PT537 – Microdosing at Work: How Psychedelics are Creating Better Leaders, with Tiffany Hurd
Aug 9, 2024
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Tiffany Hurd, a microdosing coach and former corporate healthcare professional, shares her inspiring journey of transforming leadership through psychedelics. She discusses how microdosing psilocybin changed her life, enabling a shift from antidepressants to deeper personal fulfillment. Tiffany emphasizes the importance of mentorship in microdosing practices and the tangible benefits it brings to workplace dynamics and mental health. She also addresses the legal complexities of integrating psychedelics into corporate culture, advocating for a more heart-centered approach to leadership.
Tiffany Hurd emphasizes that microdosing can enhance leadership skills by fostering vulnerability and creativity in workplace settings.
The importance of preparation and integration in microdosing practices is crucial for achieving meaningful personal and professional outcomes.
Deep dives
Tiffany Hurd's Journey into Psychedelics
Tiffany Hurd transitioned from a corporate healthcare career to the psychedelic space due to her personal struggles with mental health and the desire for meaningful work. After years of feeling unfulfilled and relying on antidepressants, she began microdosing psilocybin, which she credits as a pivotal factor in tapering off her medication and embarking on a healing journey. This transformative experience not only helped her navigate personal trauma but also inspired her to assist others by offering coaching and support for microdosing practices, helping clients prepare, engage, and integrate their experiences. Tiffany’s unique background in business development and strategy allows her to blend these skills with her newfound passion for psychedelics, positioning her to address both mental health and leadership needs in various settings.
The Impact of Microdosing on Mental Health and Creativity
Microdosing has been shown to alleviate a range of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, while fostering creativity and leadership skills. Tiffany emphasizes the normalization of low doses of psychedelics, which have been undervalued compared to high-dose therapeutic settings typically highlighted in research. She believes microdosing can provide access to innovative thinking and emotional resilience, especially in non-clinical contexts, supporting individual growth and professional development. By sharing insights from her clients, Tiffany illustrates how microdosing can facilitate deeper connections and enhanced problem-solving within both personal and professional realms.
The Importance of Support and Community in Microdosing
Tiffany highlights the necessity of preparation and guidance when engaging in microdosing practices to ensure positive experiences and outcomes. She advises newcomers to establish a supportive environment and clear intentions before embarking on their microdosing journey, which can prevent overwhelming feelings and discomfort. Additionally, she advocates for community involvement, as doing so enriches the process and helps participants navigate challenges more effectively. Utilizing various modalities, such as breathwork and nature exposure, clients can better process their experiences and integrate meaningful changes into their lives.
Navigating Legal and Ethical Considerations in the Psychedelic Space
Tiffany discusses the complexities of working in the psychedelic space, noting the importance of legal compliance and ethical considerations while assisting clients in microdosing. She emphasizes the need for proper liability waivers and medical history evaluations to protect both clients and practitioners. Maintaining transparency about her work and avoiding illegal transactions contribute to her professional integrity in a still-stigmatized field. Tiffany believes that the future of psychedelics in business lies in creating safe, supportive environments that can foster community and allow for authentic personal and professional growth.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Tiffany Hurd: microdosing coach, speaker, business leadership advisor, and student in our current cohort of Vital.
After 15 years in the corporate healthcare industry and several years on antidepressants, she started microdosing psilocybin and saw an immediate change in her life, tapering off antidepressants within a few months. She realized that she could blend her background in business development and strategy with microdosing, helping companies (and specifically company leadership) become more vulnerable, heart-centered, and innovative. She has found that the changes in people have (not surprisingly) led to improved employee mental health, better team relationships, and more open-mindedness and authenticity, and likely, a large reason for that is not the microdosing itself, but the increased attention to preparation and integration – two huge factors often not discussed with microdosing.
She talks about:
Why mentorship/coaching has not been seen as an integral part of a microdosing practice, and why it should be
Her drive to normalize the use of low-dose psychedelics, especially in our Western ‘go all in’ culture
The benefits of pairing microdosing with other healing modalities, and how microdosing can help you embrace more of them
Why she signed up for vital and how she feels about the course half way through
How she deals with the illegality of substances in the corporate world
and more!
Microdosing is one of the new specialization tracks featured in our next cohort of Vital, beginning September 16. If you want to know more, send us an email or attend one of the next Vital Q+As!