48 - The Spectrum of Dissociation, Trauma Response, and How Psychedelics Can Help, Part 2

In this episode of Punk Therapy, Dr. T and the Truth Fairy continue their deep dive into dissociation, trauma, and psychedelic healing. They expand the conversation started in the last episode with a deep dive into how trauma is stored in the body through sensory motor responses, and the complex relationship between psychedelics and dissociation. Through personal examples and powerful client stories, they describe the ability of psychedelics to help survivors of childhood abuse and sexual trauma reach clarity and healing.   One aspect of trauma being stored as a sensory motor response that Dr. T and Truth Fairy warn about is the possibility of retraumatizing clients by pushing them too quickly. Psychedelics can bring buried trauma and memories to the surface, but these revelations may appear as symbolic or literal experiences, and careful therapeutic understanding is essential. They explore the need for relational safety and trauma-informed approaches.  They also review risks outlined in a recent academic paper on Psychedelic Iatrogenic Structural Dissociation, including emotional dysregulation and flashbacks, as well as identity fragmentation and depersonalization, among others. While healing can be reached through medicine work, it requires years of preparation. Dr. T and Truth Fairy stress how important it is to approach the work with empathy and gentleness, focusing on somatic processing and integration rather than pushing for outcome-driven trauma confrontation. “So I wanted to say that this sensory motor storage, this trauma stored in the emotional part, it is sensory motor. So it shows up as body reactions, as sensations, as reflexes, as emotional flashes. Emotional intensity and high affect. Very little or no words or clear story. These disorganized narratives. And so if you have a survivor of childhood abuse, they may not be able to talk about what happened, but their body will show you through how they move, how they defend, or how they shut down.” - Truth Fairy__Resources discussed in this episode:“Psychedelic iatrogenic structural dissociation: an exploratory hypothesis on dissociative risks in psychedelic use” by Steven Elfrink and Leigh Bergin, ‘Frontiers in Psychology’, 3 March 2025“A House in the Sky: A Memoir” by Amanda Lindhout and Sara CorbettSteven Elfrink and OmTerra__Contact Punk Therapy:Patreon: Patreon.com/PunkTherapyWebsite: PunkTherapy.comEmail: [email protected] Contact Truth Fairy: Email: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.