Dr. Laurie Higbed is an experienced clinical psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and a member of the Association of Clinical Psychologists (ACPUK). She has extensive experience as a lead therapist in clinical trials exploring MDMA and psilocybin assisted therapies for both mental health difficulties and substance use problems.   

In her role as Lead Psychologist at Awakn Life Sciences, Laurie contributed to the development and delivery of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP). This included providing interventions for a range of so-called ‘treatment resistant’ mental health difficulties including anxiety, depression, PTSD and eating problems.

Laurie has also worked as an Honorary Researcher in Imperial College London's Department of Brain Sciences. In this capacity, she has been involved in studies investigating the combined use of MDMA and psychotherapy as a potential treatment for alcohol user disorder, particularly in cases where trauma is a contributing factor.

Beyond her clinical and research endeavors, Laurie actively engages in public education on psychedelic-assisted therapies, discussing the use of substances such as MDMA, psilocybin and MDMA within therapeutic protocols.

Laurie is currently Head of Psychology for residential services at Via, a UK substance misuse charity.

Laurie will be teaching in Module 2.

Dr. Eli Kotler has been on the forefront of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) both in Australia and internationally, currently working at The Journey Clinic. He is the Australian Director of the Certificate of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (CPAT), run by Mind Medicine Australia. In 2021 he challenged the Victorian government in court to allow a patient to access PAT, and was the first psychiatrist in Australia to treat a patient with PAT.

Dr. Kotler is also an experienced psychodynamic therapist. He was the Medical Director of Malvern Private Hospital for many years, a trauma and addiction hospital in Melbourne. He has been invited as a keynote speaker on PAT, trauma and addiction, both internationally and nationally, for leading organisations such as the RANZCP and the IPA. Eli has also been an advisor for the Australian government for reviewing addiction guidelines, and has had extensive research experience in novel neuropsychiatric therapies.

Dr. Kotler has been involved with medical student teaching, psychiatric registrar training, and teaching other psychiatrists about PAT and trauma. He is a preferred provider for the AFL players association, has been an expert witness in over 100 historical abuse legal cases, and served on the Victorian Medical Panels for several years.

Eli will be teaching in Modules 2 and 3.

Dr Lauren Macdonald is a psychiatry doctor, psychedelic therapy guide and group facilitator. For the last few years she has been a clinical trial doctor at The Centre for Psychedelic Research (Imperial College London) investigating psilocybin-assisted therapy for anorexia-nervosa, chronic pain, and treatment-resistant depression.

Alongside her clinical roles Lauren regularly facilitates psilocybin retreats in The Netherlands, and is co-founder of Essence Medicine, an organisation providing psycho-spiritual group support to people facing life threatening illness. Lauren is also passionate about educating future psychedelic facilitators and delivers integrative, experiential and heart-centred training for Mind Medicine (Australia) and PsyEdu (UK).

Lauren has trained in medicine, psychology, MDMA-assisted therapy, and yoga, and continues to be a student of earth-based, indigenous wisdom traditions. She is driven to help people come home to themselves, unfold more of who they truly are, and deepen into the beauty and mystery of life.

Lauren will be teaching in Module 3 and 4.

Taita Juan Bautista Agreda is a prominent figure within the Kamentsa lineage of the Amazon region of Colombia. He is renowned for his unwavering dedication to Indigenous rights, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment. His legacy is shaped by his service as a three-time governor of the Kamentsa nation.

Taita Juan has provided a vital platform for cultural revitalization, holistic healing, and educational outreach within the Kamentsa community. Under his guidance, OIOC serves as a beacon of indigenous wisdom, fostering harmony between humans and nature while nurturing profound respect and support for ancestral traditions.

Born into the esteemed lineage of Taita Martín Agreda, a revered custodian of Kamentsa knowledge, Taita Juan inherits a rich legacy of spiritual insight and medicinal wisdom. Raised amidst the rhythms of Indigenous life, he has emerged as a visionary leader, drawing upon over four decades of experience in Amazonian medicine to guide his people toward holistic well-being and spiritual renewal.

Taita Juan's expertise in traditional healing practices, including the sacred brew of yagé (Ayahuasca) and other medicinal plants, has earned him recognition from the highest echelons of Colombian society, with the Minister of Health honoring him as a guardian of indigenous healing traditions. His profound connection to the natural world and deep-seated commitment to environmental conservation underscores his role as an earth custodian, advocating for sustainable practices that honor the delicate balance of ecosystems.

In all his endeavors, Taita Juan Bautista Agreda exemplifies the spirit of resilience, wisdom, and compassion that defines the Kamentsa people. With boundless dedication and a profound reverence for the interconnectedness of all life, he continues to inspire positive change and cultivate a future where Indigenous cultures thrive and the natural world flourishes in harmony with humanity.

