Dr. H explores how to think about psychedelic assisted therapy with ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin in terms of patient selection, ideal indications, psychiatric diagnosis,  trauma history, medical comorbidities, medication interactions, cautions, and contraindications. This episode comes from a recent interview that Dr. H did on the podcast The Testing Psychologist. "The Unwell Doctor" episode on the podcast The...

Dr. H sits down with Dr. Will Van Derveer of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and Higher Practice podcast in a wide-ranging exploration of what's good (and not so good) in current psychiatric practice. They explore topics including:  •Problems with diagnostic nosology •Depression as a spiritual problem or a symptom of disconnection •Integrative psychiatry and how this differs from standard psychiatry •Getting at root causes of psychiatric illness •The role of psychotherapy in good...

The magic of psychotherapy is that it brings forth transference— the patient’s most important and formative relationships, typically with early caregivers, are unconsciously re-enacted in the therapy room. And this transference necessarily creates countertransference, the therapist’s unconscious reactions to the transference.  Alexandria came to Dr. H originally due to her severe harm OCD. But over time, it became clear to him, and eventually to her, that she was increasingly, and...

Thirty years ago, a 10 year old boy was found stabbed to death in a park…the same park where 18 year old Stephanie and three young men were seen riding bikes the night before. Stephanie and the others were repeatedly questioned, they became the prime suspects…..yet they, nor anyone, was ever charged for the murder. It remains unsolved to this day. This is the story how how one event can alter the course of your life, how so many possibilities for the future can disappear overnight….this is a...

After years of crippling anxiety, substance abuse, mood instability, and loss, Daniel had finally found the path to impending fame and success beyond his dreams. Then everything fell apart, and he was forced to face the fact that he lacked the skills to face life on life's terms. Enter DBT, and Daniel began to piece his life back together with increasing confidence and competence. To contact Daniel about Peer-led DBT groups or Dual Diagnosis 12 step...

Here Dr. H sits down with Dr.  Kelly Sonnenfeld, a psychologist and DBT expert, in this first of a two part look at dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT.  This episode is a primer on DBT-- what DBT is,  how it works,  and how it fits into the landscape of therapy options. Part Two explores Daniel’s story of how DBT helped him recover from a terrible period of psychiatric suffering. DBT is best known for successfully treating self-harm and suicidality, particularly in the context of complex...

Most medical illnesses appear later in life,  as organ systems fail and the decades of wear and tear eventually  erode the body's innate homeostatic mechanisms.  Psychiatric illness, however, is profoundly different. Here Dr. H explores six central reasons why serious psychiatric illness tends to appear in mid to late adolescence. These factors include: •Leaving the tribe •Contagion and heightened peer influence •Early existential life crises •Developmental brain changes •Sleep deprivation...

Last month marked a fairly momentous occasion in Colorado, the statewide passage of Proposition 122, the Natural Medicines Health Act. Coloradoans voted, by a tally of 53 to 47%, to approve both the decriminalization of psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline, along with the medicalization of psilocybin, with the possibility of a medicalization pathway for the others in 2026.  This is a landmark, tipping point kind of social change, and one that triggers a huge number of hopes, concerns, and...

Psychiatric meds so often get demonized in the media, including the podcast world, and while psych meds are far from perfect and often cause problematic side effects, they also literally save people’s lives every single day. Steve grew up as the youngest of four, a happy boy in a happy family,   a “golden” childhood as he describes it….until everything fell apart. Within a period of just a few years, he lost his father and both his beloved older brothers, all while still a young teenager,...

Three women. Three stories. One must listen. Act 1- Sarah Music by Dori Lewis Act 2- Karen Music-- Karen and Craig,  "Waterfall of Wisdom" by Fia Act 3- Elizabeth BFTA/ Dr. H https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Raised in an abusive misogynistic home amidst deep shame and the purity culture of her parents' faith,  Micah's journey carried her though Southern pageant culture, anorexia, estrangement, birth trauma, and, eventually, connection and acceptance and grace. Micah Stover http://www.micahstoverconsulting.com/ BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ BFTA/ Dr. H https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Anne grew up always feeling on the outside-- outside her family, her peers, her species. She knew something was "wrong", but a diagnosis would not arrive until she was well into adulthood. Meanwhile she became an expert in studying the ways of people, of "operating in manual", consciously and methodically using the lessons she had learned to know what to do in social situations and how to pass as "normal". Unlike so many others with ASD, Anne was able to marry and have two children and even...

This is a talk that Dr. H gave in Denver at the Nowak Society in Aug. 2022. Medicalization and/or legalization of psilocybin is likely coming to Colorado soon, with other psychedelics soon to follow. This will foster both a new era of psychiatric treatments and psychospiritual exploration, as well as a significant increase in adverse psychiatric events, including psychotic breaks. Dr. H explores the various classes of psychedelics (cannabinoids, tryptamines, phenethylamines, ketamine, e.g.)...

