Embrace Pleasure

A guide to psychedelics as a path to love and healing “A compelling, radical exploration of psychedelics’ healing potential.”—Kirkus Reviews • Explains how psychedelic experiences offer a way to reconnect with the body, reclaim pleasure, rekindle joy, and reawaken to love • Explores how psychedelics can support our sexual healing and offers a range of psychedelic integration techniques and somatic exercises to help release trauma and foster insight • Shares recent research on trauma and case studies from more than a decade of professional clinical work as well as lessons from the author’s own healing journey from sexual trauma and PTSD In this groundbreaking book, psychotherapist and psychedelic integration expert Dee Dee Goldpaugh shows how the profound healing and restorative effects of psychedelics can help us heal our sexuality, reconnect with pleasure, find wholeness, and feel good again. Sharing recent research on trauma and case studies from more than a decade of professional clinical work, Goldpaugh explores specific ways psychedelics can heal sexual trauma, enhance sexual pleasure, and deepen our interpersonal connections. Goldpaugh looks at MDMA, psilocybin, ayahuasca, mescaline, 5-MeO-DMT, and other psychedelics and offers a range of integration techniques as well as somatic exercises to help foster insight and apply the lessons learned during psychedelic experiences to everyday life. Goldpaugh also examines the methodology behind psychedelic-assisted therapy and how readers can safely navigate risks and explore their own healing at home. Revealing the transformative power of embracing pleasure for healing sexual trauma, this book provides an essential guide to psychedelic sexuality as a path to healing and love.

Dee Dee Goldpaugh is a psychotherapist, educator, clinical consultant, and leading voice in the development of psychedelic integration psychotherapy, specifically with survivors of sexual trauma. Goldpaugh is a facilitator of ketamine-assisted retreats for both couples and individuals and has taught and published widely on psychedelics and sexuality, trauma, gender, and spirituality. A frequent presenter at international conferences and trainings, Goldpaugh lives in Woodstock, New York.

Foreword by Alex Belser, PhD Acknowledgments INTRODUCTION Things to Know Before You Begin Reading 1 Healing in Bliss Psychedelics, Sexuality, and the War on Pleasure 2 Psychedelic Sexuality Turn On, Tune In, and Connect 3 Sexual Healing A Psychedelic Approach to Understanding Sexual Violence and Sexual Dysfunction 4 Psychedelic Preparation and Integration for Sexual Healing and Expanded Pleasure Living Ritual 5 High Impact Recovered Memories, Sexual Abuse, and Power Dynamics in Psychedelic Healing 6 In the Garden of Earthly Delights Psychedelic Medicines for Sexual Healing 7 Stories of Transformation Personal Narratives of Psychedelic Sexual Flourishing 8 Big Love A Psychedelic Philosophy of the Heart Glossary of Psychedelic Terms Notes Bibliography Index