How researchers and advocates of color are forging their own paths in psychedelic-assisted therapy

From WHYY

Aisha Mohammed, a therapist at SoundMind, is quoted in this great piece on the importance of providing access to psychedelic therapies for people of color with PTSD, and others who have been targeted by the War on Drugs. We are so proud of our team who is leading the charge in Philadelphia to bring these incredible therapies into the mainstream, and specifically to the marginalized communities that need and deserve them most.

Aisha Mohammed, a Philadelphia-based therapist who attended that training, has spent much of her career working with sex workers, drug users, and people who don’t have housing.

“It’s been difficult for some of the clients I see to make regular appointments, or to even come into sessions. And the trauma has been so disruptive to their lives that conventional therapy isn’t a good fit for them,” Mohammed said. “So this idea that you could address longstanding, deep traumas in a three- to five-month window is really life-changing and transformative.”

Mohammed is part of a team that’s opening an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy clinic in Philadelphia, called the SoundMind Center. The nonprofit clinic will offer sliding-scale treatment, and will have a community organizer on staff whose job is to raise awareness and build trust with communities that have been affected by the war on drugs.

She hopes to also see Philadelphia’s community health agencies, which offer free or low-cost therapy to people with Medicaid, hire practitioners trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Read the full article here