Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research Certificate: Alumni Panel

Ask our alumni!

Discover the benefits of the Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research training at CIIS and hear real-life career outcomes. 

Join our alumni panel to meet several accomplished graduates of the certificate to learn about their work in the field after earning the certificate. This event is open to everyone. 

Meet our Panelists

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Kile Ortigo, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and CIIS-certified psychedelic psychotherapist (2019 Cohort) at the Center for Existential Exploration in Palo Alto, where he offers depth-oriented psychotherapy and integration support. Dr. Ortigo serves on advisory boards of Psychedelic Support and Project New Day and recently, has published his second book, Beyond the Narrow Life: A Guide for Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration, with a foreword by psychedelic luminary, Dr. Bill Richards.

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Arlene Samen, APRN, is Founder and Chief Visionary Office of One Heart Worldwide. In 1997, after 35 years as a nurse practitioner specializing in maternal and fetal medicine, Arlene was asked by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to save the lives of mothers and their newborns in Tibet, where one in ten newborns were dying of preventable causes. In 2004, she left her clinical practice to found One Heart Worldwide. While working in Tibet, Arlene developed the “Network of Safety” model, which brings lifesaving care to the expectant mothers and infants where the need is the greatest. In 2009, One Heart World extended the model to remote villages in Nepal and the Copper Canyon of Mexico. In 2015, Arlene attended CIIS as one of the first Cohorts in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. She has been a TA and mentor over the past three years and is now studying Palliative Care and volunteering at Novamind in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

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Anthony Back, M.D., is Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, and researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Dr. Back earned his M.D. at Harvard University. He practiced medical oncology for 30 years and practices now as a board certified physician in Palliative Medicine and Internal Medicine and as PI on FDA-approved studies of psychedelic therapies. He co-founded VitalTalk, a national nonprofit that provides innovative, interactive clinician and faculty development courses to improve communication skills, and co-authored the book Mastering Communication with Seriously Ill Patients. He is a 2020 graduate of the program. 

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Dawn DeCunha, CPsych, is a clinical psychologist in private practice with three decades of experience in trauma-informed psychological assessment and treatment. She has worked in criminal, educational, and health/rehabilitation psychology. She graduated from the CIIS/CPTR postgraduate program in 2018 and has since participated in further training at Compass Pathways and CAMH in Toronto.

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Robert Koffman, M.D., MPH, 2020 alum, is a Retired Navy Captain and the Senior Medical Adviser for Warrior Canine Connection. He currently serves as a board member of Wesana Health, is on the VETS’ Academic Advisory Board, the SEAL Future Foundation, and is the current Chair of the newly formed Board of Psychedelic Medicine and Therapies. As a board-certified psychiatrist, psychiatric epidemiologist, and preventive medicine physician, he obtained his doctorate from the University of Santo Tomas, and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. Among his many clinical, operational, and leadership positions, he was Chief of Clinical Operations at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) aboard the Walter Reed campus in Bethesda, Maryland, and he was appointed as the Navy’s first head of Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC). A disabled veteran himself, Koffman has dedicated himself to improving the delivery of mental health care in operational settings and is a passionate advocate for increasing access of non-stigmatizing psychological services. He is also a seasoned medical acupuncturist and recognized expert in Animal Assisted Therapies. Robert graduated from the 2020 CIIS CPTR program and is currently conducting research on treating depression in cancer patients with psilocybin, and is slated to soon begin MDMA-Assisted Therapy under FDA Expanded Access at the Bill Richards’ Center for Healing at the Aquilino Cancer Center. With passion, purpose, and commitment, Koffman hopes to champion these essential, healing modalities and medicines for service members and veterans. 

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