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Listen to the Latest Episodes of Medicine With The Medals
Hosted by husband and wife team Mark and Michele Medal, the show dives
deep into what it really means to heal: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Through their compassionate lens and lived experience, they hold space for raw, vulnerable stories that explore trauma, transformation, and
the sacred path back to wholeness. Together with their guests, they unravel the layers of healing work
From ancient plant wisdom to modern psychedelic therapies, inviting listeners into a space of reflection, remembrance, and reconnection.
Dive into every powerful conversation, vulnerable moment, and
transformation journey shared on the show. New episodes drop regularly and cover topics like:
Join us as we dive into the fascinating realm of plant medicines, covering a wide range of topics from herbs and botanicals to psychedelic substances. Our expert hosts and guest speakers will take you on a captivating journey, sharing insights, research, and personal stories that shed light on the potential of these powerful remedies.
We believe in the holistic approach to healing and the wisdom of traditional practices. Our episodes provide valuable knowledge on psychedelic plant medicines like ayahuasca and psilocybin mushrooms, which offer potential breakthroughs in mental health treatment.
What happens when trauma, medical wounding, and decades of psychedelic exploration converge into a life of healing and service?
In this deeply reflective episode of My Psychedelic Story, licensed clinical social worker Alan Romano shares his remarkable personal and professional journey from fear-based LSD use in the 90s to intentional entheogenic medicine work, addiction recovery, and psychedelic integration therapy.
What You’ll Learn:
Why early psychedelic use under fear and prohibition can fragment identity, not heal it
How MDMA unexpectedly revealed vulnerability and emotional connection
The interplay of opioid dependence, Suboxone treatment, and long-term healing work
What intentional entheogenic medicine (Ibogaine, Ayahuasca, ketamine) revealed about dependency, authenticity, and relational healing
How integration goes beyond ceremony to relational, nervous system, and identity transformation
Episode Highlights:
00:00 – Alan introduces his professional and personal background, including PTSD specialization and early psychedelic experiences under prohibition fears.
02:30 – How fear-based set and setting shaped early LSD experiences and identity fragmentation.
05:45 – The MDMA experience that facilitated vulnerability, acceptance, and emotional connection.
08:20 – Childhood exposure to Camp Lejeune toxins, Restless Leg Syndrome, and ensuing opioid dependence from medically prescribed OxyContin.
11:15 – The transformative motorcycle accident and extended intentional LSD self-work.
14:02 – Mexico entheogenic retreat: Cambo for opioid withdrawal, Ibogaine flood dose, and profound release of physical and psychological suffering.
17:48 – Ayahuasca, Yopo integration, emotional revitalization, and the relational pull of community healing.
20:40 – Ketamine medicine work and professional integration training leading to clinical service roles.
Meet the Guest:
Alan Romano is a licensed clinical social worker and Academy-assisted psychotherapist who blends traditional trauma therapy with somatic and psychedelic-informed modalities. His lived experience spans personal addiction recovery, entheogenic medicine work (Ibogaine, Ayahuasca, Kambo, ketamine), and somatic integration pathways rooted in emotional and nervous system healing.
Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:
Set, Setting, and Informed Consent: foundational principles that distinguish intentional entheogenic work from recreational use.
Somatic Integration: body-based healing to process trauma beyond cognition.
Kambo Medicine: intense emotional and nervous system confrontation used to support opioid withdrawal and emotional purging.
Ibogaine Treatment: medicine that stops physical withdrawal and facilitates deep psychological introspection.
Ayahuasca+Yopo Ceremony: visionary work that reconnects emotion and relational depth.
Ketamine Integration: clinical tool that supports emotional closure and neural regulation.
Closing Insight:
As Alan eloquently reflects, plant medicines are not a cure but a relational mirror that reveals our conditioned neural landscapes and invites transformational work:
“Healing is not about eliminating pain, it’s about altering our relationship to it.” His experience shows that true integration requires context, consent, nervous system regulation, and a community of support.
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