Countries where ibogaine treatment centers exist and may offer professional training:

• Mexico (has several established clinics)
• Costa Rica
• New Zealand (regulated as a prescription medication)
• Brazil
• Portugal (where drug possession is decriminalized)
• Gabon (traditional use)

Regarding legal practice of therapist-assisted ibogaine micro-dosing:

1. New Zealand: Ibogaine is a prescription medication, allowing for medical use under supervision.
2. Brazil: Ibogaine is unscheduled, and treatment centers operate in a legal gray area.
3. Mexico: Several ibogaine clinics operate legally, though regulations vary by region.
4. Portugal: While personal possession is decriminalized, professional administration exists in a complex regulatory environment.
5. Costa Rica: Several treatment centers operate in what is currently a regulatory gap.

Nolan Williams, MD from

Stanford University,researcher w amazing results w vets.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1lvS0tvwhETNAhgyHWk4p0?si=LY1EKMBGQgyvPGFbsHQArA&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A5qSUyCrk9KR69lEiXbjwXM

Before pursuing this path, I recommend consulting with a healthcare attorney familiar with international health and mental health policies involving use of pharmaceuticals and plant medicines.

Since regulations around psychedelics are evolving rapidly, verify current legal status in any location you’re considering for practice.

I appreciate your specific questions about ibogaine and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Let me address what I can based on my knowledge cutoff from October 2024.

Q1: Purchasing Ibogaine

In the United States, ibogaine is a Schedule I controlled substance, making it illegal to purchase, possess, or distribute. The closest options where ibogaine treatment is available (but not for take-home use) would be:

1. Mexico

• Primarily in Baja California and Cancun regions

2. Costa Rica

These locations typically offer on-site treatment only, not take-home quantities, as medical supervision is critical due to ibogaine’s cardiac risks.

Q2: New Zealand Training for Therapists

There are no formal, accredited training programs specifically for ibogaine microdosing therapy in New Zealand that I’m aware of as of my last update. While ibogaine is a prescription medication in New Zealand, its use is primarily for addiction treatment at specialized clinics, not in standard therapeutic settings.

For broader psychedelic therapy training (not specific to ibogaine), you might explore:

• Mind Medicine Australia offers professional development programs
• MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) provides training that sometimes includes international components

Q3: Microdosing in Psychotherapy

Besides ketamine, common substances being researched or used in some contexts include:

1. Psilocybin (mushrooms) – Most widely researched after ketamine
2. LSD – Primarily in research settings
3. MDMA – Used in PTSD therapy research (though typically not microdosed)

Current legal therapeutic use in the US:

• Ketamine is the only legally available option in clinical settings
• Oregon has legalized psilocybin for supervised therapeutic use
• Colorado is developing regulated access

International locations with more established use:

• Netherlands (psilocybin truffles)
• Jamaica (psilocybin)
• Mexico (various substances)
• Canada (exemptions for certain patients)

Emerging regions with potentially lower costs:

• Costa Rica
• Portugal (decriminalized use)
• Czech Republic
• Colombia

Average costs:
Ibogaine treatment typically costs $5,000-12,000 USD for a full treatment program at clinics.
This is generally more expensive than ketamine therapy ($400-800/session in the US) but comparable to comprehensive psilocybin retreats ($3,000-7,000).

The field is evolving rapidly, so some information may have changed since my knowledge cutoff.

Claude AI

Mental Health Conditions Potentially Benefiting from Hallucinogen-Assisted Therapy

Conditions Where Ibogaine and Similar Hallucinogens May Be Beneficial

1. Substance Use Disorders

• Particularly effective for opioid dependence
• Shows promise for alcohol use disorder
• May help with stimulant addiction (cocaine, methamphetamine)
• Can address underlying trauma that contributes to addiction

1. Treatment-Resistant Depression

• When conventional antidepressants and therapy have failed
• Particularly for depression with existential components
• May help reconnect patients with meaning and purpose

1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Especially complex or treatment-resistant PTSD
• Can help process traumatic memories through altered states
• May facilitate emotional processing of deep-seated trauma

1. Anxiety Disorders

• Existential anxiety and end-of-life distress
• Some forms of generalized anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder in certain contexts

1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• May help break rigid thought patterns
• Can provide perspective on compulsive behaviors

