114 - Craig Heacock - Back From the Abyss With Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

"I've had a lot of losses and vicarious trauma in my practice and, I think, starting Back From The Abyss was also a way for me to put out just balloons of hope into the world and to remind myself that people do get better and people heal and people do the hard work of therapy." ~Dr. Craig Heacock For every harrowing loss with which Dr. Craig Heacock has had to come to terms, his practice is also populated by people who are recovering and thriving. He created Back From The Abyss in 2019 with those clients in mind as a way to share their stories of hope and healing.  A quick glance at the podcast's episode guide speaks to the broad range of topics. The reoccurring focus, however, is on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, namely the use of ketamine and MDMA as therapeutic tools. Often maligned by us as street or club drugs, psychopharmacology has the potential to accelerate trust within the client/therapist relationship and enhance outcomes.  Dr Heacock provides some much-needed context to this fascinating subject and shares his own journey to resilience before answering our favorite healer questions.  HEADS UP: Be on the lookout for a Back From The Abyss episode right here on the CWH feed. *** Dr. Craig Heacock is an adolescent/adult psychiatrist and addiction specialist in Colorado. In addition to producing and hosting a psychiatric storytelling podcast called Back from the Abyss, he is a co-therapist in the Phase 3 trial of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. Dr. Heacock has a particular interest in the use of ketamine and other psychedelics to treat severe mood disorders and PTSD. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and did his psychiatry training at Brown University.  For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram:  @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi   Sarah's virtual speaking gigs:   Wednesday, June 3, 11am Central   Illinois Higher Education Center - Trauma and Substance Abuse https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4346826168318216715   Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central   New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration