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Join the First-Ever
Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit
Bridging science and lived expertise with nuance & wisdom
Hear from 50+ patients, trial participants, therapists, and researchers as they share lived wisdom and expert insights. Explore the potential and limits of psychedelic treatments with raw stories that move beyond hype and fear, highlight true complexity, and deepen understanding.
Online 3-Day Event: November 21–23, 2025
In collaboration with our partners:
Finally, a summit focused on lived experience
Psychedelic treatments are often framed as revolutionary breakthroughs, yet patient experiences and outcomes vary widely. While many report profound benefits, others experience little change or even harm.
As the field grows, centering firsthand experience is essential to improve safety, refine treatment, and set realistic expectations.
Too often, patient voices are tokenized or, worse, entirely overlooked in key decisions, regulatory reviews, major conferences, research publications, and training programs.
Until now. For the first time, lived experience takes center stage. This isn’t just another psychedelic conference, it’s a necessary shift in the conversation.
By gathering patient advocates, therapists, and researchers across time zones, this summit challenges the usual hierarchy and asks a powerful question.
What could clinical science learn if it began by listening to the people it's meant to help?
Why join and what's unique?
This summit moves beyond “miraculous cure” narratives. Through critical yet balanced discussions, it reveals the full spectrum of psychedelic treatment experiences, from healing to harm, and everything in between.
Over three days of streamed interviews, live Q&As, and interactive sessions, attendees will trade data points for real stories of breakthroughs, difficulties, and life after treatment.
This summit was created to foster open, honest dialogue, amplify nuanced insights, and support the field’s evolution with care and integrity.
This grassroots initiative carries a long-term vision: a future where psychedelic treatments are not only safe and effective, but also ethical, inclusive, and genuinely accessible to those who need them most.
Join us in co-creating a future where people most impacted by these treatments are not only heard, but helping to lead the way.
Bridging lived experience with research and practice
This first-of-its-kind summit unites firsthand wisdom, scientific insights, and clinical expertise to explore the real-world impact of psychedelic treatments. Discover how to navigate risks, optimize health outcomes, and foster safe, inclusive healing experiences.
3 DAYS
50+ SPEAKERS
3K+ ATTENDEES
Featuring speakers from top academic institutions
Hear from leading international experts across Canada, the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
Imagine a world where psychedelic treatments are shaped not just by limited evidence but by lived experience. That future starts here.
Discover firsthand wisdom on psychedelic healing from those who’ve been there
Understanding the therapeutical potential of psychedelics can be complex.
You may have explored studies, courses, webinars, conferences, or discussions only to find conflicting perspectives or missing the deeply personal side of the story.
Though research offers hope, media often swings between hype and harm. Lived experience offers the grounded insight needed to navigate the full reality.
Yet despite its value, lived experience remains one of the most overlooked forms of expertise in healthcare, including psychedelic research and policy.
Explore the full story and its nuances
Media has often shaped public understanding of psychedelic treatments by spotlighting stories at the edges, framing them as either miraculous recoveries or devastating harms.
While this can inspire hope or sound alarms, it also risks oversimplifying what are often layered and deeply personal journeys.
Whether these stories seem to fit a binary frame or land somewhere in between, they all carry nuance, complexity, and depth that deserve greater space and respect.
Firsthand insights from those who’ve undergone these therapies offer grounded wisdom and highlight truths that clinical data or outside observers cannot fully capture. Yet lived experience input remains strikingly underrepresented in research, treatment, and policy.
Even when included, these voices are often overshadowed by clinical, scientific, or institutional perspectives, limiting their influence on the systems that directly affect them.
This summit is one step toward bridging that gap. More than a discussion, it’s a move to redefine what counts as expertise in psychedelic care and who gets to shape its future.
Where clinical science meets lived expertise
🗣️ Hear diverse patient stories, both positive and challenging.
🧠 Deepen your understanding of psychedelic healing and its complexities.
🔬 Learn what clinical trials often miss from firsthand experiences.
🧭 Explore the need for ongoing support beyond the treatment.
💡 Gain practical insights for more informed, compassionate care.
By centering lived experience and amplifying nuanced, balanced perspectives, we can help shape a more ethical, effective, and human-centered future for psychedelic care.
In a divided world, let’s unite, bridge gaps, and harness the wisdom of lived experience
As a patient-led initiative, we collaborate and coordinate to advance the field of psychedelic research and therapies in a meaningful and constructive way.
Real stories, real wisdom: Gain firsthand insights from those who’ve undergone treatments and clinical trials with psychedelics.
Beyond hype and fear: Authentic stories and honest, nuanced discussions beyond the narratives of "miracle cure" or "therapy cult".
Community and connection: Engage with a like-minded audience of patients, therapists, researchers, and advocates.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in mental health innovation and a deeper understanding of psychedelic therapies through the lens of lived experience.