Taita Juan will be teaching in Module 4.

Erika Salazar is a Colombian woman of indigenous ancestry, deeply rooted in the community and reservation of the Kamentsa Biya in Sibundoy Putumayo, as a dynamic advocate for the sacred medicines that bridge the modern and ancient worlds.

Erika is the author of the book "Return to the Origins," a work that seeks to educate about sacred medicine and the cosmology of indigenous peoples. Erika is a custodian of the Healing Altar of the Amazonian Kamentsa Nation. This sacred responsibility speaks to her over two decades of experience working with plant medicines and healing arts. Under the mentorship of Traditional Medicine Man Taita Juan Bautista Agreda Chindoy, she has honed her craft as a healer and guardian of indigenous knowledge, offering profound insights and compassionate care to those in need. Erika supports indigenous communities in need through her multifaceted work with the OIOC Organization.

In addition to her traditional healing practice, Erika is a professional medical herbalist in the Vitalist Tradition, blending ancient wisdom and modern expertise into her work. With qualifications from the NAIHM and as a Holist Therapist from the University Esneca in Spain, she integrates diverse healing modalities to address the holistic needs of individuals and communities alike.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Erika finds fulfillment and purpose as a devoted mother of two children, instilling in them the values of compassion, cultural heritage, and environmental stewardship that define her life's work.

Erika will be teaching in Module 4.

After obtaining her MD degree in 2000 at the University of Geneva medical school, Julia completed four years of residency training in Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Geneva, before opting to specialize in Psychiatry. In 2010 and 2015 she earned her Swiss FMH certifications respectively for Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and also for Adolescent/ Child Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Julia uses an integrative approach drawing from a wide range of psychotherapeutic models in her practice (Freudian psychodynamic theory, Compassion Focused Therapy, EMDR and Mindfulness approaches). She also facilitates two-part ecopsychiatry workshops in natural settings, combining Shinrin Yoku (Japanese forest bathing) with Breathwork.

In 2021 she earned a Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Research from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and co-founded the Compassionate Care Center in Geneva Switzerland with her colleague and co-therapist Bianca King. The center provides innovative and legal psychedelic assisted therapy to Swiss residents who meet the compassionate use criteria of the Swiss Department of Public Health. She completed the five-part certification in MDMA assisted psychotherapy in 2022. Julia’s current plans involve completing the Consultancy Training to become a MAPS PBC trained Consultant and provide support to new MDMA-assisted therapy practitioners. Julia joined the Fluence training team in 2022 and co-wrote and co-facilitates a humanities focused course entitled “Poetry, symbol, story for psychedelic assisted therapy”.

Celia is a Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

Prof. Morgan completed her undergraduate degree and Ph.D on the acute and chronic effects of ketamine at University College London (UCL). She then completed a scholarship programme at Yale University. After competing her Ph.D Prof. Morgan worked at University of Melbourne as a visiting research fellow, returning to UCL for a fellowship and then Lectureship. She joined University of Exeter in 2013 and was awarded a Chair in Psychopharmacology in 2015.

Prof. Morgan is currently the lead on a state funded Phase 3 trial of ketamine-assisted therapy in AUD and ran the world's first trial of ketamine-assisted therapy. She is also programme director of the Transdisciplinary postgraduate MSc and PGCert in Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine and Culture at University of Exeter. 

Celia will be teaching in Module 5.

Peter Hunt AM (AUS)

As an investment banker Peter Hunt AM advised local and multi-national companies and governments in Australia for nearly 35 years.  He co-founded one of Australia’s leading investment banking advisory firms, Caliburn Partnership and was Executive Chairman of Greenhill Australia. Peter was a member of the Advisory Panel of ASIC and chaired the Vincent Fairfax Family Office.

Peter is an active philanthropist involved in funding, developing and scaling social sector organisations which seek to create a better and fairer world.  He is Chairman of Mind Medicine Australia which he established with his wife, Tania de Jong, in 2018. He regularly presents to Governments, regulators, clinicians, philanthropists and the general public on psychedelic-assisted therapies and the legal and ethical frameworks needed to ensure these treatments can be made accessible and affordable. He was the lead author of Mind Medicine Australia’s successful rescheduling applications for MDMA and psilocybin, which made Australia the first country in the world to reschedule these medicines.

He founded Women’s Community Shelters in 2011. Peter is a Director of The Umbrella Foundation. Peter also acts as a pro bono adviser to Creativity Australia.  He was formerly Chairman of So They Can, Grameen Australia and Grameen Australia Philippines.

Peter was made a member of the General Division of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2010 for services to the philanthropic sector.

Peter will be teaching in Module 6.