Come to the Byron Theatre and learn from a panel of experts about the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy in Australia. The Australian public is understandably confused psychedelic-assisted therapy.

In many respects, Australia is the Steven Bradbury of psychedelic-assisted therapy: like Bradbury who grabbed a gold medal after being placed last in his speed skating event, Australian psychedelic-assisted therapy was way behind the field until a shock announcement by the TGA in February 2023 that led Australia to become the first country in the world to confirm psychedelic-assisted therapy as a mainstream treatment.

A new wave of psychedelic therapy research was well underway in the US & UK by 2010.However, the first Australian psychedelic clinical trial at St Vincent Hospital, Melbourne - psilocybin-assisted therapy for life-threatening illness - did not commence until 2019. And it was not until 2022 that the first Australian clinical trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD was launched. Then the shock announcement by the TGA in 2023, an Australian world first, a Steven Bradbury moment! The first country, outside of a research context, to approve the clinical use - by authorised prescribers only - of psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression, and MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder.

However, despite psychedelic-assisted therapy being approved as a mainstream clinical treatment from July 1 2023, it is still practically impossible for Australians to access psychedelic-assisted therapy in a clinical practice. The rollout appears to be happening at a snail’s pace and is likely to be exorbitantly expensive – well out of the reach of those who need it most.

The Panel Members are some of the leading researchers and clinicians in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Taking advantage of their presence in Byron for a therapist training workshop, the Byron Community Centre invites you to answer your questions about the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy in Australia.

Panel Members:

Dr. Stephen Bright (Edith Cowan University)

A/Prof Petra Skeffington (Murdoch University)

Renee Harvey (Enosis Therapeutics)

Prof James Bennett-Levy (Southern Cross University)

Facilitated by: Mick O’Regan

All proceeds for ticket sales will be donated to Fletcher Street Cottage to support the work it does with Byron Bay's homeless.

Event Info:

5:00 PM - Venue doors open

5:40 PM - Theatre doors open

6:00 PM - Event commences

7:30 PM - Event concludes

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