#90 - Yes, Psychedelics Can Help Heal Attachment Trauma | Bessel van der Kolk (Body Keeps the Score) by Life is a Festival

The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk, is a seminal work in the field of trauma studies. I had the privilege of interviewing Bessel last year for The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast, which I host for Maya, a software platform that supports psychedelic practitioners. To start 2021 on a hopeful note, I wanted to share that episode with you.

On the show we discuss Bessel’s work with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies and their clinical trials for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Bessel explains how early attachment wounds can actually be more difficult to treat than acute trauma but that psychedelics can help reimprint the feeling of being a lovable child. We also talk about why we get can addicted to our own trauma and we review other psychedelic compounds.

Bessel is an author, researcher, and sought after public speaker. In addition to founding Boston’s Trauma Center and his popular books, Bessel is also the Principle Investigator for MAPS’ MDMA trials at its East Coast hub in Boston.

If you have 5 minutes to support the show, I would be so grateful if you could fill out a short survey. It will be invaluable for the next chapter of Life is a Festival!

LINKS
Life is a Festival Podcast survey: https://bit.ly/festival-survey
The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast: https://www.mayahealth.com/podcast

Bessel van der Kolk: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/
The Body Keeps the Score: https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748
The Faces of Phase 3: Principal Investigators in MAPS’ Clinical Trials of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD: https://maps.org/news/bulletin/articles/427-bulletin-winter-2017/6957-the-faces-of-phase-3-principal-investigators-in-maps%E2%80%99-clinical-trials-of-mdma-assisted-psychotherapy-for-ptsd

TIMESTAMPS
:07 - Bessel’s first experience with psychedelics
:12 - The iconic American image of the veteran with PTSD
:16 - Why psychedelics and trauma.
:21 - How psychedelic practitioners can work with trauma
:29 - Psychedelics and ancestral trauma
:34 - How we get addicted to our trauma
:38 - Attachment wounds vs acute trauma
:46 - MDMA therapy and psychodrama therapy
:58 - Ketamine as a trickster molecule
1:10 - Bessel speaks directly to psychedelic therapists