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Life-threatening Illness, Palliative Care, and Psychedelics: Patients' Perspectives

Claudia Cuentas, Anne Hamilton, Amy Slonaker, Arlene Tjoarman

Facing a life-threatening diagnosis can provoke intense existential distress, yet conventional care often overlooks this dimension of suffering. This presentation shares findings from a community-led pilot program offering legal, supported psilocybin sessions for cancer patients and survivors navigating death anxiety and medical trauma. Designed by and for survivors, the program centers lived experience, peer support, and cultural safety, with sessions facilitated by a state-licensed practitioner in Oregon.This panel features perspectives from participants and a facilitator, exploring how psilocybin—when held in a trauma-informed, relational container—can support emotional resilience, meaning-making, and a renewed sense of connection. Conducted outside of a clinical trial, the pilot offers a model for how community-based psychedelic care can complement research while expanding access to underserved populations.Topics will include program design, participant feedback, integration approaches, and ethical considerations in scaling this work. Early outcomes suggest that psilocybin, delivered with care and intention, can fill critical gaps in current palliative and survivorship care models.Whether you’re a healthcare provider, policymaker, or curious observer, this session offers a grounded, patient-centered look at how psilocybin is transforming the landscape of end-of-life support.Eligible for CE credits. Click the link for more information: https://form.jotform.com/PsychedelicSupport/continuingeducation

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