The Art of Psychedelic Therapy: Healing Through the Body and Intentional Use of Relationships

Dr. Sandra (Sandy) Newes, PhD, is a licensed psychiatrist and the Co-founder and Programming Director of Living Medicine Institute, which offers psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy training programs. With over 25 years of clinical experience as a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist, she specializes in anxiety, chronic stress, trauma, and recovery. Dr. Newes is also an educator and speaker offering workshops, events, and education on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and the intersection of nature connection, trauma, and mental health.

In this episode… Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy requires therapists to do more than guide a medicine session — it demands careful preparation, grounded presence, and an ability to follow what emerges without forcing meaning. So how can therapists support deep psychedelic experiences without steering the process?

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy clinician and trainer Dr. Sandy Newes explains that the process begins with safety, curiosity, and resisting the urge to interpret too quickly. Therapists can prepare clients by building trust, understanding developmental history, and helping them notice sensations and nervous system states before the medicine session begins. Dr. Newes also emphasizes accepting that you don't have all the answers, using body-based prompts to deepen awareness, and helping clients gradually become more comfortable with positive emotional states. These practices create space for insight, self-compassion, and meaningful integration without imposing a predetermined interpretation.

In this episode of Living Medicine, host Chad Franzen of Rise25 talks with Dr. Sandy Newes, Co-founder and Programming Director of Living Medicine Institute, about the therapist's role in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Dr. Newes explains how curiosity, somatic awareness, and preparation support deeper therapeutic work. She also touches on integration, spirituality, and self-compassion.