Alternatives to Psych Meds Archives

Working Group Soteria

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Emma Bragdon

Working Group Soteria Authors: Daniel Nischk and Ludi Van Bouwel of ISPS [To learn more about Soteria, a very successful psycho-social approach to treating extreme states, go a previous blog which introduces the concept as well as an active Soteria House in Vermont, USA. Click HERE to learn more. A 7 minute vid of the

Posted in Alternatives to Psych Meds, Residential Care Mosher, neuroleptics, psycho-social care, psychosis, research, residential treatment, schizophrenia, soteria

Microdosing & Psychedelic Science Update

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Emma Bragdon

Jim Fadiman, PhD. Microdosing The first comprehensive book on microdosing, using new research and extensive reports from individuals to describe the possibilities of the practice. A good night’s sleep is a sacred healing ritual you deserve to savor every single night… So why do too many of us find ourselves fighting for it? More than

Posted in Alternatives to Psych Meds, Psychedelics IMHU, jim fadiman, microdosing, poor sleep, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, psychedelics

Soteria: An Alternative to Hospitalization

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Emma Bragdon

Soteria House Soteria House is a Therapeutic Community Residence for the prevention of hospitalization for individuals experiencing a distressing extreme state, commonly referred to as psychosis. We believe that psychosis can be a temporary experience that one works through rather than a chronic mental illness that needs to be managed.We practice the approach of

Posted in Residential Care, Spiritual Emergency alternatives, extreme states, hospitalization, Peer Support, psychosis, soteria, Vermont

Judy Tsafrir, MD-Integrative Psychiatrist

Posted on February 9, 2025 by Emma Bragdon

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Judy Tsafrir, MD. This 17 min video offers a glimpse into who she is and some of the components she brings to her work. Outside of her conventional training she has become knowledgeable and skilled with nutrition, micronutrients, spirituality, archetypal psychology and astrology. She is on the faculty

Posted in Alternatives to Psych Meds archetypal psychology, integrative psychiatrist, integrative psychiatry, Judy Tsafrir, psychiatry, sacred psychiatry, spiritual psychiatry

FDA On MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Emma Bragdon

FDA Rejects Application to Accept MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy We are living in a mental health crisis that has reached a critical level with more than 350 million people living with PTSD worldwide. Fortunately, a tool exists that can help address the suffering — psychedelic-assisted therapies.–Rick Doblin, PhD. On August 9, 2024 the FDA announced that it

Posted in MDMA FDA, MAPS, mdma, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, psychedelics, PTSD, Rick Doblin

Will Hall Interview

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Emma Bragdon

Will Hall, M.A. Will Hall: Speaking About Ethics Will Hall, M.A, is a counselor and facilitator working with individuals, couples and groups. He is currently a PhD Candidate at Maastricht University Medical Center – School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, supervised by Dr. Jim van Os. His work as a therapist and group facilitator focuses

Posted in Plant Medicine, Spiritual Emergency Ayahuasca, ethics, plant medicine, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, psychedelics, sexual abuse, Shamans, training, Will Hall

Improving Mental Health Outcomes: September, 2023 Report

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Emma Bragdon

Improving Mental Health Outcomes: September, 2023 Report The mental health system’s standard treatments are colossally counterproductive and harmful, often forced on unwilling patients. The overreliance on psychiatric drugs is reducing the recovery rate of people diagnosed with serious mental illness from a possible 80% to 5% and reducing their life spans by 20 years or

Posted in Alternatives to Psych Meds, Integrative Mental Health alternative mental health, children mental health, e-CPR, emotional CPR, hearing voices, integrative mental health, Jim Gottstein, mental health, mental illness, open dialogue, peer respite, soteria, warm lines, youth mental health

Psychedelic Science Update

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Emma Bragdon

Psychedelic Science June 19-23, 2023, the largest psychedelic conference in history on Psychedelic Science, sponsored by Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), was attended by more than 12,000 people in Denver, CO. You can now attend virtually with 10 pre-recorded sessions that highlight some of the key themes of the conference and more videos

Posted in Alternatives to Psych Meds, Psychedelics education, ketamine, mdma, medicine, mental health, mental illness, plant medicine, psilocybin, psychedelics, psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy, science, training

A Way to Clear Negative Karma

Posted on July 20, 2023 by Emma Bragdon

Karma and karmic influences from the past can powerfully impact the present. They can attract difficulties or complicate issues between people. Pavamana Suktam is a very powerful chant from the Vedas that invokes the energy or tattva that purifies the space and environment. These mantras remove negative influences, vastu dosha (bad luck or negative

Posted in Alternatives to Psych Meds, Spiritual Healing chant, karma, kirtan, veda, vedic

Addiction: What Causes It?

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Emma Bragdon

Gabor Mate, MD, was trained as a family doctor but later turned his attention to helping heal addictions. The 9 minute video below is the most brilliant, succinct expose I know of concerning the causes of addiction. It also covers how we have in the past perceived the causes of addiction and how

Posted in Alternatives to Psych Meds, Psychedelics addiction, ibogaine, mdma, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy