MDMA for the treatment of trauma: a clinical trial therapist's perspective – Marcela Ot'alora G.

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has received a lot of attention in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but what exactly happens in an MDMA therapy session? Why is working with PTSD challenging, and how might MDMA help? What is the “inner-directed” approach utilized in clinical trials of MDMA-assisted therapy? On Monday, August 30thm the Finnish Association for Psychedelic Research organized a Zoom webinar with Marcela Ot’alora G, principal Investigator, trainer, and therapist for studies investigating the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of PTSD. Based on her extensive experience, the session included her presentation and a discussion with questions from the audience. Marcela Ot’alora was born and raised in Colombia, and currently lives in Boulder, Colorado. She has an MA in Transpersonal Psychology from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Marcela started her career as an installation artist and teacher, using art as a vehicle for self-expression and processing trauma with underrepresented communities. For over 20 years, she’s been in private practice working primarily with PTSD. Her interest and focus on trauma led her to understand the healing journey as an intimate re-connection with one’s innate essence through love, integrity, acceptance, and honoring of the human spirit. In addition to working with trauma and PTSD, she has dedicated her professional life to training and research. She has worked on various studies sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) as Principal Investigator and therapist using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD. Additionally, she is a lead trainer and supervisor. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:31 Lecture 00:44:54 Q&A 01:23:29 Final words • • • • • The Finnish Association for Psychedelic Research is a multidisciplinary association founded in December 2016 with the goals of promoting scientific research related to psychedelics and the availability of accessible information based on such research. More on Psyty: https://psyty.fi Our social media channels:   / psyty     / psytyfi     / psyty      / psyty