1. Psychological Effects of Terminal Illness

• Anxiety and depression related to end-of-life issues
• Existential distress in terminal conditions

Conditions Where Ketamine May Be Contraindicated (But Other Hallucinogens Might Help)

1. Patients with hypertension or cardiovascular issues

• Ketamine can increase blood pressure and heart rate
• Some other hallucinogens may have milder cardiovascular effects

1. Psychosis-spectrum disorders

• While ketamine can exacerbate psychotic symptoms, certain hallucinogens in microdoses may be studied for different approaches
• Research remains limited and controversial in this area

1. Patients with severe liver disease

• Ketamine metabolism primarily occurs in the liver
• Some patients may tolerate other compounds better

1. History of ketamine abuse

• Patients with specific ketamine misuse history
• Other hallucinogens with different mechanisms may present less abuse potential

1. Personality disorders with dissociative features

• Since ketamine has dissociative properties
• Non-dissociative hallucinogens might be more appropriate

It’s important to note that all psychedelic-assisted therapies require careful screening, medical supervision, integration therapy, and should be considered within a comprehensive treatment approach tailored to the individual’s specific conditions and history.

🤖- thx Claude.

Psychedelic Treatments in Traditional Medicine and Approved Practices by Region

Ghana and West Africa

In Ghana specifically:

• Iboga/Ibogaine: While more common in Gabon and Cameroon, some traditional healers in Ghana use iboga-related plants
• Local plant medicines: Traditional healers (often called “fetish priests” or “traditional psychiatrists”) sometimes use plants with psychoactive properties
• No formal approval: Ghana’s traditional medicine is regulated under the Traditional Medicine Practice Council, but psychedelics aren’t formally approved in medical contexts

Neighboring West African countries:

• Nigeria: Some traditional use of psychoactive plants in specific cultural contexts
• Gabon: Bwiti tradition uses iboga extensively (most established iboga use in Africa)

Europe

Countries with more progressive approaches:

1. Portugal:

• Decriminalized all drugs for personal use
• Underground psychedelic therapy exists but isn’t formally approved
• Clinical trials for various psychedelic therapies underway

1. Netherlands:

• Legal psilocybin truffles (not mushrooms)
• Psychedelic retreats operate openly
• No formal medical approval but decriminalized framework

1. Switzerland:

• Compassionate use exemptions for LSD and MDMA therapy
• Strong research tradition dating back to Albert Hofmann
• Limited clinical access through specialized programs

1. Czech Republic:

• Decriminalized small amounts of several substances
• Growing psychedelic research community
• No formal medical approval

1. United Kingdom:

• Leading psychedelic research at Imperial College London
• No approved clinical use yet
• Clinical trials advancing for depression and PTSD

New Zealand

• Ibogaine: Prescription medication status since 2010
• Ketamine: Available for treatment-resistant depression through specialists
• Psilocybin & MDMA: Clinical trials underway
• Traditional Māori medicine: Some indigenous practices with psychoactive plants, though less prominent than in some other indigenous traditions

Asia

Asia generally has stricter drug policies with limited exceptions:

1. Thailand:

• Recently decriminalized cannabis
• Traditional use of kratom in some regions
• No approved psychedelic therapies

1. India:

• Traditional use of cannabis in some religious contexts (bhang)
• Ayurvedic traditions sometimes include psychoactive plants
• No formal medical approval for psychedelic therapy

1. Nepal/Tibet:

• Some traditional shamanic practices involve psychoactive plants
• No formal medical approval

1. Japan, China, Singapore, and most other Asian countries:

• Very restrictive drug policies
• No approved psychedelic therapies
• Severe penalties for possession or use

1. Indonesia:

• Traditional use of psychoactive plants in some indigenous practices
• Strict legal prohibitions nationally

The landscape is evolving rapidly, with clinical trials and research initiatives expanding globally. Several countries are currently reviewing evidence for potential medical applications of various psychedelics, with regulatory changes possible in coming years.

🤖 Claude – u 🪨

When behaviors produces the opposite of the intended result.

Social Behaviors That Backfire:

Below are examples of well-intentioned behaviors that often backfire socially, along with therapeutic approaches to address them.