Dr. H sits down with Dr. Jeremy Sharp, Director of the Colorado Center for Assessment and Counseling and host of The Testing Psychologist podcast,  for an exploration of  the psychological and psychiatric aspects of ADD/ADHD. Dr. Jeremy Sharp https://www.coloradocac.com/about/dr-jeremy-sharp/ The Testing Psychologist podcast https://www.thetestingpsychologist.com BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ BFTA/ Dr....

In this season 4 opener, we hear the unforgettable story of a mother and daughter torn apart by addiction, then slowly finding the path of compassion, acceptance, and grace.  BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ BFTA/ Dr. H https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Craig sits down with Inside Eyes creator Laura Northrup for a wide-ranging discussion where they explore topics including: •Trauma as a spiritual wound •How psychedelics can help reach the realm of trauma •Why psychedelic trauma therapy can be so profoundly painful •The uniquely damaging sequelae of sexual trauma •What it means for a therapist to have adequate trauma training •How and why therapists hurt their clients/patients, particularly in the psychedelic space •The crucial nature of...

Chris and Craig celebrate season 3,  discuss the results of the listeners poll (with a surprising reveal of their unconscious motivation for producing BFTA), offer their curated episode sampler plates, and then settle into a detailed deconstruction of the Psychedelic Somatic Therapy episode. BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ BFTA/ Dr. H https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Saj Razvi returns to BFTA to share and discuss a mind-blowing audio recording of a ketamine-facilitated somatic therapy session. This session was from a recent training workshop with experienced trauma therapists, and Saj uses a somatic exercise-- staring into the client/participant's eyes- as a way to elicit a rapid and powerful transference reaction, with the psycholytic catalysts of ketamine and oxytocin already on board.  We hear Saj handle the mounting fear and dread of the emerging...

One of Craig's heroes is Dr.  Irvin Yalom, a psychiatrist and writer— Yalom's books inspired him in the early years of learning to become a psychiatrist. Today’s story concept was sparked by Yalom's book “Every day gets a little closer—A twice told therapy.” To create this book,  Yalom asked one of his long-term patients to keep a weekly diary of their therapy sessions, and he did the same. He wove their two very different but fascinating perspectives together to write the book.  Craig just...

The podcast Cover Story just released a series called Power Trip, an expose of the dark side of the psychedelic treatment world. The series highlights the stories of a few women, including the co-host, who were sexually assaulted in psychedelic treatment spaces….mostly in the underground, but also one woman who was abused by her therapist both during and after her participation in the MAPS PTSD study. Later in the series, Cover Story shifted to a double barrel assault on MAPS as an...

Dr. H sits down with Dr. Usha Udupa, a Colorado-based child and adolescent psychiatrist, to explore the complexities of working with patients in the context of the family.  They discuss topics such as: How and when family members should be included in treatment What if the patient refuses family involvement When the identified patient isn't the problem How and when to break confidentiality, especially with substance abuse What are the hidden stories behind what people believe about meds Why...

This is the second in our two part series on adoption and attachment wounds.  Ridg and his girlfriend Rebecca got pregnant when he was 19, and they made the difficult decision to give their son up for adoption.  Fast forward 16 years, and  Ridg is 35, married to another woman,  with their own biological children…and he’s about to have his world torn apart by a stunning revelation. Six Word Adoption Memoirs https://vimeo.com/161846105 https://vimeo.com/211568644 Ridghaus on IG--...

This is the story of Shae, who was adopted as a baby from South Korea and raised in Wichita Kansas in a family of Swedish descent.  From her initial attachment wounds, subsequent heartbreak, and later a shocking revelation in late adolescence, Shae's inner light and resilience guided her to where she is today— a mother, a business owner, an adoptee voice of strength and compassion. To reach out to Shae directly: poetseoul@gmail Adoptee Voices-- Supporting adoptee...

Please take the BFTA listeners poll--we really want your input! https://bit.ly/3eQ8Ddy Autumn was assigned male at birth, but she sensed from a very young age that something was not right.  This is her journey through denial, awakening, and then transitioning both hormonally and surgically. Autumn brings a fascinating and thoughtful perspective to this whole arena of gender and identity, and she and Dr. H explore the various ways we might think and talk about gender. BFTA on...

Please take the BFTA listeners poll--we really want your input! https://bit.ly/3eQ8Ddy Dr. H distills down his 20 years of clinical experience into just under an hour of musings, lessons learned, and insights. "Sometimes the why really isn't crucial" (Essay from the NYT about addiction) https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/health/psychology/19essa.html BFTA on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ BFTA/ Dr. H https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/