The psychedelic world is in a moment of critical pause where the roll-out of psychedelic-assisted therapy to consumers in medical settings has been slowed. However, people looking to heal from the impact of sexual violence continue to seek out psychedelic work in unregulated settings such as community-based circles, with guides, or in ceremonial contexts. These unregulated settings both carry unique risks, but also offer the opportunity for robust, self-driven healing and collective empowerment. This panel features experts on the topic of psychedelics and sexual trauma who will explore some of the most under-represented topics and perspectives relevant to both psychedelic users and clinical professionals wishing to support their clients pursuing psychedelic healing after sexual violence in the venues most available to consumers today. Recent clinical trials that study the efficacy of psychedelics for treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder generally focus on one metric, does the traumatized person have fewer symptoms? However, as this panel will explore, reducing symptoms is only one small part of a much broader pursuit of reaching wholeness and healing after sexual harm has occurred. This panel will explore topics either ignored or sometimes actively avoided by clinical research much to the detriment of survivors of sexual violence. How can we understand the impact of intergenerational trauma in sexual healing? What role does griefwork play in our healing process? What is the link between spirituality and political empowerment for sexual trauma survivors? What happens when people “recover” memories of sexual abuse in psychedelic ceremonies? What role does pleasure play in the healing of sexual trauma? With decades of collective clinical and community-based psychedelic experience, our panelists will create dialogue about the unique and sometimes unexpected triumphs, challenges, and risks survivors face when taking psychedelic healing into their own hands. As psychedelic-assisted therapies gain traction in medical contexts, what can researchers learn both from survivors and the professionals who currently support them that can make medicalized psychedelics safe and beneficial treatments for sexual healing?This panel is chaired by sexual trauma expert Laura Mae Northup, MFT. Laura is the author of the book Radical Healership: How to Build a Values-Driven Healing Practice in a Profit-Driven World and the creator of the Inside Eyes podcast, an audio series about people using entheogens & psychedelics to heal from sexual trauma. Drawing from their work as a practicing somatic and psychedelic psychotherapist, they consult and speak internationally on issues related to the treatment of sexual trauma. Their work focuses on defining sexual violence through a spiritual and politicized lens, mentoring healing practitioners in creating a meaningful path, and supporting the spiritual integrity of our collective humanity. Dee Dee Goldpaugh, LCSW is a psychotherapist, educator, clinical consultant, and author with a background in both trauma and sex therapy. They are the author of the new book Embrace Pleasure: How Psychedelics Can Heal Our Sexuality. Dee Dee has presented at numerous international conferences, and published both academic and popular media articles on the topics of psychedelics and sexuality, spirituality, gender, and erotic empowerment. Dee Dee has spent years developing strategies for supporting sexual violence survivors after psychedelic experiences using techniques that include somatic work, insight-oriented approaches, and spiritual-erotic growth. Dee Dee’s work centers pleasure as a central focus in the healing process. As a survivor of sexual violence themself, Dee Dee is an advocate for erotic liberation through earth-based, community-centered ritual healing work.Candace Oglesby-Adepoju (she/her) is an LCPC, psychotherapist, and the founder of Jurnee Mental Health Consulting, a mental health equity consulting company. With extensive experience working with sexual abuse survivors—predominantly women of color—Candace specializes in utilizing EMDR, IFS, and KAP models to support healing and transformation.As a survivor of sexual abuse by a family member, Candace has deeply explored her healing journey, including the transformative use of psychedelics to address trauma. This personal experience informs her compassionate approach to supporting clients in navigating the complexities of intergenerational sexual abuse and reclaiming their power and legacy gifts. Through her clinical practice and consulting work, Candace is committed to advancing equity in mental health care, creating spaces for culturally informed healing, and empowering individuals and communities to move toward liberation.
