Natalie Ginsberg (MSW) serves as the Global Impact Officer at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit that carries out pioneering research into the role that psychedelics can play in treating mental health conditions. Through her work, Natalie raises awareness of the therapeutic uses of psychedelics, and she is particularly interested in the potential for psychedelics to heal intergenerational trauma.
As GIO, she works for the responsible integration of psychedelics into mainstream culture, to help “set the setting” for an ethical global movement. Natalie joined MAPS in 2014, founding the Policy & Advocacy department, and serving as its director for 5 years.  She also initiated and co-developed MAPS’ Health Equity program. Before joining MAPS in 2014, Natalie worked as a Policy Fellow at the Drug Policy Alliance, where she helped legalize medical cannabis in her home state of New York, and worked to end New York’s race-based marijuana arrests. Natalie currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. She received her B.A. in history from Yale College, and her master’s of social work (M.S.W.) from Columbia University.  She is also a co-founder of the Jewish Psychedelic Summit.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Natalie Ginsberg on:


(00:22:56) Intergenerational and collective trauma. She describes the different ways that trauma can impact individuals, families, and communities. Plus, she explains how psychedelic therapy and communal plant-medicine ceremonies can help people process and heal from historical, ancestral, and collective trauma.



(00:39:52) Respecting ancient traditions and indigenous communities. Natalie highlights the need for psychedelic pharmaceutical companies to develop relationships of reciprocity and connection with the communities that have used plant medicine for thousands of years.



(00:43:45) Building better business models. Tonya talks about the social and environmental advantages of becoming a B-Corp, and Natalie describes how MAPS’ regenerative financing model aligns with its status as a nonprofit.



(00:52:26) MDMA and PTSD. With FDA approval expected next year, Natalie refers to the results of MAPS’ clinical trials, which show that two-thirds of people with chronic treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder were no longer classified as suffering from PTSD after three MDMA-assisted therapy sessions.



(01:06:48) Psilocybin and the mystical experience scale. Natalie points out that studies show a correlation between the intensity of the spiritual experiences felt by participants in psilocybin research trials and the subsequent positive impact on their mental health.


Links from this episode:

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
Ethical Concerns about Psilocybin Intellectual Property
https://www.instagram.com/natalielyla/


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