A conversation with Dr. Joan Obiols

Marc Aixalà is a telecommunications engineer, psychologist, psychotherapist and certified Holotropic Breathwork facilitator specializing in supporting people who face challenging experiences with expanded states of consciousness. Since 2013, in collaboration with the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service (ICEERS), Aixalàhas offered integration psychotherapy sessions for those seeking support after psychedelic experiences. At ICEERS, Aixalà also works to develop theoretical models of intervention and trains and supervises therapists.

Aixalà has served as a team leader and trainer in emergency psychological assistance at Boom Festival through the Kosmicare harm reduction program. He also worked on the first-ever medical trial on the use of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, a study chronicled in the 2018 documentary, “Magic Medicine.” He continues to work as a therapist in clinical trials researching psychedelic substances.

Aixalà is trained in the therapeutic use of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness as well as in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Aixalà works as a psychologist in his private practice in Barcelona, Spain and offers trainings, lectures, and talks related to psychedelic psychotherapy, Holotropic Breathwork and integration. Marc is the author of “Psychedelic Integration: psychotherapy for non-ordinary states”, published in 2021.

Phil Wolfson Doctor of Medicine from New York University. He is the creator of a new modality of psychotherapy based on the use of ketamine: ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP). Phil is the executive director of the nonprofit Ketamine Research Foundation and directs the training of KAP professionals through the Ketamine Training Center, which now has more than 900 professionals in the US and internationally.

He is the author of The Ketamine Papers and “Noe – A Father/Son Song of Love, Life, Illness and Death.” He has been the principal investigator of the MAPS Phase 2 study of MDMA treatment for people with life-threatening illnesses. Dr. Wolfson’s work is the result of an intense clinical practice in psychiatry and psychotherapy spanning many decades.

Phil Wolfson is a 1960s activist, psychiatrist/psychotherapist, writer, practicing Buddhist, and psychonaut who has lived in the Bay Area, New York, for 46 years. In the 1980s, he participated in clinical research with MDMA (ecstasy). He has created 9 patents for ketamine and unique herbal medicines. Phil was a founding member of the Heffter Research Institute. He is a journalist and author of numerous articles on politics, transformation, psychedelics, consciousness and spirit.

Art therapist, TRE® (Trauma & Tension Release Exercises) facilitator, anthropologist, and nursing assistant trained at EOC (Escola d’Oficis de Catalunya).

For the past 13 years, I have been working and training in the world of psychoactive plants, accompanying more than a thousand people in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress through expanded states of consciousness In addition to academic training and Western psychotherapeutic techniques, living and working for 5 years in the Peruvian Amazon allowed me to learn about and understand a new realm regarding comprehensive health.

For me, it is vitally important to establish a close and respectful connection with the people I treat, as well as to provide a space where they feel safe to delve into their own process.

I have collaborated with ICEERS and BeckleyMed as a research assistant in studies involving Ayahuasca and have contributed to several scientific publications regarding the results of these studies.

Graduated in Medicine (No. 39491), Master’s in Transpersonal Psychology, Postgraduate in Psychoneuroimmunology, currently pursuing a dual Master’s in Precision Health + Nutrition, Orthomolecular Medicine, and Precision Clinical Practice.

I understand health in a holistic and profound way and believe in the potential of an integrative approach to illness and emotional distress that places the person at the center and includes all their dimensions: physical, emotional, and spiritual, with a respectful and humane perspective.

Throughout my personal and professional journey, altered states of consciousness as a therapeutic tool have played a very significant and transformative role. In this journey, I have trained in transpersonal psychotherapy and in supporting altered states of consciousness, delving into, among other therapeutic resources, dream integration and focusing.

Licensed Psychologist (Registration No.: M-35210), General Health Psychologist, and PhD in Pharmacology, specializing in the treatment of prolonged grief from a constructivist psychotherapy approach. Currently, I combine clinical practice with scientific research and teaching.

Over the past decade, my work has focused on studying the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances in grief processes following the loss of a loved one, as well as their capacity to foster post-traumatic growth. Supporting these processes has allowed me to witness the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit and its ability to continuously learn.

I strongly believe in the importance of integrating the existential and relational dimensions within the therapeutic process to gain a broader perspective on the challenges we face in Western society and to promote connection with oneself, others, and the world.

Graduated in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh and Master’s in Neuropsychology from the Open University of Catalonia.

