Clinical therapist and trauma specialist Lauren Taus sat down with Voices of Esalen’s Sam Stern recently to talk about her work in the realm of ketamine-assisted therapy and talked at length about the impact it’s had on her life. Read on to hear more about the journey that brought Lauren to psychedelic medicine, or listen to the podcast for more about her practice and techniques.
I was a very anorexic 19 year old, very, very unwell, very scared. I had a lot going on. My sister was dying, there was other stuff happening, and that was my mechanism for control. I didn't know what to do. My recovery road was supported by so many different things. Definitely therapy; I would say therapy saved my life and, and therapy is, something that I still do every day. Ketamine absolutely, ayahuasca...I'm very grateful for these tools in my own journey, in my own life. And if I didn't know them from that vantage point from my own cellular body, it would be hard for me to advocate so strongly for them.
From the outset of my own personal psychedelic journey, I was transparent with my father — who, you know, is a New York Jew who missed out on the sixties and you know, maybe smoked pot a couple of times, didn't like it, doesn't drink alcohol. He was very confused about how and why his daughter — who was straight A's, you know, student community service, blah, blah, blah — would be doing what in his mind was just drugs.And I refused to lie to him. I shared with him about my own personal growth. I shared with him resources, books, articles, and my dad, who's always a student, started to understand from a clinical vantage point. And then I persuaded him further into his own experience and experiences, and he is now the primary physician in my private practice.
I think one of my super powers is loving people and allowing them to soften in my presence. At least that's what I've been told. I've certainly been through my own pains and I like to say, the bigger the shadow the bigger the light. I'm not quiet about what my experiences have been. And I'm not afraid to go there with people. People help themselves, and I'll hold their hands and I'll walk down whatever dark road we need to go down and I will watch and I will sit and I will feel with you.
There's nothing more gratifying, satisfying, and exciting for me than the breakthroughs of my clients. And nothing motivates me more along my own path.
Listen to the full episode (or subscribe to Voices of Esalen!) on Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Clinical therapist and trauma specialist Lauren Taus sat down with Voices of Esalen’s Sam Stern recently to talk about her work in the realm of ketamine-assisted therapy and talked at length about the impact it’s had on her life. Read on to hear more about the journey that brought Lauren to psychedelic medicine, or listen to the podcast for more about her practice and techniques.
I was a very anorexic 19 year old, very, very unwell, very scared. I had a lot going on. My sister was dying, there was other stuff happening, and that was my mechanism for control. I didn't know what to do. My recovery road was supported by so many different things. Definitely therapy; I would say therapy saved my life and, and therapy is, something that I still do every day. Ketamine absolutely, ayahuasca...I'm very grateful for these tools in my own journey, in my own life. And if I didn't know them from that vantage point from my own cellular body, it would be hard for me to advocate so strongly for them.
From the outset of my own personal psychedelic journey, I was transparent with my father — who, you know, is a New York Jew who missed out on the sixties and you know, maybe smoked pot a couple of times, didn't like it, doesn't drink alcohol. He was very confused about how and why his daughter — who was straight A's, you know, student community service, blah, blah, blah — would be doing what in his mind was just drugs.And I refused to lie to him. I shared with him about my own personal growth. I shared with him resources, books, articles, and my dad, who's always a student, started to understand from a clinical vantage point. And then I persuaded him further into his own experience and experiences, and he is now the primary physician in my private practice.
I think one of my super powers is loving people and allowing them to soften in my presence. At least that's what I've been told. I've certainly been through my own pains and I like to say, the bigger the shadow the bigger the light. I'm not quiet about what my experiences have been. And I'm not afraid to go there with people. People help themselves, and I'll hold their hands and I'll walk down whatever dark road we need to go down and I will watch and I will sit and I will feel with you.
There's nothing more gratifying, satisfying, and exciting for me than the breakthroughs of my clients. And nothing motivates me more along my own path.
Listen to the full episode (or subscribe to Voices of Esalen!) on Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Clinical therapist and trauma specialist Lauren Taus sat down with Voices of Esalen’s Sam Stern recently to talk about her work in the realm of ketamine-assisted therapy and talked at length about the impact it’s had on her life. Read on to hear more about the journey that brought Lauren to psychedelic medicine, or listen to the podcast for more about her practice and techniques.
I was a very anorexic 19 year old, very, very unwell, very scared. I had a lot going on. My sister was dying, there was other stuff happening, and that was my mechanism for control. I didn't know what to do. My recovery road was supported by so many different things. Definitely therapy; I would say therapy saved my life and, and therapy is, something that I still do every day. Ketamine absolutely, ayahuasca...I'm very grateful for these tools in my own journey, in my own life. And if I didn't know them from that vantage point from my own cellular body, it would be hard for me to advocate so strongly for them.
From the outset of my own personal psychedelic journey, I was transparent with my father — who, you know, is a New York Jew who missed out on the sixties and you know, maybe smoked pot a couple of times, didn't like it, doesn't drink alcohol. He was very confused about how and why his daughter — who was straight A's, you know, student community service, blah, blah, blah — would be doing what in his mind was just drugs.And I refused to lie to him. I shared with him about my own personal growth. I shared with him resources, books, articles, and my dad, who's always a student, started to understand from a clinical vantage point. And then I persuaded him further into his own experience and experiences, and he is now the primary physician in my private practice.
I think one of my super powers is loving people and allowing them to soften in my presence. At least that's what I've been told. I've certainly been through my own pains and I like to say, the bigger the shadow the bigger the light. I'm not quiet about what my experiences have been. And I'm not afraid to go there with people. People help themselves, and I'll hold their hands and I'll walk down whatever dark road we need to go down and I will watch and I will sit and I will feel with you.
There's nothing more gratifying, satisfying, and exciting for me than the breakthroughs of my clients. And nothing motivates me more along my own path.
Listen to the full episode (or subscribe to Voices of Esalen!) on Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
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