Physical Health and Psychedelic-Assisted Practice: A Naturopathic Perspective
The webinar by Dr. Erica Zelfand explores how naturopathic medicine views the connection between mental and physical health in the context of psychedelic-assisted work. Attendees will be introduced to core naturopathic concepts—Hering’s Law of Cure, the Therapeutic Hierarchy, and vitalism—along with a practical framework for assessing a client’s baseline health. The central idea is offering a whole-person model where physical symptoms, emotional states, and lifestyle habits are treated as interconnected rather than isolated, which matters as psychedelic research increasingly extends into physical health conditions. The session is aimed at practitioners, clinicians, facilitators, therapists, and integration coaches working at the intersection of mental and physical health.
Meet the host
Dr. Erica Zelfand
Dr. Erica Zelfand specializes in integrative mental health. Interfacing conventional and alternative modalities, her work bridges the gaps between mind, body, and spirit.
In addition to treating patients of all ages in her medical practice, she is a psychedelic therapist and ketamine provider.
Dr. Zelfand is the excutive director of Right to Heal, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering individuals in reclaiming their health, and the medical director of the psychedelic reterat company Rise Up Journeys.
She is also a lead educator in the country’s first licensed psilocybin facilitator school, a mentor, and an acclaimed international speaker.
What you'll learn
In this webinar, we'll explore how naturopathic medicine conceptualises the relationship between mental and physical health, alongside practical tools and frameworks practitioners can incorporate into their work with clients considering psychedelic use.
Hering’s Law of Cure: Explore a foundational naturopathic model for understanding the sequence and direction of symptom change during treatment.
The Naturopathic Therapeutic Hierarchy: Examine a structured framework for prioritising interventions, moving from foundational lifestyle adjustments to invasive therapies.
Vitalism: Discover the philosophical tradition underpinning naturopathic medicine and what it means for how practitioners interpret physical and mental health signals.
Baseline Health Inquiry: Learn how to assess a client’s baseline health and ask targeted, evocative questions that motivate them to actively engage in their physical and mental well-being from an integrative, embodied perspective.
Who this is for
This webinar is especially relevant for:
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Practitioners seeking integrative and functional approaches to complement psychedelic treatment
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Clinicians & Facilitators working across the intersection of mental and physical health
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Therapists & Integration Coaches interested in the philosophical frameworks that inform post-experience integration
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Healthcare Professionals curious about how holistic models can enhance patient care and outcome interpretation
Why this conversation matters now
As psychedelic research expands into physical health conditions, much of it is organised around a single question: does this compound treat this condition? That question can only be answered well if the underlying model of change is clear.
Naturopathic and integrative medicine provide a longstanding framework for viewing the human body as an interconnected whole rather than a collection of isolated systems. This webinar reinforces the principle that physical symptoms, mental and emotional states, and daily lifestyle habits are inherently intertwined.
By applying concepts like psychoneuroimmunology and biological systems dynamics, practitioners can better understand how psychological shifts influence physical physiology—and vice versa. Understanding this integrative lens enables practitioners to situate physical health outcomes within a coherent, whole-person model rather than treating them as secondary or unexplained factors.