In the past, I collaborated with the ICEERS Foundation in developing neuropsychological studies on psychoactive plants, which have greatly interested me since the beginning of my professional career. I also was part of the Kosmicare volunteer team at Boom Festival 2023, attending to individuals with psychedelic emergencies.

At Clinica Synaptica, I have the responsibility of combining these two facets of psychology, knowledge, and clinical practice. Together with José Carlos Bouso, I manage knowledge, organizing training sessions, informative publications, and scientific research, in addition to working with patients in individual and group therapy.

During my stay in Edinburgh, I actively participated with the community around me, working with vulnerable populations and conducting group workshops on post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction treatment, with a strong focus on dynamic therapies and exploring the mind-body connection in emotion processing. Thanks to this, I was awarded the Trevarthern Award by the University of Edinburgh in 2019.

I have completed certified training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which employs a functional and contextual view of mental health. I firmly believe that psychology should have an open perspective, investigating the cultural and social context as well as the individual. I also base my practice on the teachings of Irvin Yalom, a psychiatrist with a special focus on group therapy and existential psychotherapy, establishing an underlying current in therapy that addresses questions about meaning, freedom, responsibility, and death.

Doctor of Medicine, Specialist in Psychiatry (No. 8580). Bachelor of Philosophy and Letters (Cultural Anthropology).

I served as a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Barcelona from 1975 to 2000. I have collaborated as a professor at eleven Spanish and foreign universities. I worked at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona as a senior psychiatrist until 1998, when I was appointed director of the Mental Health Services of Andorra from 1998 to 2014.

Professor of Mental Health at the University of Andorra from 1998 to 2020. Secretary of the Transcultural Psychiatry Section of the World Psychiatric Association from 2005 to 2008.

President of the Board of Trustees of the ICEERS Foundation since 2013.

Co-author of a monograph on schizophrenia, and more than 50 articles published in national and foreign journals on various topics in psychiatry.

Author of over four hundred communications and posters for national and international conferences. I have devoted special interest to the study of altered states of consciousness and the therapeutic possibilities of psychedelics.

As a transcultural psychiatrist, in 1992, I had the opportunity to conduct fieldwork in the Ecuadorian Amazon, studying the use of ayahuasca among Shuar shamans, among other experiences in this field.

Member of the international team of Kosmicare volunteers for psychedelic emergency care at the BOOM Festival (2010, 2014, 2016, Portugal).

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Autonomous University of Madrid and PhD in Pharmacology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

I am the scientific director of the ICEERS Foundation, where I coordinate scientific research with cannabis, ibogaine, and ayahuasca. I have conducted therapeutic studies with MDMA aimed at treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Author of numerous scientific publications and popular articles, I have published the books: “What are synthetic drugs?” (RBA-Integral), “Ayahuasca and Health” (Los libros de la Liebre de Marzo), “Psilocybes” (Ultrarradio Ediciones), and “Medicinal Cannabis: From Prohibited Drug to Therapeutic Solution.” For two decades, I have been studying the therapeutic potential of hallucinogens and their possible clinical applications.

Dr. Ronald D. Siegel is an Assistant Professor of Psychology, part time, at Harvard Medical School, where he has taught for over 35 years. He is a long-time student of mindfulness meditation and serves on the Board of Directors and faculty of the Institute for Meditation and

Psychotherapy. He teaches internationally about the application of mindfulness practice in psychotherapy and other fields, and maintains a private clinical practice in Lincoln, Massachusetts. 
Dr. Siegel is author of a comprehensive guide for general audiences, The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems; coeditor of the critically acclaimed text, Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, 2nd Edition and of Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy; coauthor of the professional guide Sitting Together: Essential Skills for Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy; coauthor of the self-treatment guide Back Sense, which integrates Western and Eastern approaches for treating chronic back pain; and author of the recent book, The Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary: Finding Happiness Right Where You Are. He is also professor for The Science of Mindfulness: A Research-Based Path to Well-Being produced by The Great Courses, a regular contributor to other professional publications, and co-director of the annual Harvard Medical School Conferences on Meditation and Psychotherapy and Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy. 

Love and connection are not luxuries; they are neurological necessities that profoundly shape how we heal, grow, and relate. The heart of my work is guiding clients in resetting and reconnecting with themselves, their loved ones, and their lives.

I am a relationship, sex, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist. I integrate attachment science, trauma-informed care, and non-ordinary states of consciousness to foster nervous system regulation and authentic, healthy connection. I also train fellow professionals in integrative psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and sex therapy.

