Past, Present & Future of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Humans & Animals

​Is psychedelic-assisted therapy part of the future of mental health?

Are healthcare professionals able to safely and ethically receive treatment to combat the growing mental health concerns among medical providers?

Watch the recorded webinar here.

This month we welcome guests Dr. Erika Dyck, Jessica Cadoch, and Dr. Casara Andre as we explore the One Health intersections of psychedelic assisted therapies in both human and veterinary patients. 

Where do other non-human animals fit into these emerging and evolving modalities of healing? Do veterinary species serve solely as models for experimentation, or can they too benefit from the breakthrough potential of psychedelic substances? 

As decriminalization of psychedelic substances steadily progresses, how do medical practitioners navigate harm reduction for patients of all species and guard against accidental or medically-inappropriate use?

---

Jessica Cadoch | Medical Anthropologist

Jaz Cadoch is a medical anthropologist with a focus on addiction treatment and contributes her unique and in-depth perspective on the current potential of psychedelic substances to change the paradigm of mental health treatment. 

Jaz has recently completed her masters in Medical Anthropology at McGill University, is the former Executive Director of the Montreal Psychedelic Society, and is the Research Manager at Maya PBC. Her master's research explores the implications involved in a shifting paradigm around psychedelic substances. She pays particular attention to the ethics involved in integrating this new approach to managing mental illness into conventional and dominant ones, particularly in looking at twelve-step-based models of recovery from addiction.

Beyond her research interests, Jaz contributes significantly to the psychedelic community through on-the-ground initiatives such as the psychedelic society, and other collectives that are still in the works. 

Dr. Erika Dyck | ​Historian

PhD Historian, Dr. Erika Dyck brings her perspective on past attempts to successfully use psychedelic substances in psychiatry and what has led to the current renaissance in scientific inquiry. 

 Dr. Erika Dyck is a Professor and a Canada Research Chair in the History of Health & Social Justice. Her interdisciplinary research brings social sciences and humanities perspectives to scientific and medical subjects. Her work has been published in medical, legal, economic, literary, philosophical, anthropological and historical venues and she continues to contribute to scientific literature as a prolific author and editor.
Dr. Dyck is also a Board Member of Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plants, and Associate Director of Chacruna Canada.

Dr. Casara Andre | ​Veterinarian

Veterinarian and Founding President of Care for the Healer, Dr. Casara Andre contributes her experience working with non-verbal mammals with behavioral conditions and thoughts on if and how psychedelic assisted therapy might be safely approached when working with veterinary species.

Dr. Andre is dedicated to providing practical education and harm reduction training to the emerging veterinary cannabis and psychedelic fields.  She firmly believes that scientific curiosity can and will open unexpected, exciting, and hugely beneficial opportunities within this field but also that scientific rigor and scrutiny must never be neglected.  She is dedicated propagating sustainable, community-minded paradigms that ensure the well-being of both pets and the veterinary practitioners that care for them.

---