May, 9th, 2024. From 7:00pm-9:30pm EST
222 E 46th St
NY, 10017
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This is an event hosted by The Psychedelic Assembly and Chacruna Institute
Join us for an unprecedented gathering at a Psychedelic Networking Summit, presented in collaboration with the esteemed Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. This landmark event is designed to unite enthusiasts, professionals, academics, and curious minds in the expansive field of psychedelic science and traditional plant medicine practices.
Founded by the visionary Brazilian anthropologist Dr. Bia Labate and the American psychologist Dr. Clancy Cavnar, the Chacruna Institute is at the forefront of producing pivotal research on psychedelic plant medicines. Their mission extends beyond the academic realm, aiming to demystify and destigmatize these substances by making scholarly knowledge accessible to the public, thereby fostering a deeper cultural understanding and legitimacy.
Dr. Beatriz Caiuby Labate (Bia Labate) is a queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco. She has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. Her main areas of interest are the study of plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, religion, and social justice. She is Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves as Public Education and Culture Specialist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). She is also Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Additionally, she is Advisor for the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition. Dr. Labate is a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and editor of its site. She is author, co-author, and co-editor of twenty-eight books, three special-edition journals, and several peer-reviewed articles (https://bialabate.net).
Clancy Cavnar has a doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, CA. She currently works in private practice in San Francisco, and is Co-Founder and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. She is also a research associate of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP). She combines an eclectic array of interests and activities as clinical psychologist, artist, and researcher. She has a master of fine arts in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, a master’s in counseling from San Francisco State University, and she completed the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). She is author and co-author of articles in several peer-reviewed journals and co-editor, with Beatriz Caiuby Labate, of eleven books. For more information see: http://www.drclancycavnar.com.
Lorien Chavez is the Development and Operations Officer for the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. Based in New Mexico, she received her B.S in Psychology and Biology with a focus on Neurology, and is passionate about the research and use of sacred plant medicines as a tool for generational epigenetic healing. She has been motivated to look deeper into how psychedelics may aid in the process of remapping our minds and nervous systems, and is eager to do it in a way that remains respectful and celebratory of the traditions these medicines are rooted in. Passionate about plant based healing, Lorien is also the COO of CommuniTeas – an herbal education platform and production company working to bring holistic healing to communities in accessible formats.
Joseph Mays received his MSc in Ethnobotany from the University of Kent researching responses to globalization by the Yanesha of central Peru. Graduating with biology and anthropology degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, he published a medicinal plant guide for the Jama-Coaque Ecological Reserve in the Ecuadorian cloud forest. Joseph also holds a certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Therapies from Naropa University, and his conservation work explores how cultural-conditioning influences approaches to biocultural sustainability. His Indigenous rights advocacy stresses the importance of ground-up structures that emphasize local agency and challenge conventional philanthropic models in attempts to support Indigenous autonomy and biodiversity. Joseph is Program Director of Chacruna’s Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI), where he partners with Indigenous community organizations throughout the Americas to support Chacruna’s mission of increasing cultural reciprocity in the psychedelic space, raising unconditional funding and engaging with Indigenous and local stakeholders on their own terms.
Joseph McCowan, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and researcher, currently working in Los Angeles. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Since 2019, Joseph worked as a Co-therapist and Supervisor in the MAPS sponsored Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD and supports MAPS Therapy Training and Education as a Lead Educator and Supervisor. Additionally, Dr. McCowan supported efforts toward increasing the diversity of therapists and participants in the MAPS clinical studies as part of the MAPS Diversity Working Group. Dr. McCowan also currently conducts research as a therapist in the Compass Phase III Studies of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Treatment Resistant Depression and provides Psychedelic assisted therapy education as a lead trainer with Fluence. Joseph’s prior work includes providing Ketamine Assisted Therapy and Psychedelic Integration Therapy at the California Center for Psychedelic Therapy. Joseph is deeply passionate about furthering education and awareness of the healing benefits of psychedelics for communities of color and in working to improve mental health outcomes for historically underserved communities. He is a member of Chacruna’s Board of Directors.
Allison Hoots is an attorney with Hoots Law Practice PLLC. She has had a diverse experience practicing law, including in the legal areas of employment, corporate, employee benefits, tax, and intellectual property and advising churches’ on operation and limiting liability in their religious use of sacraments. She is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants and the lead author of Chacruna’s Guide to RFRA and Best Practices for Psychedelic Plant Medicine Churches. Allison is also President of Sacred Plant Alliance, Inc., a self-regulating organization and professional society of spiritual practitioners with religious communities dedicated to the advancement of the ceremonial use of psychedelic sacraments within the United States. Since 2017, Allison has been a founding member of the Board of Trustees and officer for a nonprofit church that uses plant medicine in prayer. Allison lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with her beloved musician husband, Sean, and two children, Vera and Archer.
Justin Natoli, JD, LMFT (he/she/they) is a psychotherapist, hakomi practitioner, ketamine therapist, and retreat facilitator. In their private practice in Los Angeles, Justin specializes in depth and somatic psychotherapies, trauma, addiction, psychedelic integration, and working within kink, poly, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Justin also serves on the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines’ Women, Gender Diversity, and Sexual Minorities Working Group. They are honored to be a contributing author for Chacruna’s latest book, “Queering Psychedelics.” Justin received a JD with honors from the UCLA School of Law and a Master’s in Depth psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute. They have a certificate in psychedelic therapy and research from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and are working towards a Ph.D. in Psychedelic Studies from the Awe Foundation and Ubiquity University. For more information, see: http://www.justinnatoli.com
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