On Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration

This event was recorded and is available to watch on our YouTube channel and portions of the audio will be released on our podcast.

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With the second renaissance and re-emergence of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, the general public and therapists alike are confronted with new areas of exploration, but with few systematic frameworks available. Questions surrounding legal access to care, ongoing criminalization, and medical restrictions to care limiting the therapies available, the immediate future of psychedelic-assisted therapy remains shrouded in uncertainty, even in the face of expanding interest. On the cusp of this new era—one of excitement but also uncertainty—one of many ways to explore this emerging landscape is through the lens of the psychospiritual and the therapeutic uses of psychedelics.  

Join clinical psychologist, founder of the Center for Existential Exploration, and author Dr. Kile Ortigo and licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and social justice advocate Mary Sanders for a conversation on the psychospiritual and therapeutic use of psychedelics, which includes the process of psychedelic integration. Sharing insights from his latest book, Beyond the Narrow Life, Dr. Ortigo discusses the shared elements of intersecting complexities and possibilities surrounding questions regarding legal access to care, ongoing criminalization, and medical restrictions to care which limit the therapies available. Dr. Ortigo examines themes elicited by the psychospiritual and therapeutic use of psychedelics through several frameworks, from third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapy to Jungian depth psychology, existentialism to scientific understandings of the cosmos, and mindfulness and compassion focused traditions to popular and secular culture.   
 
Dr. Ortigo offers deepened wisdom into psychedelic-assisted therapy and integration through his unique approach of connecting to the greater mysteries and concerns of the human experience.


Kile Ortigo, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and founder of the Center for Existential Exploration, which supports people exploring profound questions about identity, meaning, life transitions, and psycho-spiritual development. He also serves on advisory boards of Psychedelic Support, an online training and clinician directory for legal, psychedelic-informed care, and Project New Day, a non-profit organization providing harm-reduction resources for people using psychedelics in their addiction recovery process. For several years, Dr. Ortigo worked at the National Center for PTSD (NC-PTSD) where he collaborated on technology development and implementation projects, ranging from apps like Mindfulness Coach to online programs like webSTAIR. With colleagues at NC-PTSD, NYU, and Harvard, Dr. Ortigo co-authored Treating Survivors of Child Abuse & Interpersonal Trauma: STAIR Narrative Therapy (2nd Edition), which was released in June 2020. 


Mary Sanders is a committed licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and social justice advocate. Mary's goal is to explore the depths of transgenerational trauma and peel off the layers of oppression so that we can relate to our true self. Mary's experience is working with Black, Indigenious, and People of Color (BIPOC), 2SLGBTQIA+, veterans, immigrants and refugees from Iraq and Syria, and foster youth. Mary is committed to treating trauma, certified in Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and is a somatic experiencing psychotherapist in-training. Additionally, Mary is a trained psychedelic-assisted therapist from California Institute of Integral Studies' Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research, MAPS, and Ketamine Training Center. Mary is founding board member of the People of Color Psychedelic Collective and works towards collective healing and justice for Black, Indigenous people, and People of Color within the context of psychedelics. Mary integrates her extensive training and lived experience in her private practice, EMPATH Center and social work role at Veteran Affairs in San Francisco, CA.