PT557 – Psychedelic Education Through a Healing Justice Lens, with Diana Quinn, ND
Oct 18, 2024
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Diana Quinn, a naturopathic doctor and healing justice practitioner, shares her journey into psychedelic education at the Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies. She highlights the importance of equity and accessibility in training programs while emphasizing the need to respect cultural plant traditions. The conversation delves into the challenges of integrating non-ordinary states within Western frameworks and the impact of colonialism on healing practices. Diana also encourages an anti-capitalist perspective on using psychedelics in a world fraught with systemic injustices.
Diana Quinn emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to mental health, integrating mind, body, and spirit beyond traditional methods.
The concept of healing justice is introduced as a means to address systemic health disparities while reclaiming traditional practices for marginalized communities.
Quinn highlights the need for culturally responsive education in psychedelic therapy, advocating for inclusivity and representation in this emerging field.
Deep dives
The Holistic Approach to Mental Health
Diana Quinn emphasizes the necessity of adopting a holistic perspective when addressing mental health issues, advocating for an approach that encompasses mind, body, and spirit, rather than relying solely on conventional methods. Her extensive experience as a naturopathic doctor has driven her to seek alternative treatments, especially for individuals unsatisfied with traditional healthcare outcomes. Quinn discusses the importance of various healing modalities, including talk therapy, nutrition, and integrating spiritual elements, to promote overall well-being. This comprehensive viewpoint not only challenges the conventional medical model but also highlights the interconnectedness of individual health and societal issues.
Healing Justice as a Framework
Quinn introduces the concept of healing justice, which aims to address the systemic and structural inequities that contribute to health disparities among marginalized communities. This framework seeks to reclaim traditional healing practices that have been disrupted by historical trauma and systemic oppression. By recognizing the social determinants of health, Quinn advocates for a collective approach to healing that includes activism and community empowerment. This perspective encourages individuals and communities to take ownership of their health and wellness, countering the isolation often promoted by mainstream healthcare systems.
The Role of Psychedelics in Therapy
The importance of integrating psychedelic-assisted therapy within mental health treatment is highlighted, with Quinn noting that clinical research supports its potential benefits for trauma healing. Her own journey into the psychedelic realm began years ago, allowing her to connect her personal experiences with her clinical practice. By pursuing professional training in this area, Quinn aims to develop equitable and culturally responsive therapeutic practices that consider the unique backgrounds of individuals seeking help. The need for proper education and training in this emerging field is essential for ensuring therapists are equipped to provide safe and effective care.
Education and Inclusivity in Psychedelic Studies
At Naropa University, Quinn plays a pivotal role in expanding the accessibility of education in psychedelic therapy, reflecting her commitment to equity and inclusion in training programs. The Center for Psychedelic Studies is not only fostering professionals through its certificate programs but is also addressing disparities by offering scholarships to historically underrepresented individuals. This inclusivity aims to diversify the field and ensure that many voices, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, are represented in the evolving landscape of psychedelic research and therapy. By fostering participatory discussions and inclusive environments, the center seeks to create a more equitable future in psychedelic medicine.
Cultural Appropriation and Ancestral Healing
The conversation delves into the complexities surrounding cultural appropriation in the context of psychedelics, emphasizing the necessity for Western practitioners to deepen their understanding of indigenous traditions and the cultural significance of these practices. Quinn explains the importance of recognizing and repairing the historical trauma experienced by European-descended individuals, advocating for a return to ancestral roots and healing traditions. By engaging with ancestral lineage work, individuals can reclaim their heritage while broadening the conversation about ethics in the use of psychedelics. This awareness helps cultivate a more responsible and respectful approach to the integration of these powerful substances into therapeutic practices.
In this episode, Joe interviews Diana Quinn, ND: naturopathic doctor, healing justice practitioner, and director of clinical education at the Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies, where she directs their Psilocybin Facilitator Training certificate program.
She discusses her path from anthropology to naturopathy, and eventually to psychedelics and activism, finding a framework for psychedelic education grounded in healing justice, which recognizes the impact of collective trauma on all of us, seeks to reclaim lost or stolen models of healing, focuses on equity and accessibility, and brings an anti-oppression lens to training programs to give students a greater capacity for culturally responsive care. She encourages seeing things from an anti-capitalist viewpoint, and recognizes the huge clash between using such powerful and mystical medicines inside structures so embedded with problematic human qualities. How can you build inside of these Western systems without being affected by that capitalist energy?
She discusses:
The importance of respecting plants from other cultures – that no healing or consciousness expansion is justifiable when it threatens an entire species
The challenge of integrating the weirdest parts of non-ordinary states into education: How does a Western framework come to terms with the ineffable?
How colonialism and the culture born from it has hurt us all
The importance of finding your own lineage and what is sacred to you
The work of Rick Tarnas and the amazing patterns we can find in astrology
