Psychedelic Professionals Meet: Denver

Let's keep Colorado on the leading edge of psychedelic medicine work by coming together in community to learn, share, and grow. Each Psychedelic Professionals Meet starts with an informative topic relevant to research, practice, policy, or activism around psychedelic medicines, followed by open discussion and an opportunity to connect with like-minded others. 

We don't know about you, but we're craving some fun and release right now. In anticipation of Halloween, speakers and audience members are encouraged to come in full Halloweed Garb! Come and show us what you got --spooky costumes or just the festi gear you didn't get to dust off this past summer -- the weirder or wilder, the better! 

For our October gathering we are excited to welcome a panel of speakers, led by Dr. Naveen Thomas, on "Psychedelic Group Process: The Next Frontier in Psychedelic Therapy?" Many indigenous cultures who steward entheogenic medicines offer the entheogenic experience primarily in the group setting. In modern psychedelic therapy in the US, the vast majority of legal psychedelic therapy seems to occur in individual settings. This talk will explore some of the reasons for this difference as well, some of the challenges in taking on group work, and offer a glimpse of what might be possible if modern psychedelic therapy were to embrace the group approach. We will utilize some examples of actual psychedelic therapy clinics that are currently utilizing group approaches.

Naveen Thomas is committed to practicing a truly holistic approach to mental health and in particular is passionate about applying the benefits of non-ordinary states of consciousness to modern people and increasing their access to the unique healing opportunities afforded by these states.  Naveen have extensive training in Integrative Medicine and Psychiatry and has completed the Integrative Medicine Fellowship from the University of Arizona, headed by Dr. Andrew Weill. He also completed the Integrative Psychiatric Institute Fellowship in Integrative Psychiatry headed by Dr. Will Van Der Weer as well as many others related training programs. Naveen was certified in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy through the Ketamine Training Center  in 2018, taught by Dr. Phil Wolfson and has been implementing Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy in individual and group settings since then.  He has also been accepted to a 1200 hour/3 year intensive transpersonal psychedelic therapy training program through the ONCA Foundation, starting in 2021. This program will involve intensive experiential work with indigenous peoples who are stewards of the entheogenic plant teachers such as ayahuasca, peyote, and Iboga.

Other panelists include:

John Schoonbrood. MBA. Gatekeeper at WellWise Ketamine Retreat Center.

Co-founder of WellWise, Boulder’s Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy retreat center. Was introduced to the healing qualities of ketamine therapy by his medical doctor 13 years ago.

Past training: School for Journalism, the Netherlands. Wharton MBA, University of Pennsylvania. Autodidact. Certified Psychedelic Sitter by Medicinal Mindfulness.

Debi Elliott. Licensed Psychotherapist. Ketamine Guide. Brainwave and breathing specialist.

Co-founder of and therapy director at WellWise, Boulder’s Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy retreat center, since 2017. Guides private and group clients to reconnect with their loving true self. Has decades of experience with ceremonial healings, Vision Quest experiences, breathwork, guided neuromeditations and psychotherapy. Debi has her private neuro- and biofeedback practice for the past 28 years named Interactive Brain Analysis. Ketamine and EEG brain mapping researcher.

Past Training: Naropa University grad in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, specializing in transpersonal, Jungian, humanistic and gestalt therapies. Colorado Licensed Professional Counselor. Certified Psychedelic Sitter. Certified in Biofeedback. Certified in Neurofeedback.

Future Training: Ketamine and Psychedelic Medicine Training at PRATI (Psychedelic Research and Training Institute) in Fort Collins (winter 2020).

Mark Abrams, Journey Guide at Highest Light

Founder of Highest Light – Cannabis {Santa Maria} Living Journeywork Ceremonies. There is a third way to use Cannabis (beyond recreational and medical), as a sacred and ancient plant teacher. Mark is in his 4th year guiding group sacred Cannabis journeys. He has extensively studied the historical and modern spiritual use of Cannabis for inner exploration, healing, and positive transformation. He is a long-time meditator, versed in several meditative traditions. Committed to the path of awakening by living life as ceremony, he is a practitioner of the way of Kriya Yoga.

Past Training: Completed an intensive psychedelic-harm-reduction certificate program from Medicinal Mindfulness in Boulder. Studied business at University of Michigan.

Current Training: In the process of becoming a certified addiction, recovery, and psychedelic integration coach through the Being True to You network.

https://highestlight.love

We are meeting in-person on the second floor of the Mercury Cafe. The Mercury Cafe will have tables spaced apart for social distancing, so seating is limited. Please confirm your space by purchasing a $5 ticket for the event. Masks are required for socializing and mingling when not seated at your table with food or drink. 

We will livestream this talk on Facebook. Visit our Nowak Society Facebook page around 5:45/6pm on Sunday to view the Livestream, or watch the recorded video later on our website.

We look forward to seeing you there or on FB!