The Integration Session

The Centre for Psychedelics Health and Research

The Integration Session is for staying up-to-date on all things psychedelic science, with the experts themselves. This podcast takes an integrative approach—sharing research findings, their clinical relevance, and reaching towards solutions to key challenges in the field today. Hosted by Dr. Elena Koning, this show is where scientists connect to discuss anything from mechanisms and study design to ethics and policy. If you’re a scientist, trainee, or simply someone who wants to dig deeper, tune in for engaging discussions about psychedelics and their promising future in healthcare and beyond.

  1. MAY 14

    Pop Culture, Film & Religion: Psychedelically Speaking with Nathan Keele-Springer

    From the hippie counterculture vibes of the 1960s to the haunting visions of Midsommar, or the optimism of How to Change Your Mind, psychedelics have long shaped (and been shaped by) popular media. But how do these portrayals reflect and influence cultural narratives around altered states, spirituality, and transformation? And in what ways do they borrow from, distort, or reinvent the language of traditional religion and mysticism? In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by Nathan Keele-Springer, a PhD student in Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa whose research sits at the fascinating intersection of psychedelics, religion, and pop culture. Nathan is the organizer of uOttawa’s “Psychedelically Speaking” speaker series and the university’s annual Conference on Psychedelics and Spirituality. His interests include how psychedelic experiences intersect with mystical traditions, perennial philosophy, not-self transformation (drawing from Buddhist contexts), and the grammar of altered states. This conversation explores: 1) how psychedelic are interpreted through religious frameworks (and where those tools shine and fall short); 2) the evolving depictions of psychedelics in film, TV, music, and literature; 3) the ways media commodifies, spiritualizes, secularizes, or pathologizes mystical language like “ego death” and encounters with the divine; 4) the tension between individual enlightenment and societal disruption; and 5) why religious studies perspectives remain essential in an increasingly clinical and neuroscientific psychedelic field.

    46 min

  2. APR 30

    Psychedelic Capitalism: Corporate Capture, Medicalization & Alternative Paths with Kevin Walby & Jamie Brownlee

    Although the therapeutic promise of psychedelics is often highlighted, there is a much larger story at play here: one of corporate power, political ideology, digital surveillance, and fundamental questions about the limits of Western medicine. In this episode of The Integration Session, we step back from treatment breakthroughs to examine the bigger story: the rapid rise of ‘Psychedelic Capitalism.’ We are joined by Kevin Walby, Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Winnipeg and director of the Centre for Access to Information and Justice, and Jamie Brownlee, Professor of Canadian and International Political Economy at Carleton University. Kevin and Jamie and co-authors of the recent book Psychedelic Capitalism (Fernwood Publishing). This conversation pulls back the curtain on how billions in private capital, aggressive patenting, and corporate interests are reshaping the psychedelic landscape. We discuss the risks of corporate capture, whether the Western medical model is truly suited for substances with deep spiritual and community-based dimensions, as well as some uncomfortable intersections, including links with far-right movements, digital surveillance, and the hyper-individualistic wellness industry. Importantly, this discussion doesn’t stop at critique. Kevin and Jamie share more hopeful, just alternatives and explore how psychedelics could be used responsibly as tools for social change.

