#13 - Caroline Lee: Death, Grief, and Ibogaine

May 18, 2023

Caroline Lee is a death doula, therapist, and photographer based in Oakland, California, where she is currently training to become a somatic psychologist and psychedelic therapist. She had the opportunity to receive ibogaine treatment about eight months ago. 

What we discuss:

  • What is a death doula? What does it mean to be in relationship with death, and why is this an important relationship to consider?
  • How Caroline envisions psychedelics fitting into our rituals around death, if laws were changed and psychedelics were available at end-of-life for people suffering from palliative anxiety
  • The potential applications of ibogaine for palliative anxiety and more, from a therapist’s perspective
  • Should therapists be required to take psychedelics if they want to offer psychedelic-assisted therapy?
  • How ibogaine helped Caroline process the grief she experienced after a divorce that marked the end of a 16-year relationship 
  • What death and the end of relationships have in common
  • What Caroline’s work as a doula and a therapist have taught her about the role of grief

Why it’s important: 

You’ve heard it said before but I feel like it needs to be said more often: death is a part of life – and this conversation really showed me that talking about it openly isn’t morbid or negative or inherently bad in any way - it’s a way for us to stay more connected to the present moment. Feeling into the grief that we feel when someone dies, or when a relationship ends, expands our capacity for emotion – and using psychedelics including ibogaine can allow us to not only come to terms with those emotions, but arrive at a feeling of peace around our own mortality. 

Show notes

About the podcast

Can the psychedelic ibogaine really get to the root of trauma? In Ibogaine Uncovered, author and journalist Amanda Siebert explores the impact of this powerful medicine including what prompts people to seek it out and how their lives are often transformed through the teachings they receive. Guests take an honest look at their healing journey, unpacking their lived experiences with substance use disorder, complex trauma, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and grief. Expert guests also provide listeners with wisdom for their own healing journey. Join Siebert for powerful conversations that highlight the value of preparation, integration, and community in the world of ibogaine healing.

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