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Advocacy
Promoting and advancing lived experience expertise to drive meaningful change in psychedelic care.
To shape safer, more effective treatments, lived experience must inform research, care, and policy, from the ground up.
Integrating lived experience into the decisions shaping psychedelic research, care, and policy
We advocate for the perspectives of patients, trial participants, and families to be recognized as essential evidence in shaping psychedelic treatments.
Too often, those who have undergone these novel treatments remain secondary to institutional, corporate, clinical, and scientific perspectives.
Our work helps ensure lived experience has a meaningful role in setting priorities, shaping policy, and informing the decisions that affect care.
Presenting at conferences and policy meetings
- We advocate for stronger patient safety, ethical standards, and meaningful outcomes.
- We bring diverse firsthand perspectives into scientific, clinical, and policy conversations.
- We engage directly with researchers, clinicians, and policymakers in critical conversations.
Contributing to psychedelic research and training
- We develop resources and guidance for safety, consent, preparation, and aftercare.
- We provide lived experience insights that enhance clinical research and clinician training.
- We connect academic knowledge with the realities of patient experience.
Shaping psychedelic policy and standards of care
- We advocate for stronger patient representation in sponsor and regulatory decision-making.
- We engage with pharma companies and agencies to bring real-world patient needs into decisions.
- We advance safer, more inclusive, and patient-centered approaches to clinical research & care.
November 20–22, 2026
Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit
Join a global, multi-stakeholder summit bringing patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, and organizations together to address safety, real-world outcomes, and support gaps after psychedelic treatment.
Advocacy and field engagement since 2019
For more than seven years our founder and team have been advancing the integration of lived experience into psychedelic research, care, and policy. Some highlights are listed below.
Policy & Regulation
FDA Advisory Committee Meeting on MDMA Approval (U.S.)
On June 4, 2024, our founder and director, Pedram Dara, spoke at the FDA’s Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting during its review of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. He shared insights from his firsthand experience as a Phase 2 clinical trial participant, highlighting both the benefits and limitations of the novel PTSD treatment.
European Parliament Policy Meeting on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (Brussels, Belgium)
On December 6, 2022, our founder and director, Pedram Dara, addressed policymakers at the European Parliament’s first policy meeting on psychedelic-assisted therapies. This landmark discussion organized by PAREA explored the future of psychedelic treatments in European healthcare.
Conferences & Professional Education
37th Annual International Boston Trauma Conference (U.S.)
From May 27-30, 2026, our director, Pedram Dara, was invited to lead a workshop and deliver a keynote plenary at the 37th Annual International Boston Trauma Conference, attended by more than 4,000 people in person and online. The workshop and keynote plenary featured Becca Kacanda, Ayesha Nazeer, MD, Ari Polivy, Susan Walker, MD, Michael Alpert, MD, Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Erica Zelfand, ND, Chantelle Thomas, PhD, Licia Sky.
Psychedelic Science 2025 Conference (U.S.)
On June 19, 2025, our director, Pedram Dara, led a self-organized panel at Psychedelic Science 2025, the first ever by MDMA-assisted therapy trial participants. The session brought together diverse voices who found benefit, faced challenges, or experienced difficulties, offering a rare, unfiltered look into the real-world complexity of psychedelic treatment and patient experiences with MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD.
Breaking Convention Keynote Presentation (Exeter, England)
On April 22, 2023, Pedram Dara delivered a keynote at Breaking Convention at the University of Exeter. Drawing on his experience in a Phase 2 MDMA-assisted therapy trial in Canada four years earlier, he explored lessons from the participant perspective and opportunities to improve the model. He also joined a panel with the late Amanda Feilding, aka the “Queen of the Psychedelic Renaissance.”
ICPR 2022: Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (Haarlem, Netherlands)
On September 22, 2022, our founder and director, Pedram Dara, spoke at ICPR 2022, a sold-out academic conference attended by more than 1,500 people from around the world. He organized the first panel at a major psychedelic science and therapy conference led entirely by clinical trial participants, alongside Leonie Schneider and Ian Roullier of PsyPAN.
MDMA-Assisted Therapy Therapist Education (Switzerland)
On January 21, 2026, our director, Pedram Dara, delivered an in-person presentation at MAPS’ week-long International Psychedelic Therapy Education Program in Switzerland to approximately 80 healthcare providers from 24 countries, sharing the lived realities of MDMA-assisted therapy.
Canadian Psychedelic Summit: The Future of MDMA Therapy (Cortes Island, Canada)
On July 19, 2024, Pedram Dara spoke at the 3rd annual Canadian Psychedelic Summit, hosted by the Hollyhock Leadership Institute on Cortes Island, BC. His session focused on the evolving landscape of MDMA therapy in Canada.
ICPR 2020: Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (Online)
On September 27, 2020, our founder and director, Pedram Dara joined a conference panel titled MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD along with Michael Mithoefer, MD from MAP and moderated by Eric Vermetten, MD, PhD who interviewed Pedram and Dr. Mithoefer about their lived and professional experiences as a trial participant and a therapist in research.
Mapping the Mind Psychedelic Conference (Toronto, Canada)
On September 10, 2019, Pedram Dara shared his insights as the first MDMA therapy trial participant in Canada outside of BC at Mapping the Mind, Canada's first major psychedelic science conference. He spoke alongside David Nichols, PhD, and Matthew Johnson, PhD, before joining a live panel with Rick Doblin, PhD, and Anne Wagner, PhD to discuss the future of MDMA therapy.