    48 min

  3. APR 16

    Why Community is Essential for Psychedelic Integration with Amy Bartlett

    Humans have always needed community to heal, grow, and make meaning in this life - something Indigenous and traditional healing practices have long incorporated alongside psychedelic medicine. Yet Western cultures, steeped in individualism, seem to be only recently rediscovering the importance of community. So, what should the true role of community be in psychedelic integration? More broadly, how does one effectively build community? In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by Amy Bartlett, a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa whose research examines how community shapes psychedelic integration, spirituality, and healing. With nearly two decades of experience in law, social justice, and international work, Amy Bridges theory and practice: she co-coordinates the Ottawa Psychedelic Education Network (OPEN), facilitates bi-weekly community integration circles, and hosts the podcast My Psychedelic Roots, where diverse voices share how psychedelics have shaped their sense of self and world. This discussion covers why community may not just be helpful - but essential - for deep, lasting psychedelic integration; the urgent need to center lived experience in research and policy; practical lessons from years of real-world facilitation; and how storytelling and witnessing serve as powerful, legitimate tools of evidence in a field often dominated by metrics. More About Amy: Amy Bartlett is a curiosity enthusiast on the cusp of completing her PhD at the University of Ottawa. Her research explores the role that community and connection with others play in psychedelic integration, spirituality and healing. Bridging the realms of theory and practice, Amy also helps coordinate the Ottawa Psychedelic Education Network (OPEN) where she has been running community integration circles for several years, and hosts the My Psychedelic Roots podcast. She has a law degree from Queen's University as well as her Masters of Law from Dalhousie, and before returning to school for her PhD in 2020, Amy worked for over 15 years in human rights and social justice causes in Canada and around the world. You can find more information on her work and current research at https://www.psychedelication.com/

    40 min

  4. APR 2

    Psilocybin for Demoralization Syndrome in Cancer Care with Dr. Carolina Hernandorena

    Demoralization syndrome affects a substantial portion of patients with advanced cancer, but how does it differ from depression? How might psilocybin help patients find relief and peace while facing their own mortality? In this episode, Dr. Carolina Hernandorena, psychiatrist and PhD candidate in neuroscience at Queen’s University, shares her journey from psychiatric training in Argentina to psychedelic research in Canada. She differentiates demoralization from other mental health constructs, and provides insight on the rationale and protocol design for her Health Canada-approved, open-label pilot trial: “Safety and Efficacy of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for Demoralization Syndrome in Patients Diagnosed With Advanced Stage Cancer.” More broadly, Dr. Hernandorena outlines regulatory and logistical challenges of her research, and offers evidence-informed perspectives on the future of using psychedelics to address existential distress in advanced illness.

    31 min

  5. MAR 19

    Eating Disorders & Drug Use: Real-World Insights with Sarah Rodan

    What can we learn from psychedelic use in people with lived experience of eating disorders? As a population with barely any approved medications, surprising self-reports reveal that cannabis and psychedelics may offer high rates of real-world symptom relief. In this episode of The Integration Session, we are joined by Sarah Rodan, a postdoctoral research associate at the InsideOut Institute in Sydney, Australia and coordinator of a groundbreaking clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant anorexia nervosa in collaboration with Imperial College London. Sarah shares key findings from her 2025 JAMA Network Open survey on prescription and non-prescription drug use among people with self-reported eating disorders, plus broader insights on the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids and psychedelics for eating disorders. This episode is a timely exploration of lived experiences, risk-benefit realities, and the urgent need for better treatment options in an understudied area of psychedelic science.

    45 min

  6. MAR 5

    Menstrual Cycles, Menopause & Pregnancy: A Psychedelic Research Gap with Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley

    Women’s bodies have long been treated as a ‘variable’ to control for in science, rather than a focus of research inquiry. Psychedelic science is no exception, with major knowledge gaps regarding the menstrual cycle, menopause, and pregnancy. But, what might be discovered if we become more curious about women’s physiology in psychedelic science? In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley - neuroscientist, Director of Research at Heroic Hearts Projects, and Founder of Hystelica, the world’s first organization dedicated to understanding psychedelics through the lens of female biology.  With over a decade of experience researching cannabinoids and psychedelics, Grace brings an essential perspective to the conversation, including how hormones, reproductive stages, and sex-specific neurobiology may shape psychedelic experiences and psychedelic treatment outcomes. Specifically, she shares: 1) why women’s biology has been historically understudied and why it matters; 2) what current evidence suggests about sex differences in response to psychedelics and how hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle impact mood; 3) early insights from psychedelics research at Hystelica; and 4) how psychedelic research protocols and trial designs could better answer these important questions.  Grace also shares her personal journey into neuroscience, her connection to veterans’ mental health, and how her experience as a woman in the military helped shape her advocacy for more inclusive research practices. This conversation highlights a critical frontier in psychedelic science: designing research and care models that prioritize biological reality over convenience.  Check out Hystelica: https://hystelica.com/