Whether you're a therapist, researcher, physician, journalist, policymaker, part of a nonprofit or corporate team, or most importantly, a patient or trial participant, you’ll gain meaningful insights from voices with both personal and professional experience.
"The greatest resource we have for making progress in healthcare is the lived experience of those who are affected." – Dr. Lisa Sanders
November 21-23, 2025
Explore the intersection of science, therapy, and lived experience
Join us online for this strategic 3-day summit. Watch all 50+ interviews free during the event or upgrade to an All Access Pass for recordings, live panels, community, and more!
Lived experience speakers
Hear from former patients and trial participants in treatments with MDMA, Psilocybin, LSD, Ketamine, 5-MeO-DMT, Ibogaine and other psychoactive substances. Their stories offer powerful insights to improve research design, therapist training, and future treatment outcomes.
Why aren’t all lived experiences represented? Find out why here.
Pedram Dara
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, Phase 2 trial participant (open-label, Canada, 2019)
Becca Kacanda
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, Phase 3 trial participant (active arm, U.S., 2022)
Mark Keller
Ibogaine for PTSD, anxiety and addiction, clinical treatment patient (Mexico / U.S. 2022 and 2023)
Juliana Mulligan, LMSW
Ibogaine for opioid dependency, clinical treatment patient & therapist (U.S. 2011)
Ian Roullier
Psilocybin for depression pilot study and phase 2 clinical trials participant (UK, 2015 and 2019)
Maya Albert
Psilocybin-assisted therapy for anorexia nervosa, Phase 1 trial participant (open-label, U.S., 2021)
Daniel Friedrich
U.S. veteran, peer support and study facilitator for MDMA and psilocybin studies (U.S.)
Heather Spiegel
Psilocybin for treatment resistant depression, clinical trial participant (open-label, Canada, 2022)
Leonie Schneider
Psilocybin and DMT for depression clinical trials participant (UK, 2019 and 2022)
Ian Cook
Ketamine therapy for bipolar I, depression, and anxiety, clinical treatment patient (U.S., 2022)
Maryam Jabir
Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, Phase 2 clinical trial participant (UK, 2021)
Andrea Siclari
LSD-assisted therapy for life-threatening illness, compassionate use patient (Switzerland, 2020)
Lauren Macdonald, MD
Legal psilocybin retreat for terminal cancer participant, psychiatrist, trial doctor & therapist (UK, 2018)
Cedric Codron
SPRAVATO® (esketamine) for depression, clinical treatment patient (Belgium, 2022)
Florence Moureaux
Psilocybin-assisted therapy for terminal cancer, special access program patient (Canada, 2021)
Announcing Soon
LSD-assisted therapy for mood disorders, compassionate use patient (Switzerland, 2024)
Brad Gagnon
MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, special access program patient (Canada, 2024)
Kathy Neustadt
MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, Phase 3 trial participant (placebo only, U.S., 2021)
Ron Bowman
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, Phase 3 trial participant (active arm, U.S., 2020)
Leonie McCoy
Psilocybin-assisted therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, clinical trial participant (Australia, 2022)
Kerrilee Barrett
Psychoactive substance for PTSD Phase 2 clinical trial participant (double blinded then open label, UK, 2024)
Daryna Skybina
Psilocybin-assisted therapy for advanced cancer trial participant & qualifying therapist (Canada, 2025)
Announcing Soon
MDMA-assisted massed exposure therapy for PTSD, Phase 2 trial participant (open-label, U.S., 2025)
Kim Newman
Psilocybin for treatment resistant depression, clinical trial participant (open-label, Canada, 2022)
Clinical and scientific speakers
Join leading clinicians and researchers in psychedelic science as they share insights on integrating lived experience to improve clinical trials, therapist training, and treatment outcomes.
Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Psychiatrist, author of The Body Keeps the Score, and principal investigator for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD trials (U.S.)
Rosalind Watts, PhD
Clinical psychologist, ACER Integration founder, and former psilocybin clinical lead at Imperial College London (UK)
Michael Mithoefer, MD
Psychiatrist, clinical researcher, and medical monitor for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD clinical trials (U.S.)
Marcela Ot’alora, MFA
Therapist, lead trainer, supervisor, and principal investigator for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD clinical trials (U.S.)
Bruce Poulter, RN, MPH
Therapist, lead trainer, supervisor, and sub-investigator for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD clinical trials (U.S.)
Corine de Boer, MD, PhD
Pediatrician, clinical researcher, former medical lead at Lykos/MAPS PBC, and founder & CEO at Tulip Medical Consulting (U.S.)
Matthew Johnson, PhD
Psychedelic researcher, experimental psychologist, senior investigator, and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (U.S.)
