The Third Wave

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Lauren Macdonald, a clinical trial physician and psychedelic therapist, about the evolving role of community in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-356/?ref=278  Lauren shares insights from her work at Imperial College London, where she contributed to research on psilocybin for anorexia and fibromyalgia, as well as DMT for treatment-resistant depression. She reflects on the limitations of purely individual therapeutic models and explores how group-based approaches can foster deeper healing through connection, shared experience, and what she describes as communitas. The conversation also touches on the contrast between clinical and ceremonial settings, the role of group dynamics in emotional processing, and the challenges of access and affordability as psychedelic therapy expands. Dr. Lauren Macdonald has a background in psychiatry, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and