeks talking with spouses of people joining our program and why I actually prefer speaking to your husband/wife/partner before you commit, and what can go sideways when you don’t. We get into the “crabs in a bucket” dynamic, the difference between skepticism vs. sabotage, and why bringing your partner into the conversation often leads to better outcomes, especially when you’re working through trauma, anxiety, depression, moral injury, brain fog, and integration after psychedelics. I also share a few real stories of couples who went from “support role” to “holy shit, I want this too.” 👉 Want support with Mindful Microdosing + integration? Visit becomingom.org or DM “INTERESTED” to @becoming.om MICRODOSING FUNDAMENTALS: go.becomingom.org/resources/microdosing-101 ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR VETERANS: go.becomingom.org/resources/healing-briefing. Thanks again for listening! Enrollment is open right now for the 2026 Operation FlowState Jiu Jitsu & Healing Retreat. Spaces are limited due to the small size of the retreat center and spots are already more than 75% filled. Visit becomingom.org/flowstate for all the info and to submit an application. Or for info on our online healing programs, DM us the word INFO on Instagram.

    13 min
  6. 30. Dr. Eugene Lipov - The “God Shot”: Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) for PTSD / PTSI

    FEB 20

    30. Dr. Eugene Lipov - The “God Shot”: Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) for PTSD / PTSI

    In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Eugene Lipov (the doc who pioneered using Stellate Ganglion Block for trauma) to talk about a wildly practical idea: what if we can turn the alarm system down so healing actually becomes possible? We get into the science without pretending the human part isn’t real: amygdala overload, norepinephrine, why “placebo” is a messy word for procedures like SGB, and why Dr. Lipov believes we should call it PTSI (post-traumatic stress injury), not a “disorder.” We also talk integration, because even if you get a reset, you still have to clean up the “fish tank”: habits, relationships, meaning, and the choices that keep you well. We also touch psychedelics (psilocybin, ibogaine, ayahuasca), the default mode network, and why the goal isn’t to delete emotion but to get your emotional system working again. Learn more about Dr. Eugene Lipov & his work: • Dr. Lipov official site: https://dreugenelipov.com/ • Stella Mental Health (SGB/DSR info + locations): https://stellamentalhealth.com/eugene-lipov-md • The God Shot (book): https://thegodshotbook.com/ 👉 Want support with Mindful Microdosing + integration? Visit becomingom.org or DM “INTERESTED” to @becoming.om MICRODOSING FUNDAMENTALS: go.becomingom.org/resources/microdosing-101 ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR VETERANS: go.becomingom.org/resources/healing-briefing. Thanks again for listening! Enrollment is open right now for the 2026 Operation FlowState Jiu Jitsu & Healing Retreat. Spaces are limited due to the small size of the retreat center and spots are already more than 75% filled. Visit becomingom.org/flowstate for all the info and to submit an application. Or for info on our online healing programs, DM us the word INFO on Instagram.

    1h 31m
  7. 29. How to Make Mushroom/Ibogaine/Ayahuasca Insights Actually Change Your Life

    FEB 17

    29. How to Make Mushroom/Ibogaine/Ayahuasca Insights Actually Change Your Life

    In this episode of the Plant Medicine for PTSD podcast, I’m explaining what I mean when I say integration ... because I talk about integration basically every single time I talk, and it’s worth taking a minute to define it in plain language.  Integration is gonna be a bit anticlimactic because it looks different for each person, but the core idea is simple: clean your fish tank. I use the sick goldfish analogy: you can take the fish to the vet and give it medicine ...just like you can take yourself out of your home environment, fly to Tijuana or Costa Rica or Peru, and go do a retreat with mushrooms, ibogaine, ayahuasca, LSD, mescaline, whatever.  But if you bring the treated goldfish home and plop it right back into its dirty-ass tank that made it sick in the first place, what do you think happens?  That’s what it looks like when you come home from plant medicine and do absolutely nothing different. Integration is changing your lifestyle, environment, relationships, communication, thinking, and habits so the healing actually sticks. We get practical: habit change is less about discipline and more about re-engineering your environment: where’s your phone in the morning, app blockers, journal front and center, setting yourself up to win.  We also talk about your social environment (friend group, community, who you’re becoming around), and your “spiritual/emotional diet”...what you’re watching, scrolling, listening to, and how often inner peace comes from what you cut out more than what you add in.  And then the question that matters: what does the healed version of you do every day… and can you start doing that today? Want support with real plant medicine / psychedelic integration (PTSD, CPTSD, anxiety, depression)? Visit becomingom.org or DM INTERESTED to @becoming.om. MICRODOSING FUNDAMENTALS: https://go.becomingom.org/resources/microdosing-101 ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR VETERANS: https://go.becomingom.org/resources/healing-briefing Thanks again for listening! Enrollment is open right now for the 2026 Operation FlowState Jiu Jitsu & Healing Retreat. Spaces are limited due to the small size of the retreat center and spots are already more than 75% filled. Visit becomingom.org/flowstate for all the info and to submit an application. Or for info on our online healing programs, DM us the word INFO on Instagram.

    14 min
  8. 28. John Davis - Escaping the U.S. Stress Machine: A Veteran’s Guide to Living Abroad

    FEB 12

    28. John Davis - Escaping the U.S. Stress Machine: A Veteran’s Guide to Living Abroad

    What if your anxiety isn’t just you … it’s your environment?  In this episode of “The Plant Medicine For PTSD Podcast”, I sat down with John Davis; an army combat veteran, Harvard graduate and writer who has lived across Thailand and Latin America.  We talk about expat life as a mental health intervention. About the freedom of being outside the U.S. stress machine, the cost-of-living pressure that crushes people, and why veterans often need non-traditional healing (community, purpose, nature, scuba, and plant medicine + integration).  We also keep it real about the pitfalls: isolation, easy access to unhealthy habits, and why “just moving” isn’t a magic wand unless you build structure and connection. Want John’s free vets guide + resources? Start here: linktr.ee/johnhdaviswriter And if you’re working with plant medicine, psycheadelics, microdosing, MDMA therapy, ayahuasca, ibogaine, or you’re healing PTSD/CPTSD, trauma, depression, anxiety ... integration is the part that determines whether your experience becomes real change or just another story you tell. Check out our free resources below, or visit us at becomingom.org MICRODOSING FUNDAMENTALS: go.becomingom.org/resources/microdosing-101 ALTERNATIVE HEALING FOR VETERANS: go.becomingom.org/resources/healing-briefing Thanks again for listening! Enrollment is open right now for the 2026 Operation FlowState Jiu Jitsu & Healing Retreat. Spaces are limited due to the small size of the retreat center and spots are already more than 75% filled. Visit becomingom.org/flowstate for all the info and to submit an application. Or for info on our online healing programs, DM us the word INFO on Instagram.

    1h 32m
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5 Ratings

About

The Plant Medicine For PTSD Podcast is dedicated to bringing you real stories of real people getting real help to overcome their trauma through the use of intentional plant medicine and other spiritual practices. 

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