Excessive Reassurance-Seeking

Intention: To feel secure and validated in relationships
How it backfires: Creates relationship fatigue, pushes others away, and paradoxically increases anxiety
Therapeutic approach: A therapist might help the client identify underlying insecurities and gradually reduce reassurance-seeking behaviors. “Cognitive restructuring” from CBT could address black and white thinking and over generalization; two thinking patterns that contribute to these behaviors.

Overhelping/Caretaking

Intention: To be useful, needed, and to demonstrate care
How it backfires: Creates dependency, resentment, boundary issues, and burnout
Therapeutic approach: Therapists might explore the client’s core beliefs about self-worth, help them develop identity beyond caregiving, and practice setting healthy boundaries. They might explore family-of-origin patterns that established caregiving as a primary mode of connection.

Conflict Avoidance

Intention: To maintain harmony and prevent rejection
How it backfires: Leads to unresolved issues, resentment, disconnection, and eventually larger conflicts
Therapeutic approach: A therapist would help to increase awareness of flight response; and raise the threshold for when the urge to avoid conflict kicks in.

If a client has the ego strength and openness to practicing new ways of being, some therapists use role-playing to practice healthy confrontation, focusing on internal sensations, spirit, and emotions vs. only discussing “what to do.”

Perfectionism

Intention: To earn approval and avoid criticism
How it backfires: Creates distance through impossible standards, reduces authenticity, and leads to burnout
Therapeutic approach: Therapy might focus on self-compassion practices, examining the origins of perfectionistic standards, and gradual exposure to “good enough” performance while tolerating discomfort.

Too much Self-Disclosure too soon:

Intention: To create closeness and intimacy
How it backfires: Overwhelms others, creates inappropriate relationship pacing, and can trigger avoidance
Therapeutic approach: Therapists might help the client understand appropriate intimacy pacing, recognize social cues, and develop a wider repertoire of connection strategies beyond emotional disclosure.

People-Pleasing

Intention: To be liked and accepted
How it backfires: Leads to inauthenticity, unsustainable commitments, and resentment
Therapeutic approach: Therapy would explore fear of rejection, develop identity beyond others’ approval, and use incremental exercises to practice saying “no” and expressing authentic preferences.

Overexplaining or Justifying

Intention: To be understood and prevent misinterpretation
How it backfires: Comes across as defensive, creates doubt in others, and often reinforces negative impressions
Therapeutic approach: A therapist might help identify approval-seeking triggers, practice concise communication, and develop tolerance for being occasionally misunderstood.

Lying or Stretching the Truth:

Intention: To impress others, gain acceptance, or protect self-esteem

How it backfires: Damages trust, creates distance when discovered, and reinforces feelings of inadequacy

Therapeutic Framework:

Therapeutic approach: A therapist might:

– Explore the underlying feelings of inadequacy or fear of rejection driving the behavior

– Help identify situations that trigger embellishment or lying

– Examine early experiences where the client may have learned that their authentic self wasn’t “enough”

– Work on developing self-acceptance and recognizing inherent worth

– Practice vulnerability in safe settings, starting with small truths

– Role-play managing the discomfort of being perceived as “ordinary” 

– Gradually build confidence in authentic self-presentation

– Create a hierarchy of truth-telling challenges, from low to high risk

– Acknowledge and process shame that may arise from both the behavior and addressing it

The therapeutic relationship would offer a space where complete honesty is encouraged without judgment, helping establish a new pattern of authentic connection that can extend to other relationships.

In addressing these other patterns described above; therapists typically employ several key approaches:

1. Validate the positive intention behind the behavior, helping clients understand their actions as adaptive attempts to meet legitimate needs
2. Connect the dots between childhood experiences and current patterns, identifying how these behaviors may have been necessary or rewarded in past environments
3. Develop awareness of the actual impact versus intended impact through feedback and reflection. Caution, many teenagers report “intent vs impact” is overused by parents and educators. One teenager said, “…if this were a tire, it would be bald.”
4. Create safety for behavior change by addressing the underlying fears that drive the cyclical patterns of maladaptive behavior.
5. Practice incremental exposure to new behaviors in a graduated fashion, starting with lower-stakes situations
6. Develop alternative strategies that can meet the same underlying needs in more effective ways
7. Process emotions that arise when letting go of familiar coping mechanisms

The therapeutic relationship itself often becomes a space for honest self reflection; a starting place for shifting patterns in real-time. Through self determination, a clients in therapy decide which behaviors they wish to generalize to other settings.