Monnica Williams, PhD
Clinical psychologist, researcher, and professor in the school of psychology at University of Ottawa (Canada)
Jonathan Dickinson
Psychologist, renowned Ibogaine expert, published researcher, and CEO & co-founder at Ambio Life Sciences (Mexico/Canada)
Janis Phelps, PhD
Clinical psychologist, founder and director of the CIIS Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research (U.S.)
Sandeep Nayak, MD
Psychiatrist, psilocybin clinical researcher, and associate professor at Johns Hopkins University (U.S.)
Sara Reed, MS
Marriage and family therapist, lead psychedelic clinical trial therapist at Imperial College London (UK)
Paul Liknaitzky, PhD
Psychologist, clinical researcher and head of Clinical Psychedelic Lab at Monash University (Australia)
Devon Christie, MD
Family physician and therapeutic counsellor, investigator for Phase 3 MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD trials (Canada)
Manesh Girn, PhD
Neuroscientist, researcher at UCSF working with Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD on the impact of psychedelics on mental health (U.S.)
Stephanie Stewart, MD
Psychiatrist, board member of Chacruna Institute, former chief resident of psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (U.S.)
Chris Stauffer, MD
Psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist, group MDMA therapy investigator for veterans with PTSD (U.S.)
Simon Ruffell, MD, PhD
Psychiatrist, research psychologist with PhD in ayahuasca and mental health, lecturer at the University of Exeter (UK)
Joost Breeksema, PhD
Qualitative researcher in psychedelic trials and executive director of the OPEN Foundation (Netherlands)
Pamela Kryskow, MD
Physician, board member of the Psychedelic Association of Canada and medical lead at the Roots to Thrive (Canada)
Houman Farzin, MD
Palliative care physician and psychedelic therapist specializing in psilocybin therapy for terminal illness (Canada)
Julia King Olivier, MD
Psychiatrist, psychedelic therapist, and founder of the Compassionate Care Center in Geneva (Switzerland)
Simon Amar, MD
Psychiatrist, investigator for MDMA therapy for PTSD trials (Canada) and psilocybin for anxiety trials (Australia)
Shoshana Ward, RTC
Therapist specializing in medicine assisted therapy, clinic director & co-founder at Centre for Medicine Assisted Therapy (Canada)
Bill Brennan, PhD
Psychologist, clinical researcher, psychedelic educator, author, and supervisor to therapists on clinical trials (U.S.)
Chloé Pronovost-Morgan, MD, MSc
Psychiatry resident and lead author on Delphi study for reporting of setting in psychedelic trials (Canada)
Will Barone, Psy.D
Clinical psychologist and qualitative researcher in MDMA therapy for terminal illness and studies with psilocybin & ketamine (U.S.)
Meet your host
Hi, I’m Pedram Dara, a former MDMA-assisted therapy clinical trial participant and director of Psychedelic Lived Experiences, a patient-led initiative advancing lived experience expertise in psychedelic care.
Since 2019, I’ve advocated for patient safety and treatment efficacy, speaking at major forums such as the European Parliament and the FDA, and at leading conferences like Psychedelic Science, ICPR, and Breaking Convention. My story and insights are featured in news, documentaries, training programs, and research publications such as Nature Medicine.
Lived experience is gaining recognition, but it’s still underrepresented and undervalued. I believe true progress in psychedelics requires moving beyond hype and fear to embrace the depth, complexity, and wisdom of those who’ve lived it.
"Research leads to meaningful healing when it’s done with people, not just on them. When lived experience informs how studies are designed, conducted, and understood, research becomes more than data generation, it becomes a compass for healthcare transformation." – Pedram Dara
Summit themes and topics
Delve into the profound impact of lived experience in psychedelic care. Our sessions explore the practical, ethical, and clinical aspects of groundbreaking treatments with MDMA, Psilocybin, LSD, Ketamine, 5-MeO-DMT, and Ibogaine.
🔬
Treatment safety and efficacy: How patient insights can reduce harm and enhance research protocols and treatment outcomes.
⛑
Risks and challenges: Strategies to reduce harm and manage difficult experiences or adverse outcomes.
📜
Ethics and best practices: Ensuring integrity in psychedelic care, patient safety, informed consent, and safe touch.
⚕️
Comorbidity and mind-body: Navigating mental and physical conditions, chronic pain, and the impact of physiological effects.
💊
Therapy vs. drug vs. placebo: Evaluating the role of psychotherapy models and their impact on psychedelic treatments beyond drug effects.
🧠
Preparation and integration: Discovering key differences across drugs and therapies, plus aftercare and therapeutic support.
🤝
Set, setting, and support: Exploring the role of expectations, biological, mental, social aspects in psychedelic healing.
🌿
Improving quality of life: Going beyond clinical outcome tracking and providing holistic, whole-person care.
