The Right People, the Right Drugs, the Right Reasons: Dr Pragati Gautama and Grace Cooper on Medicalising Psychedelics

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is coming to New Zealand. Paddy sits down with two Mountain Club members, Dr Pragati Gautama, a GP and rural hospital specialist with more than 30 years in medicine, and Grace Cooper, a former registered nurse and counsellor, for an illuminating conversation on the practice they are building following the country's approval of its first prescriber in June 2025.Pragati and Grace delve into the personal motivations that led them to this groundbreaking field, tracing the history of psychedelics from ceremonial plant use to modern medical advancements, and the science of how these substances work on the brain. Pragati walks through the legislation now in motion and the opportunity for New Zealand to become a genuine source country given psilocybin already grows here. Grace explains the actual structure of treatment, from screening and preparation through an eight-hour supervised session to months of integration, and how this work is reshaping communities and opening new pathways for healing.A groundbreaking, hopeful listen on mental health, regulation, and the future of psychedelic medicine in New Zealand. Dr Pragati and Grace will soon be practising in New Zealand under the name Medicine for the Mind. You'll find the link in the podcast, and they'd warmly welcome any questions.