Tracy Townsend, M.D. - Legal Psilocybin Frontlines: A Physician's Perspective
Release Date: 03/24/2025
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info_outlineIn this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Tracy Townsend, a Harvard-trained physician who left orthopedic surgery to become a licensed psilocybin facilitator in Oregon.
Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-296/?ref=278
Dr. Townsend shares her journey from conventional medicine to psychedelic facilitation, describing how her own transformative experiences with plant medicines led her to question the limitations of Western healthcare. She discusses the Oregon psilocybin model, challenges within the current regulatory framework, and draws fascinating parallels between physical surgery and the "mind surgery" of psychedelic experiences. Dr. Townsend also explores emerging research on psychedelics for autoimmune conditions and shares her hopes for policy changes that could expand access to these powerful healing modalities.
Dr. Tracy Townsend is a Harvard trained medical doctor, licensed psilocybin facilitator, and vitality coach. She has an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, as well as a medical degree, both from the University of Virginia. She completed orthopedic surgical training at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA and a fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery at Boston Children's Hospital of Harvard University. She is a graduate of the Innertrek Psilocybin Facilitator training program. After personally experiencing transformative healing with psychedelic medicines, Tracy went on to become the Co-Founder and CEO of Project Circle, a legal psilocybin service center and practice based in Portland, Oregon.
Highlights:
- From surgeon to psychedelic facilitator: Tracy's journey
- The parallels between surgery and psychedelic "mind surgery"
- Navigating Oregon's legal psilocybin framework
- Addressing necessary regulatory improvements
- Psychedelics and psychiatric medications
- The mind-body connection in autoimmune healing
- Hope for psychedelic policy under new HHS leadership