Lived Experience in Psychedelic Therapy Training (Boston, U.S.)
On April 7, 2024, Pedram Dara joined Rick Doblin, PhD, at a training session organized by the Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Speaking to hundreds of trainees, he shared lived experience insights to help shape a more patient-centered approach to psychedelic care.
Lived Experience in MDMA Therapy Training (Canada)
Since February 2024, Pedram Dara has been collaborating with TheraPsil to incorporate lived experience perspectives into their MDMA therapy training for healthcare professionals under the guidance of Ingrid Pacey, MD. Pedram has led several sessions for training cohorts in Vancouver and Ottawa, both in-person and online.c
MDMA Therapy for Healing Trauma Workshop (Ibiza, Spain)
From May 15-19, 2022, Pedram Dara and Tijmen Bostoen, MD, lead psychiatrist for MDMA trials in the Netherlands, presented therapist and patient perspectives to a group of 80 Dutch therapists. This intensive training organized by Benecke a leading Dutch medical education organization, provided deeper insights into MDMA-assisted therapy from both scientific and lived experience viewpoints.
Psychedelic Wellness Workshop (Vancouver, Canada)
On February 10, 2024, our director, Pedram Dara, co-led a sold-out psychedelic wellness workshop in Vancouver, BC alongside Houman Farzin, MD, Rich Tyo, RP, and Alanna Kit, MSc, and other collaborators. Together, they discussed and explored how psychedelic treatments can support personal growth and wellness, offering clinical, neuroscience, and lived experience perspectives.
MDMA Therapy for Adolescents Special Fundraising Event (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
On April 4, 2023, Pedram Dara joined Rick Doblin, PhD at a high-impact fundraising event organized by Make MDMA Medicine in Amsterdam. The initiative, led by researchers at the University of Amsterdam, aims to launch a pioneering MDMA therapy study for adolescents (ages 16-17) with severe trauma. The event successfully raised hundreds of thousands of euros to fund this groundbreaking research.
Publications & Media
CBC Radio-Canada Feature on MDMA Therapy (Canada)
On April 15, 2024, Pedram Dara appeared on CBC Radio-Canada’s national science program, Découverte, in a special episode on MDMA-assisted therapy. The segment, available on YouTube with English subtitles, explored the latest research and patient experiences from clinical trials and Canada's Special Access Program.
MAPS Bulletin (U.S.)
On November 14, 2025, our director, Pedram Dara, published an article in MAPS Bulletin (Volume XXXIV) titled “Psychedelic Lived Experiences: The Missing Expertise in Psychedelic Care.” In this article, he shares parts of his own learnings and argues why participants should be co-authors of research, training, and care, not just subjects of study.
Dr Rosalind Watts Speaks with Pedram Dara (United Kingdom)
On October 10, 2025, our director, Pedram Dara, joined an engaging conversation with Rosalind Watts, PhD, creator of ACER Integration and former clinical lead at Imperial College London, exploring lived experience and integration in psychedelic therapy.
Beyond the Trip Podcast Hosts Pedram Dara (Australia)
On June 21, 2026, our founder and director, Pedram Dara, appeared on the Beyond the Trip: A Psychedelic Therapy Podcast with Dr Esme Dark in an episode titled “Pedram Dara Centering Lived Experience in Psychedelic Care”.
Centre for Medicine Assisted Therapy Webinar on PTSD (Canada)
On September 24, 2025, our director, Pedram Dara, co-led a webinar with Dr. Devon Christie and Shoshana Ward, RTC, co-founders of the Centre for Medicine Assisted Therapy. Together, they explored the medical, therapeutic, and lived experience dimensions of treating PTSD and chronic pain.
5 Questions Interview with The Microdose (U.S.)
On November 17, 2025, our director, Pedram Dara, was featured in a 5 Questions interview with Shayla Love in The Microdose (UC Berkeley), titled “What is psychedelic therapy really like? 5 Questions with the director of Psychedelic Lived Experiences Pedram Dara".
My Psychedelic Roots Podcast Hosts Pedram Dara (Canada)
On October 24, 2025, our director, Pedram Dara, appeared on the My Psychedelic Roots podcast with Amy Bartlett in an episode titled “A child of revolution, reclaiming safety through MDMA therapy, and advancing lived experience in psychedelic care.”
Intonicated Podcast Hosts Pedram Dara (Canada)
On February 2, 2026, our founder and director, Pedram Dara, appeared on the Intonicated podcast with Kenneth Tupper available in both audio and video formats in an episode titled “Why Lived Experience Matters in Psychedelic Research & Therapy.”
The path forward: our ongoing mission
The psychedelic field is at a pivotal moment. As research progresses and policies evolve, we’re working to ensure that patient voices, ethical standards, and real-world relevance stay at the forefront. Our advocacy focuses on:
- Establishing lived experience as an essential source of evidence in research and care.
- Promoting ethical, transparent practices that prioritize patient safety and well-being.
- Strengthening protections for patients in both clinical trials and treatment settings.
- Supporting inclusive research that reflects the full diversity of real-world experiences.
- Advancing policy and regulation that ensure access and accountability in psychedelic care.
We're working to build a future where psychedelic treatments are not only safe and effective, but also ethical, equitable, and deeply human-centered.
Get involved
Advocacy is stronger together. If you’re a patient, trial participant, therapist, researcher, or policymaker interested in supporting this work, we’d love to hear from you.
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