Psychedelics, Festival Safety & Mental Health with Mick & Kathryn Ledden

Today on the show, we’re diving headfirst into the wonderful, wild world of psychedelics. No, not the type that leads to hugging trees and marrying your toaster! I’m talking about real, science-backed, brain-rewiring, potentially life-changing therapy.

And helping us navigate this trippy territory are two absolute legends - Kathryn and Mick Ledden, siblings who through their individual work and partnership are helping to redefine our understanding of mental health and treatment in Ireland. Kathryn (a medical doctor) and Mick (a psychotherapist) co-created PsyCare Ireland, a pioneering non-profit that provides essential psychological care and education at events and festivals nationwide. Their trained volunteers hold space for people in need of support for any reason, including after ingesting substances such as psychedelics.

They’ve got the science, they’ve got the soul, and—thankfully for us—they’ve got beautiful way of making all this stuff understandable, accessible and exciting. Kathryn, a clinical research fellow at TCD, is engaged in groundbreaking clinical trials using psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT to treat various mental health conditions. Meanwhile, Mick facilitates psilocybin retreats in the Netherlands with Inwardbound, whose vision is in their own words “to provide to a platform to facilitate people’s self-exploration: a safe and legal container for this process, in a supportive, non-judgemental and transparent way. To promote inner transformation, personal breakthroughs, self-growth, creativity and inner healing.” 

So stick the kettle on, open your mind (and maybe your chakras, if they’re handy), and get ready to chat about mushrooms, mental health, and how Ireland might be about to lead the world in psychedelic therapy.

If you're new to the series, why not take the time to go back and catch up on the wonderful interviews that you may have missed!

Visit www.dermotwhelan.com for more information and don't forget my new book Busy and Wrecked is out now!

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