Bringing Ketamine-Assisted Therapy to the Native American Community

“When it comes to using ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, Native American people and their family members are concerned with the role of the spiritual experiences, the mystical experiences, and the ceremonial ways of going about it.”

Join us for Season 2 of Adventures of the Psyche: An exploration of different frameworks and modalities that support the use of psychedelics. In this first episode of the season, we are joined by Dr. Joe Tafur who has been working to bring psychedelic assisted ketamine therapy to the Native American community with a ceremonial approach.

Joe Tafur, M.D. is a Colombian-American family physician who, after completing his family medicine training at UCLA, spent two years in academic research at the UCSD Department of Psychiatry in a lab focused on mind-body medicine. He now has a medical practice currently based at the Ocotillo Center for Integrative Medicine.

In addition to his medical work in the United States, Joe co-founded and co-managed the spiritual retreat center Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual in Peru from 2010-2016, and is an international author, educator, and co-founder of the nonprofit Modern Spirit, Inc. He is a Shipibo Wisdom Carrier, Ayahuasquero for the Church of the Eagle and the Condor, and founding member of the Church.

Join filmmaker and host Mareesa Stertz for a brief visit into other realms where guests share personal stories of illumination, healing, and transformation through their use of psychedelics. See more Adventure of the Psyche episodes here.