Psychedelics for End-of-life Care with Lauren McDonald and Rosanna Ellis

Can psychedelics offer a new path to peace at the end of life?

With terminal illness and end-of-life care often accompanied by intense physical and emotional pain, many are seeking new solutions to find comfort and peace. That's where psychedelics come in - they have garnered growing attention as a potential therapeutic tool in recent years.

Join Dr Lauren McDonald and Rosanna Ellis from Essence Medicine for an insightful interview and Q&A session about the role of psychedelics in end-of-life care. With extensive knowledge and firsthand experience, they will delve into the latest research and discuss the ethical considerations surrounding the use of psychedelics for palliative care.

Furthermore, they will shed light on the broader context of altered states and existential distress and challenge Western attitudes toward death and dying by emphasizing the importance of meaningful, spiritual experiences in end-of-life care.

Don't miss this thought-provoking conversation on March 14th at 7pm GMT, as they delve into the potential of psychedelics to offer a new path to peace at the end of life.

SPEAKERS

DR LAUREN MACDONALD

Lauren Macdonald is a psychiatry doctor passionate about providing whole-person, holistic care. She has a BSc in Psychology and holds additional certificates in Integrative Medicine, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Compassionate Inquiry, Healing Circles, and Yoga. She has completed Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy training with MAPS and currently works as a co-therapist across several trials at The Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London. 

As a stage IV cancer survivor she has first-hand insight into existential distress and understands the importance of psycho-spiritual support when facing a life threatening illness. She believes in the therapeutic potential of expanded states of consciousness, group work, and utilising healing-centred practices to transform distress and trauma into wholeness and reconnection.

ROSANNA ELLIS

Rosanna Ellis is a Hospice Nurse, and Yoga Nidra teacher and has facilitated psychedelic retreats in the Netherlands.. She has an MSc in Palliative Care and is undertaking practitioner training in Systemic Family Constellations. Rosanna believes that we are long overdue for a collective reframing of death and dying and that doing so could have incredible healing potential for all of us. 

Rosanna is passionate about helping anyone who is facing their mortality, to feel less alone, and would like to see end-of-life care that includes sensitivity, beauty, humour, ritual, and ceremony made accessible for everyone.

ESSENCE MEDICINE

A leading centre of excellence, Essence Medicine offers psycho-spiritual care, including psychedelic-assisted therapies, for those impacted by life-threatening illnesses and education and training programs for health professionals.  

Find out more HERE

HOST

ANYA OLEKSIUK

Anya is a documentary filmmaker, host, and educator. She is a Co-Director of the Psychedelic Society UK, leading on video production, harm reduction, and education about psychedelics. She is also associated with the Psychedelic Society of the Netherlands and is a consultant for the Polish Psychedelic Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Psychodeliczne).

Anya is a founder and director of Triptika Studios, which is a collective of independent filmmakers with interests in health, science, innovative solutions, mental health, drug advocacy, social and racial justice, and environment-friendly lifestyles. She is also the creator, director, and producer of The Psychedelic Renaissance - a not-for-profit documentary film about the worldwide re-emergence of the psychedelic movement and the crucial role of psychedelic substances, plants, and mushrooms in human culture.

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