Education

• M.S. Family Sciences, Brigham Young University
• M.A. Marriage and Family Therapy
• Ph.D. in Human Development, Syracuse University

Certifications

• Sex Therapist, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)
• Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy, California Institute of Integral Studies
• MDMA-assisted therapy training, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
• Therapist & Supervisor, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

I founded the Arizona Relationship Institute (AZRI), an integrative therapy center in the United States, to provide therapy to clients while also offering training and supervision to fellow therapists. I served as its owner and clinical director from 2013 to 2020 and continue to serve as Director of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy Training and Intensives. My contributions to relationship therapy and therapist training have been published in professional journals, and I present regularly at conferences including ASKP3, AASECT, ICEEFT, and Mindvalley University. 

Through this work—supporting clients in their healing journeys and equipping other professionals with integrative skills—I developed Soul Surfing™—an integrative approach to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. I’ve also developed a corresponding online preparation program for clients and their therapists: Soul Surfing Psychedelics: Resiliently Riding the Waves of Life. This framework supports clients and therapists in effectively integrating psychedelic medicine with trauma-informed therapy models and holistic healing practices, thereby optimizing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) experiences and outcomes. Clínica Synaptica in Barcelona serves as the international base for this work.

My passion lies in curating and facilitating personalized psychedelic retreats tailored to each client’s intentions. These retreats integrate psychotherapy with breathwork, meditation, somatic practices, time in nature, and visits to historical and sacred sites. 

I also offer PAP training retreats centered on experiential learning for practitioners. Rather than relying solely on lectures and academic study, Soul Surfing trainings guide participants through the very processes they will later facilitate for clients—learning through personal experience and live, supportive consultation to attune sensitively to individual needs.Look for my forthcoming book, co-authored with Danna Skoy—Ketamine Curious: How This Legal Psychedelic Medicine Can Transform Your Trauma into Healing & Growth—scheduled for release in Summer 2026.

Celia has been researching ketamine for 25 years and is interested simultaneously in the potential therapeutic possibilities of ketamine alongside the potential for problematic use. Her PhD at University College London looked at the cognitive and neurological effects of ketamine in non-medical users as well as in acute studies. She has more recently been working at University of Exeter, where she has with other colleagues, set up an interdisciplinary masters in psychedelics and has been running large clinical trials of ketamine assisted therapy as well as looking at emerging trends in problematic non-medical ketamine use. She lives in Cornwall in the UK with her two children; dog and chickens

Dr. Stewart is a specialist Emergency Physician practicing since 2003 in the US and in Norway. He trained at the UNM School of medicine in Albuquerque, UT Austin and OHSU, Portland. He served as Emergency Department Chair at WF Hospital and as an associate clinical professor at OHSU. He worked as a board member of the Norwegian Society of Emergency Medicine to bring the specialty to Norway. He was a cofounder of Insight Ketamine in New Mexico in 2016, Axon Clinic in 2018, and the first public ketamine treatment unit in Scandinavia at Sykehuset Østfold in 2020. His past research includes studies on the evolution of emotions and winter depression. He has also studied complexity theory at the Santa Fe Institute, space medicine at the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and international public health. His current research interests include using novel psychoactive medications in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction. He is a medical consultant for PsykForsk, DPS Nordre Østfold working on clinical trials with psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine and esketamine, (site-initiated and previously with MAPS and COMPASS). He is an advisor to the public ketamine treatment center at DPS Moss, assisting and training additional treatment centers in the public health system. He served as the Regional Director for Awakn Life Sciences, and is now the medical Director of Axon Clinics. He is a founding member of the national research group Norwegian Rapid-Acting Antidepressant Network (NORAAD), the psychedelic research group at the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo and the Eating Disorder Lab at Oslo Nye Høyskole. Dr. Stewart is the co-founder of the Norwegian Association for Psychedelic Science, an Expert Faculty Member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians and serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Psychedelic Studies.  

Christopher Timmermann is a neuroscientist and psychologist and co-director of the UCL Centre for Consciousness Science, where he focuses on understanding the mind in non-ordinary states of consciousness. After obtaining his PhD in neuropsychopharmacology, Christopher led the DMT Research Group at Imperial College London, which pioneered the first brain imaging studies of short-acting psychedelics. His work has focused on the neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology of meditation and psychedelics to inform consciousness and mental health research. His research has been published in high-impact journals and covered by outlets such as The New York Times, the BBC, The Guardian, and Wired. He is also the co-founder and president of a research and educational non-profit organisation in Latin America, the ECOH Foundation for the Study of Human Consciousness.