The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently declared that starting July 1, 2023, Psilocybin and MDMA will be eligible for prescription by certified psychiatrists for the treatment of selected mental health conditions. This announcement has raised questions and concerns among the medical community, as well as the broader public.
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To address these questions and provide insights on the subject, we are pleased to announce a live panel discussion with a team of experts and professionals (see bios below).
When: 15th Feburary
Time: 7pm AEDT
Where: on Youtube: Click the link below!!
Or visit this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAvIljbIAY4
Our panelists are:
Dr. Samuel Douglas is a PhD-qualified philosopher with 15 years of teaching and research experience in professional ethics, philosophy of language, education, and critical thinking at the University of Newcastle.
Behind the scenes of his studies and academic work, Samuel has been involved with plant medicine and psychedelic communities in Australia for over 20 years. His passion for writing and advocacy in this area led to his involvement in (and eventual leadership of) the Australian Psychedelic Society.
This time as a non-profit organisation leader has allowed him to gain experience in management, utilising transformational and creative leadership techniques.
When COVID reduced his university work in 2020, Samuel sought to professionalise his writing and editing activities—specialising in accurate and engaging long-form psychedelic content.
In late 2021, he founded Psychedelic Overground to provide psychedelic-themed content, copywriting, and editing services to a broader range of organisations and publications.
Dr. Stephen Bright has worked as a psychologist within the Mental Health & AOD field for the past 15 years. He is currently Senior Lecturer of Addiction at Edith Cowan University. Stephen is a strong advocate of harm reduction and an evidence-based approach to AOD legislation. He is also interested in the role of certain substances (entheogens) to facilitate spiritual experiences, and their role in psychotherapy.
His PhD related to the public perceptions and media portrayal of AOD use and the implications of this for drug-related harm, including the rapid emergence of new psychoactive substances. This has led to the development of a project that aims to make the Australian media more accountable when reporting on AOD issues: www.aodmediawatch.com.au
Stephen is a leading Australian voice on the role of drug policy on emerging drug trends such as synthetic cannabis and darkweb marketplaces.
Dr Nigel Strauss is an Australian psychiatrist for over 40 years, has a special interest in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. He is an Honorary Research Fellow within Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, and he also holds Honorary positions at Swinburne University Melbourne, and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
He is a published author of papers on psychedelic medicines and is currently a Principal Investigator and senior therapist in a clinical trial in Melbourne using psilocybin assisted psychotherapy for patients with treatment resistant depression.
Dr Strauss trained in psychiatry in Melbourne and at the Jung Institute in Zurich. He is a MAPS accredited psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist. He is currently advocating, within the Australian College of Psychiatrists, for the safe introduction of Psychedelic medicines into psychiatric practice in Australia.
Dr Strauss is in private practice at the Millswyn Clinic in Melbourne, a private psychiatric clinic, where he is the Medical Director.
Pixie Miller is the founder of Psychedelically Aware, a harm minimisation group and The PATCH – The Psychedelically Aware Talking Circle Hub. Having studied psychology and health science, while pursuing postgraduate neuroscience, she has a broad understanding of how entheogens affect both the body and mind. Pixie is passionate about research and how entheogens could be used in therapeutic models. Currently, her pursuit of harm minimisation through The PATCH has been gaining momentum with community discussions and education. Drawing upon interdisciplinary knowledge to collaborate on community-led initiatives, the potential of entheogens can shine in a safer space.
Eternity Hausen:
Eternity Hausen is the CEO and founder of Enlighten Mental Health, Australia's first online practice offering psychedelic harm reduction and integration. Eternity is passionate about making a meaningful contribution to the mental health landscape in Australia and paving the way forward. With a background in the Australian Defence Force Eternity is passionate about supporting veterans.
Eternity is on the clinical advisory board at Reset Mind Sciences. Reset Mind Sciences is the first Australian company to be granted a license to grow psilocybin-containing mushrooms in Australia.
The panel discussion will take place on February 15th, 2023 at 7 PM ADST and will be live on youtube..
Don't miss this opportunity to gain a better understanding of the implications of this recent TGA announcement and the role of psychedelics in mental health treatment.