    46 min

  7. FEB 19

    Psychedelic Justice, Reciprocity & Chacruna’s Vision with Dr. Bia Labate

    Join Dr. Bia Labate, anthropologist, activist, and Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, in this live interview brought to you by the Queen’s University Psychedelic Society Speaker Series. With over 30 years of global experience in psychedelic traditions, Dr. Labate shares the motivations behind her lifelong commitment to plant medicines and social justice. She explores psychedelics through an anthropological lens, the founding and mission of the Chacruna Institute, and its programs advancing reciprocity, cultural understanding, and legitimacy for sacred plants. Dr. Labate critiques the commercialization of psychedelics, power imbalances between Western science and Indigenous knowledge, and epistemic injustices in psychedelic research. She addresses global drug policy, recent decriminalization progress, and the essential role of social sciences in fostering ethical, relational, and holistic approaches to psychedelic healing. Chacruna Institute: https://chacruna.net/ Dr. Bia Labate (Beatriz Caiuby Labate) is an anthropologist, educator, author, speaker, and activist, committed to the protection of sacred plants while amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in the psychedelic science field. As a queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco, she has been profoundly influenced by her experiences with ayahuasca since 1996. Dr. Labate has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil. Her work focuses on plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, religion, and social justice. She is the Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves as a Senior Advisor for Culture and Strategy at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Additionally, she is a Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and acts as advisor for around 15 organizations, among them the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, Soltara Healing Center, Sacred Plant Alliance and the Alaska Entheogenic Awareness Council. Dr. Labate is also a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and the editor of its site. She has authored, co-authored, and co-edited 28 books, three special-edition journals, and numerous peer-reviewed and online publications.

    48 min

  8. FEB 5

    Canada vs. US Landscapes & The Future of Psychotherapy with Dr. Jérémie Richard

    From Johns Hopkins to Ottawa, Dr. Jérémie Richard is a clinical psychologist with unique binational experience in the field of psychedelic science. Now an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa and director of the Clinical & Applied Psychedelic Science Lab, Dr. Richard joins host Dr. Elena Koning to trace his career path and share his most personally impactful and ongoing work in psychedelic psychotherapy. The conversation explores the differences in Canada-US regulatory landscapes, their impact on research and access, and psychedelics’ potential for transdiagnostic care. Looking forward, Dr. Richard offers a visionary take on how emerging perspectives on mental illness may outgrow current DSM categories, and what psychotherapy could become in 25 years - including whether (and how) psychedelics will reshape it. Dr. Jérémie Richard is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. He is a clinical psychologist in Quebec and Ontario whose work is helping chart new paths in mental health, addiction, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research. As an emerging scholar, Dr. Richard is exploring the psychological, biological, and sociocultural dimensions of mental health, investigating how difficulties with depression, anxiety, addiction, and developmental vulnerabilities influence people’s lived experience and their response to mental health treatments. He is the director of the Clinical & Applied Psychedelic Science Lab (CAPS Lab) at the University of Ottawa, where he investigates how the use of psychedelics in naturalistic or clinical settings can influence mental health, physical health, and quality of life, with a commitment to rigorous science and the provision of compassionate care. With an expanding portfolio of over 40 peer-reviewed publications and in his role as core faculty in the Psychedelics and Consciousness Studies Program at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Jérémie Richard is emerging as a leading voice in bridging traditional psychotherapy with innovative therapeutic approaches.

    46 min
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About

The Integration Session is for staying up-to-date on all things psychedelic science, with the experts themselves. This podcast takes an integrative approach—sharing research findings, their clinical relevance, and reaching towards solutions to key challenges in the field today. Hosted by Dr. Elena Koning, this show is where scientists connect to discuss anything from mechanisms and study design to ethics and policy. If you’re a scientist, trainee, or simply someone who wants to dig deeper, tune in for engaging discussions about psychedelics and their promising future in healthcare and beyond.

Information

  • Creator
    The Centre for Psychedelics Health and Research
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Centre for Psychedelics Health and Research
  • Show Website
    The Integration Session

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