For many clinicians and researchers, psychedelic‑assisted therapy (from MDMA to psilocybin) looks like a breakthrough for trauma that resists conventional care. But for communities of color—whose members were exploited in Cold‑War drug experiments at places like the Addiction Research Center in Lexington—the very word psychedelics also carries a legacy of deception, racialized risk, and mistrust. This interactive MeetUp puts both realities on the table. We’ll unpack the strongest clinical evidence showing how carefully guided psychedelic sessions can reduce PTSD symptoms rooted in racism, while also confronting the ethical blind spots that arise when historically marginalized people enter a rapidly commercializing field. What does “set and setting” mean when the setting itself is systemically unequal? How do we weigh the promise of neuroplasticity against the danger of cultural appropriation or, worse yet, retraumatization?
Join Canada Research Chair Dr. Monnica Williams and invited guests— community advocate Sheldomar Elliott, psychotherapist Lianna Tullis‑Robinson, MA, and psychedelic researcher Sara Reed—for a lively, evidence‑based discussion that centers BIPOC perspectives. Together we’ll review current trial data, share lived‑experience testimonies, and brainstorm safeguards that move the field from extractive to restorative. Whether you’re a clinician, scholar, wellness professional, or simply curious about the intersection of mental health, race, and altered states, come add your voice as we ask the hard question: can psychedelics truly heal racial trauma, and if so, under what conditions?
There is a small fee for this event to help offset costs, but please let us know if this presents a hardship.
