Can Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Heal Depression?

Written by Nina Izel, Healer, Teacher, and Author

Nina Izel is a well-known pioneer in the psychedelic healing field; she is the founder of Avatar Healing Arts, the author of the book Heart Medicine, Ayahuasca Assisted Therapy and the Integration Process, and the host of the podcast Ayahuhsca Avatars.

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Can psychedelic-assisted therapy help you to heal depression? I believe it can. In this article, you will find out what I learnt from helping many people with Ayahuasca Assisted Therapy to heal from depression and create their breakthrough results. But even mainstream science is catching up to the fact that psychedelics are powerful tools that can help you heal in a more effective way.

What is psychedelic therapy?

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is a holistic approach where psychedelic substances are used in a safe and guided therapeutic container to help you to go to the root of the problem and resolve it on that level. When you do this you often experience spontaneous recovery and positive life changes.

In most cases, the root cause of the problem is unconscious and hidden for example, the root cause of somebody’s cancer can be unprocessed grief, and psychedelics can help you to expand your awareness and access the information that you need to create real, lasting change. 

Addressing the root causes of the issues

I believe that one of the key aspects of ayahuasca's therapeutic potential for depression lies in its ability to make you aware the underlying root causes of your condition. Unlike conventional antidepressants, which primarily target symptoms, ayahuasca-assisted therapy guides you to dive deep into your unconscious, allowing you to confront unresolved traumas, emotional blockages, and negative thought patterns that manifest in your life as depression.

Expanding awareness

Ayahuasca and psychedelic substances expand awareness. By shining a light on your blind spots, you become aware and have a choice. You cannot change what you don’t know. Expanding your awareness empowers you to make better and healthier decisions and change the trajectory of your life for the better.

Emotional healing

Psychedelic therapy facilitates the release and processing of suppressed emotions and traumatic memories. You may experience intense emotional catharsis, release, and deep insights as you confront and work through unresolved emotional pain. This process of emotional release and processing can be transformative, allowing you to experience a sense of relief and emotional liberation.

Spiritual bypassing

Psychedelics plants can be powerful allies in your journey, however, they are not magic pills. As much as they can help you to heal and be free, they also can magnify your ego and further trap you in your shadow aspect.

Working with powerful psychedelics and sacred plants requires expert support and guidance outside of the ceremony container, including responsible preparation and integration process, otherwise you can easily slip onto the path of spiritual bypassing and misusing these amazing tools. Read more in this article about how to take the most out of your experience and avoid spiritual bypass.

Suppressed anger and depression

Every day, more and more people struggle with depression and trying to find an effective and long-term solution. I do not claim to know what is the root cause of depression. But I know that you can heal from it. After working with many clients with chronic depression and helping them to full recovery with Ayahuasca Assisted Therapy I noticed some common denominators I would like to share with you.

I believe that the cause of depression is suppressed anger because of a past betrayal.

The purpose of anger is protection. Feeling anger helps you to feel empowered to stand up for yourself and protect what is yours. Without feeling this emotion you most likely become a victim or martyr.

When you try to suppress anger it often comes as an explosion from time to time when you lash out to others or it can turn into a passive aggressive behavior that helps you to relieve this inner tension.

After many years of suppression anger turns into depression. When you reach a state of powerlessness because of lack of boundaries, you give up your will to truly live and this manifest as depression. Depression means I give up, there is nothing I can do!

Past betrayal

People who suffer from chronic depression are often struggle with advocating for themselves and establishing healthy boundaries. When these people receive support and guidance to feel and express their anger in a safe space, they often find that underneath the anger there is a pain of past hurt and betrayal. Addressing these past wounds with holistic tools, emotional release and trauma healing work in a therapeutic container often results in spontaneous recovery from chronic depression based on my experience with my clients as a result of Ayahuasca Assisted Therapy.

Migraine headaches

I believe that you cannot effectively suppress anger or any emotions for that matter. 

Emotion is energy in motion and emotions are meant to be felt and expressed. When you try to suppress emotions they will find a way in the end to manifest.

Based on my experience suppressed anger can manifest in explosive anger, passive-aggressive anger, depression and migraine headaches.

Because the energy of anger is so volatile when you put a huge effort to suppress that naturally emerging powerful force within you two thing will happen. You will be extremely tired because it takes a lot of energy to go against yourself this way, and second, your system will find a shortcut to release that built up energy and let the “steam” off.

When you get these blackout headaches they can serve as a powerful way to temporarily release built-up energy in an acceptable way, and it also gives you permission to take a justified rest to restore your energy that you lost in this internal battle.

Coping with past trauma

In conclusion it seems that depression can be viewed as a dysfunctional coping mechanism as a result of past trauma and therefore full healing and recovery is more than possible. When you address and heal the root issues in a holistic way your being returns to your natural state of health and balance. 

Many people believe that the best you can do is to cope with depression but I believe full healing is possible and I witnessed that many times before. There are many ways to address past trauma and heal in a holistic way but I found that psychedelic therapy is one of the most powerful tool and a real shortcut for those who are ready to walk on the path less travelled.

Healing depression with psychedelic therapy

Psychedelic therapy can help you to go to the root of the problem by breaking down resistance and expanding your awareness, heal past wounds and return to self-love and acceptance. Scared plants and psychedelics used in an intentional ways in a therapeutic setting facilitate emotional release and emotional healing.

Beyond all this, psychedelic therapy is a spiritual experience. Remembering your true nature, having a glimpse of the bigger picture can greatly support you to appreciate your human life experience and transform depression into an attitude of gratitude and a life of meaning and purpose.

If this is calling to you connect with me for a free consultation!

Read more from Nina Izel

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Nina Izel, Healer, Teacher, and Author

Nina Izel helps people to heal and change their life with psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is passionate about self-discovery and self-empowerment and she believes that you are the healer and love is the medicine. Her mission is to support, educate and guide people regarding the safe, responsible and effective use of sacred plant medicines for healing and awakening.