Ethical Third Spaces: A multi-eyed seeing approach to mental health and psychedelic medicine

Canada is in the throes of a growing mental health crisis, and traditional therapies are failing many of the growing number of First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Canadians and immigrants struggling with post-colonial, post-war, and eco-trauma related mental health challenges. Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PaT) is showing significant promise in the treatment of a number of clinically challenging conditions. As evidence grows to support the efficacy of PaT, use is rapidly increasing in regulated and unregulated settings and creating ethical, legal and regulatory challenges, resulting in the need to consider pathways for field advancement. This presentation will introduce and describe the Ethical Third Space as an approach to mental health and PaT development that focuses on collaboration and relationship building between diverse knowledge systems, respects unique ways of knowing and being within and between communities, and values growing as a collective whole.

Jimena Garcia Chalchi holds an MA in Global Leadership and has focused her research and professional skills on the recovery, revitalization and practice of Indigenous Health Systems and Planetary Health. Her most extensive research has been on the traditional knowledge, philosophy and practices of entheogenic medicine and land-based healing practices among Indigenous Peoples of Mexico and Peru. She is experienced working in Indigenous contexts, bridging intercultural partnerships, developing cultural recovery projects, and knowledge translation for diverse audiences.