PROFESSIONAL BIO
With a background in psychiatry, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and group retreat facilitation, I work at the intersection of science, soul, and spirit, bridging Western medicine with traditional and Earth-based healing approaches to support whole-person health, healing, and flourishing.
At The Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, I’ve had the privilege of working as a clinical trial doctor and psychedelic therapist on groundbreaking studies exploring psilocybin-assisted therapy for conditions such as anorexia nervosa and fibromyalgia, and DMT for treatment-resistant depression.
Alongside clinical work, I facilitate group retreats and lead experiential trainings that support the safe, ethical, and embodied practice of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Twice a year, I co-host The Reconnection, a 12-week women’s psilocybin and somatic retreat programme. My current work is centred on the group and community model, where profound relational healing and a sense of communitas can emerge within a supportive group container and an ongoing community of care.
It was my personal experience with stage IV cancer a decade ago that first introduced me to a more integrative approach to health and healing, one that honours the full spectrum of our being: body, mind, heart, and spirit, and supports our innate longing for meaning, connection, wholeness, and belonging. My experience as a patient revealed what's so often missing in conventional medicine and led to the co-founding of Essence Medicine, an organisation offering psycho-spiritual support to those navigating life-threatening illness. I’m also co-founder of End Wise, an Australian non-profit working to expand access to psilocybin-assisted therapy in palliative care.
Beyond formal training in psychology and medicine, my understanding of holistic health and healing has been deepened through studying yoga, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Compassionate Inquiry, MDMA-assisted therapy, nutritional and environmental medicine, and nature-based therapy. My approach is also shaped by Earth-based wisdom traditions, shamanic facilitator training, and a deep reverence for diverse ways of knowing and being.
Current passions and areas of focus:
Bridging Science & Spirituality
Group Retreats & Experiential Training
Psycho-Oncology & End-of-Life Spiritual Care
Training & Education in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Women’s Health, Wellness & Embodiment
Find out more:
www.drlaurenmacdonald.com
www.thereconnection.life
www.endwise.au
www.essence-medicine.com
CORE PRINCIPLES & VALUES
Mind, Body, Heart and Spirit Connection
My work is grounded in the understanding that mind, body, emotions, and spirit are deeply interconnected. Stress and emotional tension can manifest in the body, while healing trauma held somatically can help restore balance within the nervous system, psyche, and overall sense of wellbeing.
Trauma-Informed Healing
Trauma, both acute and cumulative, often sits at the root of physical, emotional, and relational distress. While insight and understanding are important, trauma is not held solely in the mind. A trauma-informed approach recognises how overwhelming experiences shape the nervous system and body, and supports gentle processing and integration so people can live with greater freedom, flexibility, and capacity for connection.
Innate Healing Wisdom
Each of us carries an innate capacity for healing and self-regulation. By reconnecting with this inner intelligence, we move beyond survival patterns toward wholeness, integrating the wisdom of mind, body, heart, and spirit, and remembering what is already present within us.
Growth Through Adversity
Illness and life’s challenges can become powerful teachers. While not something we seek, adversity can open pathways to deeper self-awareness, compassion, and meaning. With appropriate support, these experiences can become catalysts for growth, transformation, and realignment with what matters most.
Community and Connection
Healing does not happen in isolation. We are shaped and supported through relationship, and meaningful change is often strengthened in connection with others. Community, shared reflection, and relational safety are central to long-term integration, resilience, and wellbeing.
Healing in Context
Our wellbeing is shaped not only by personal experience, but by wider relational, cultural, ecological, and historical contexts. My work supports people to locate their experiences within these broader systems, inviting compassion, awareness, and responsibility rather than self-blame or over-pathologising.
Purpose and Meaning
Wellbeing deepens when life is lived with a sense of purpose. Meaning, gratitude, and service are powerful sources of resilience and vitality. Exploring these dimensions can support a deeper sense of fulfilment and alignment with one’s values and inner compass.
Nature as Medicine
We are part of the living world, not separate from it. Our wellbeing is intimately connected to the health of the Earth. Time in nature supports nervous system regulation, perspective, and reconnection, helping restore balance within ourselves and in our relationship with the wider ecosystem.
Human Potential
Within each person lies an inherent capacity for growth, awareness, love, and healing, even when these qualities feel distant. Through patience, compassion, curiosity, and support, it is possible to move toward resilience, self-understanding, and embodied transformation.
Equity and Ethical Responsibility
I hold this work with an awareness of power, access, and responsibility. This includes ongoing reflection on privilege, cultural context, ethics, and a commitment to practising in ways that are inclusive and respectful, without compromising safety, depth, or integrity.
