Plants of the Gods: S8E3 Can Psychedelics Treat "Incurable" Trauma? (Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Part 1)
From Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast by Mark Plotkin, Ph.D.
March 23, 2026 · 28 min · Season 8 · Episode 3
About this episode
Dr. Pamela Kryskow discusses the potential of psychedelics in treating trauma and PTSD.
How can psylocibin be used to help patients work through traumas that once seemed untreatable? Dr. Pamela Kryskow, a self-described "fungi person" and a scientist, is helping to answer this question and others about the health potential of plant medicines. Dr. Kryskow is a founding board member of the Psychedelic Association of Canada and the medical chair of the Vancouver Island University Post Graduate Certificate in Psychedelic Medicine assisted Therapy. She is also the medical lead for the Roots To Thrive Program. In this episode, Dr. Kryskow discusses her research on psychedelics and PTSD, differing patient experiences in synthetic versus whole mushrooms, and medical and therapeutic uses of ketamine. Show notes: Roots to Thrive is Canada's first multidisciplinary, non-profit healthcare practice offering evidence-informed, multi-week group therapy programs, including psychedelic-assisted therapy (i f prescribed by licensed medical professional) https://rootstothrive.com/
People in this episode
Host: Mark Plotkin, Ph.D.
Guest: Dr. Pamela Kryskow
Topics covered
- psychedelics
- trauma treatment
- PTSD
- plant medicine
- therapy
- mental health
Keywords
- psilocybin
- ketamine
- PTSD
- psychedelic therapy
- Roots To Thrive
- plant medicines
- mental health
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Psychedelic Association of Canada, Vancouver Island University, Roots To Thrive Program
Products: psilocybin, ketamine
More episodes of Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast
- Plants of the Gods: S8E8 Vanilla, Pseudocopulation and Darwin's Favorite Orchid · June 1, 2026 · 32 min
- Plants of the Gods: S8E7 Rosa Vásquez Espinoza: Between Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science · May 18, 2026 · 52 min
- Plants of the Gods: S8E6 Richard Evans Schultes' Legacy — Where Science Meets the Sacred · May 4, 2026 · 29 min
- Plants of the Gods S8E5: The Ethnobotany of Coca with Dr. Wade Davis · April 20, 2026 · 36 min
- Plants of the Gods: S8E4 The research behind microdosing and medicine (Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Part 2) · April 6, 2026 · 39 min
- Plants of the Gods: S8E2 Dennis McKenna on new discoveries and emerging psychedelic science (part 2) · March 9, 2026 · 30 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast podcast page.