98. Psychotherapy, Self-Discovery and Psychedelic Integration / Marc Aixalà

Today I speak with Marc Aixalà, an author and psychologist practicing in Barcelona, whose work sits at the intersection of psychotherapy, altered states and the facilitation of psychedelic integration. Having originally worked as a Telecommunications Engineer, Marc went on to become a Licensed Health Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Holotropic Breathwork facilitator, and he served as a team leader and trainer in emergency psychological assistance at Boom Festival through the Kosmicare harm reduction program. Since 2013 he has coordinated support services at the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service (ICEERS), and he worked on the first-ever medical trial on the use of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, a study chronicled in the 2018 documentary, “Magic Medicine.” During his time at ICEERS, he provided integration psychotherapy sessions for people going through challenging situations after experiencing transformative non-ordinary states of consciousness. This work led him to develop theoretical models of intervention which I’m excited to say he has shared in the publication of his new book: Psychedelic Integration: Psychotherapy for Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness. Tracing the evolution of psychedelic-assisted therapy and integration research from the 1960s to the present, this book offers different models of integration and practical therapeutic techniques, and it documents Marc’s real-world observations on the deep work of healing and self-discovery. Recorded on 15th Nov 2022.