Dr Lisa Reynolds - Taking the psychedelic pulse of clinicians

Psychedelic medicines have a long and chequered history - not the least because of wariness from the medical mainstream. That perception is changing fast, though, with a growing number of respected international researchers and clinicians pointing to the evidence of their potential to provide safer, faster and more effective treatments for mental illness and existential distress.
There's a cultural shift going on, too, with support coming from unexpected quarters, including that of well-known writer, journalism lecturer and activist Michael Pollan, who brought the science to life by taking  readers on his own personal psychedelic adventures in the 2018 book, How To Change Your Mind.
This week's guest,  the University of Auckland's Dr Lisa Reynolds, says Pollan’s book was one of the influences  that sparked her research interest in the potential benefits of psychedelic medicine for end of life anxiety and depression.  Lisa is also involved in some vital qualitative research to measure attitudes toward psychedelics as medicines of not only patients, but the clinicians treating them, too.