Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMeet Brian PileckiWhy Brian Pilecki Is Mentally StrongWhat You’ll Hear on the ShowWhat You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental StrengthQuotes From BrianMore About the Podcast

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Meet Brian Pilecki

Why Brian Pilecki Is Mentally Strong

What You’ll Hear on the Show

What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength

Quotes From Brian

More About the Podcast

Close

OnThe Verywell Mind Podcast, Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews experts, authors, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life.

Brian Pilecki is a psychologist based in Portland, Oregon. He specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, trauma, and PTSD. He also treats depression, issues related to general life dissatisfaction,griefand loss, sleep difficulties, andidentity issues.

He’s passionate about the potential for psychedelic substances to be used in a therapeutic environment—something that is likely to happen in Oregon soon. He has spent more than 20 years studying psychedelics such aspsilocybin,MDMA, andayahuascaand their potential role in mental health treatment.

Psychedelic use is often stigmatized. Drugs like mushrooms and MDMA have long been considered “club drugs” without any medicinal purposes.

But, Brian has been on the forefront of psychedelic research. He’s discovered many ways in which psychedelics may be a useful therapy tool. One study he was involved in was a clinical trial that investigated the use of MDMA in treatingsocial anxiety.

He’s also heavily involved in public education and advocacy to reduce the stigma associated with psychedelic use.

He organized a support group to give people a place to talk about their psychedelic use—something many other therapists may shy away from.

He’s clear that traditional treatments don’t work for everyone. And he shows mental strength in his willingness to talk about alternative treatments and cutting-edge research.

Sometimes, people assume that mental health issues should respond to traditional treatments, like cognitive behavioral therapy or antidepressants.

But, traditional treatment doesn’t always reduce the symptoms. We’ve even developed terms like “treatment-resistant depression” because some mental health conditions just don’t respond to common interventions.

That’s why it’s so important to keep exploring more treatment options and methods. The same treatments just don’t work for everyone.

A lack of response to treatment, however, isn’t necessarily a sign that someone lacks mental strength or that they have a serious mental illness. Instead, it just means that their particular condition isn’t responding to the treatments that usually help others.

That’s why it’s so important to keep exploring new treatment options, like psychedelics. They may help some people in ways that other treatments can’t.

Brian Pilecki, PhDAttitudes around drugs are changing very quickly. We’re seeing this with cannabis. So it’s possible that as psychedelics become more known and widespread people will understand that these experiences can actually be beneficial.

Brian Pilecki, PhD

Attitudes around drugs are changing very quickly. We’re seeing this with cannabis. So it’s possible that as psychedelics become more known and widespread people will understand that these experiences can actually be beneficial.

The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, pleaseleave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too.

Links and ResourcesVisit thePortland Psychotherapy websiteListen to Brian’s podcast “Altered States of Context"Join aPsychedelic Safety and Integration Support GroupEducation about Psychedelics -ThirdWaveHarm Reduction information for the electronic music community -DanceSafeLatest psychedelic research -ErowidWhat Is Psychedelic Therapy?Oregon Paves the Way for “Magic Mushroom” Mental Health Treatments

Visit thePortland Psychotherapy websiteListen to Brian’s podcast “Altered States of Context"Join aPsychedelic Safety and Integration Support GroupEducation about Psychedelics -ThirdWaveHarm Reduction information for the electronic music community -DanceSafeLatest psychedelic research -ErowidWhat Is Psychedelic Therapy?Oregon Paves the Way for “Magic Mushroom” Mental Health Treatments

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