Speaker Bio
Sarah is a psychedelic guide, educator, holistic therapist, musician, mother, and founder and CEO of Beautiful Space, a Dutch based legal psychedelic-assisted therapy program for couples and individuals focusing on female empowerment and relationship and sexual wellbeing.
Sarahs background working with couples, families, individuals and groups originates in complementary medicine, plant medicine and expanded states of consciousness and spans 20 years of holistic clinical practice.
Sarah has been studying with Esther Perel Sessions online program for the past 6 years and Betty Martin’s Wheel of consent.
Creator of the Beautiful Space Method, this is an inclusive program for non-binary modern relationships, with a 12 week directional journey based on MAPS protocol with psychedelic intervention. Sarah facilitates couples from disconnect back to connection, addressing family of origin, childhood story and trauma.
Beautiful Space is currently in research collaboration with Imperial College London investigating psilocybin and relationship wellbeing with psychological support.
Registration is with the Complementary Medical Association.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for Couples and Relationships: Emerging Evidence and Future Opportunities
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies are emerging as promising treatments for clinical mental health problems including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicidality, anxiety, and more. Although psychedelic medicines have been used in indigenous traditions for millennia, scientific research has only recently begun to turn serious attention to the potential of these substances to treat mental health disorders. Early research shows encouraging results, particularly for treatment-resistant populations. Beyond treating individuals, scientists and practitioners have begun to conceptualize ways in which psychedelic therapies may be useful for treating relational dysfunction. The proposed biological and psychological mechanisms of psychedelic medicines including 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), ketamine, and psilocybin include pathways that impact intimate relationships, such as triggering oxytocin release and promoting empathy. Relationship dysfunction has broad impacts on mental health, mortality, and quality of life, and although effective cognitive-behavioral relationship interventions exist, many couples do not fully recover from relationship distress by psychotherapy alone. This panel discussion will focus on the potential of psychedelic medicines to enhance the impact of evidence-based treatments for relationships. Expert panelists have experience conducting MDMA-assisted Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD and ketamine-assisted couple therapy. The panel will discuss the growing evidence base showing the promise of these treatments, along with clinical considerations, safety and ethical concerns, the role of cultural humility in navigating the intersection of Western science with traditional medicine, and larger implications for the field of cognitive and behavioral science. The discussion will also identify areas for continued development in the evidence-based practice and practice-informed research on psychedelic therapies for couples.