🏥
Psychedelic vs. traditional care: Comparing uniqueness of psychedelic therapies with conventional mental health treatments.
📰
Media and patient education: How to responsibly communicate balanced, accurate information on psychedelic risks and benefits.
November 21-23, 2025
Event details and schedule
Join us online for this strategic 3-day summit. Watch all 50+ interviews free during the event or upgrade to an All Access Pass for recordings, live panels, community, and more!
Go beyond the hype and headlines
Engage in critical discussions shaping the future of psychedelic care. Learn how lived experience can drive safer, more effective, and more inclusive treatment approaches.
🗣️
Centering lived experience in care: Discover how personal stories can inform best practices, improve therapeutic safety, and guide more person-centered treatment design.
👁️
What works in the real world: Hear firsthand perspectives on preparation and integration methods, what helps, what harms, and how approaches can better match real needs.
🌀
Redefining healing: Explore how psychedelic experiences can deepen our sense of connection, shift inner narratives, and expand models of mental health.
⚖️
Grounding the hype in realistic hope: Move beyond extremes to identify promising breakthroughs while staying critical and realistic, rooted in actual experiences.
🧬
A whole-person approach to outcomes: Understand how mindset, trauma history, social context, and culture all shape psychedelic treatment results, and why these factors matter.
🌍
Equity and access: Examine systemic barriers and explore how to make psychedelic therapies more inclusive, culturally attuned, and accessible to marginalized communities.
Learn lessons from the frontlines of healing
✓ Get a nuanced understanding of psychedelic therapy, its breakthroughs, challenges, and everything in between.
✓ Listen to firsthand stories that reveal what research papers can’t: how people actually experience and process treatment.
✓ Access practical takeaways to support informed decisions, whether you're a patient, practitioner, policymaker, or simply curious.
✓ Learn from unfiltered perspectives rarely shared in mainstream psychedelic conferences or training programs.
✓ Gain insights on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s still missing from current clinical trial and practice models.
Get answers to these critical questions
✓ What do participants wish they knew before going in?
✓ What's really like to undergo psychedelic-assisted therapy?
✓ How do people integrate these experiences after treatment?
✓ What roles do therapists and settings play in safety and outcomes?
✓ How do psychedelics affect conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety?
Leave the summit feeling...
💡
Informed
With a much deeper, more nuanced understanding of psychedelics' therapeutic potential.
🧠
Empowered
To make confident, well-informed key decisions about psychedelic treatments.
✨
Inspired
By the resilience and breakthroughs of those who’ve experienced them firsthand.
Invite your colleagues and friends
Share this event with your network and join together in shaping the future of patient-centered psychedelic care.
November 21-23, 2025
Join the Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit
Learn from seasoned experts in lived experience, clinical practice, and scientific research. Discover firsthand insights and lessons to improve clinical outcomes and experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit starts on November 21st and runs for 3 days, ending on November 23rd. This is a virtual summit and you’ll be able to watch all 50+ interviews online with a Free Live Pass.
Click the REGISTER NOW FOR FREE button on this page to claim your Free Live Pass, giving you live access to all summit sessions. If you can’t attend live or want ongoing access to recordings, you'll be prompted to upgrade to an All Access Pass after registering for your Free Live Pass.
Yes, all 50+ interviews are recorded. However, with your Free Live Pass, you can only watch them live online during the summit streaming days. If you know you won’t be able to watch the sessions live and want access to the recordings later, you can upgrade to an All Access Pass. This gives you unlimited 1-year access to all the recordings, plus other exclusive perks such as multiple live panels, audio downloads & transcripts, resource library, networking sessions, community platform, and exclusive partner perks. Professional All Access Pass also includes access to a hands-on group workshop and early access to our new training: Lived Experience in MDMA Therapy for PTSD .
The Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit is a virtual event where those with the Free Live Pass can watch all 50+ interviews during the 3 streaming days (Nov 21-23). However, those with an All Access Pass can also access live panels with some of the leading experts from the summit. A detailed schedule will be shared with registered attendees closer to the event. Get your All Access Pass today!
The All Access Pass gives you exclusive perks, allowing you to access the content on your own time, listen on the go, and access live panels where you can ask questions and connect with the experts. When you upgrade to an All Access Pass, you'll get: unlimited on-demand access, multiple live panel discussions, audio downloads, transcripts & summaries, implementation guide, curated resource library, networking sessions, community platform access, and exclusive partner perks! Professional All Access Pass also includes access to a hands-on group workshop and early access to our new training: Lived Experience in MDMA Therapy for PTSD .
If you’ve checked all your inbox folders (including spam, junk, and promotions) and still don’t see the email, please reach out to us. We’re happy to help! >>> contact@psychedeliclivedexperiences.com