How can we develop models of psychedelic-assisted therapy that incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing, and acknowledge that we heal together in community - models that have cultural safety at the forefront, that are accessible and of benefit to Indigenous peoples and Westerners alike?
Indigenous Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (IPAT) is an Australian organisation dedicated to this mission, acknowledging the Indigenous wisdom that has underpinned the use of plant medicines for thousands of years, and Indigenous peoples globally as the knowledge keepers in their use.
Here, IPAT co-founders Jem Stone, Kirt Mallie and Dr Bianca Sebben present Simon with IPAT's vision for a safe and healthy cultural ecosystem of psychedelic usage, navigating obstacles and facilitating intercultural synergies.
Jem is a First Nations woman of mixed heritage, a cultural Educator, wellness practitioner, trainer and co-founder of IPAT; Kirt is a Mualgal man, an Indigenous therapist, cultural educator and spiritual counsellor; Bianca is a clinical psychologist with a special interest in complex trauma, dissociative disorders and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
All three are experts on Onaya's new 6-month
Psychedelic Mentorship Training programme, with the first cohort launching later this month: for more information and to find out how to enroll, visit
Onaya's website.
*** For a special 10% discount to the course, head to our website and use the code 'INTHROUGH10' ***
Onaya holds a fierce commitment to
Indigenous reciprocity, evidenced through our
Shamanic Advisory Board at the heart of our research, and financial support of local and global initiatives that protect Indigenous lands and traditions, including
Chacruna Institute, the
International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service (ICEERS), and the
Regenerative Agroforestry Impact Network (RAIN).
What is In & Through: The Onaya Podcast?
In & Through by Onaya transcends paradigms at the intersection of science, spirituality and psychedelic medicine.
In eclectic conversations navigating psychological growth, psychedelic spirits and everything in between, Onaya welcomes wide-ranging guests including neuroscientists, musical healers and Shipibo curanderos. Traverse the transformative power of traditional plant medicines like ayahuasca, the mysteries of consciousness, and holistic approaches to understanding mind, body and soul.
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Your main host is Onaya founder's Dr Simon Ruffell, a psychiatrist and research psychologist with a PhD in Amazonian ayahuasca and a student of Shipibo curanderismo.
Onaya is dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional indigenous knowledge and modern science, including a not-for-profit research arm that studies ayahuasca and other Amazonian plant medicine practices. We offer one-to-one support, consultancy and accredited courses that combine shamanism and biomedical science to facilitate holistic individual and collective healing.
For more information, please visit https://www.onaya.io/ or join our mailing list.
*** For a special 10% discount to our 6 Month Psychedelic Mentorship Training, head to our website and use the code 'INTHROUGH10' ***
Co-producers: Robbie Redway and Caspar Montgomery
Music: United Freedom Collective