The Future of Healing May Not Come from a Pill

Psychotherapist Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold joins Dr. Richard Louis Miller to discuss a groundbreaking psilocybin-assisted therapy study for young adults with anorexia nervosa at the University of California, San Francisco.

Together, they explore how psychedelics can help restore connection between mind, body, and community—and how true healing extends beyond the individual to include family, culture, and environment.

The study, led by UCSF’s Tripper Lab, is one of the first in the world to focus on the developing brain and the inclusion of families in psychedelic therapy. Gisele explains how this approach moves away from blame and control toward empowerment, self-awareness, and compassionate healing.

She and Richard also discuss the cultural factors that shape body image, the impact of social media, the rising rates of eating disorders since the pandemic, and why anorexia remains one of the deadliest mental health conditions.

“Recovery isn’t just gaining weight. It’s gaining yourself.” — Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold

This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing is not isolation—it’s reconnection.

Guest

Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold — Director of Facilitation for Psychedelic Therapy at the University of California, San Francisco; faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies; and researcher at the Tripper Lab, UCSF.

Key Topics

The UCSF psilocybin study for young adults (ages 18–25) with anorexia nervosa

Why including family in therapy can support long-term healing

How psilocybin-assisted therapy reduces cognitive rigidity and self-critical thought loops

Understanding anorexia beyond weight—seeing it as a disorder of identity and control

Trauma, intergenerational pain, and the importance of family systems

The role of social media in shaping self-image and body dysmorphia

How the pandemic amplified isolation and eating disorders among adolescents

Shifting from authoritarian treatment models to trauma-informed care

Why “non-directive” therapy helps patients rediscover their own motivation to heal

A new paradigm of recovery centered on autonomy, compassion, and community

Timestamps

00:00 — The importance of community and connection02:00 — Introducing Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold and the UCSF Tripper Lab03:30 — Inside the psilocybin-assisted therapy study for anorexia nervosa06:00 — Understanding anorexia as a life-threatening mental health disorder08:30 — Why the study includes diverse participants and families11:00 — The impact of anorexia on families and caregivers15:00 — Family inclusion as a healing model18:00 — Psilocybin therapy protocol and study design23:00 — The psychology of “parts work” and the path to self-integration29:00 — How psilocybin reduces rigid, self-destructive thought loops32:00 — The influence of culture, media, and pandemic isolation35:00 — Understanding suffering and motivation in eating disorders40:00 — Extending psychedelic research toward obesity and body image45:00 — How to apply for the UCSF clinical trial47:00 — Redefining success: recovery as engagement with life50:00 — Trauma-informed, patient-centered therapy54:00 — Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day” — a poetic close on life’s preciousness

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