Helena’s main academic background is in Psychology. During a time as clinical psychologist at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Helena joined the Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging to study the effects of psychedelics and meditation. For her PhD, she investigated the effects of ayahuasca and analogues on the relationship to oneself and others, psychotherapy-relevant processes, underlying mechanisms, and contextual modulators with trans-disciplinary and multimethod approaches.
She is currently involved in several trials applying DMT/harmine and 5-MeO-DMT formulations in group and retreat settings. Helena is also working as a psychotherapist including the limited medical use of psychedelics, and an active member of the SÄPT involved in the training of therapists. Thereby, she finds herself at intersections, aims at bridging science and practice, contributing to the development and implementation of psychedelic-assisted therapy.