05/02/2026
In Waves and War movie premiere
Long post, but some helpful perspective on psychedelics:
Movie premieres are pretty rare in my field, but this is the second one Tina Schiefelbein, DSW, LCSW-S, CCTP, EMDR Certified and I attended in a month—and I’m really glad we went. We were invited by Wade Hood with B2B to see In Waves and War, a documentary on ibogaine and its impact on service members, particularly Navy SEALs. It was thoughtfully done and gave meaningful insight into the ibogaine experience.
The panel afterward was actually the most valuable part. While the film didn’t emphasize it much, the panel made it clear: continued therapy and proper follow-up care are essential. Psychedelics may open the door through neuroplasticity, but real, lasting change depends on what happens after.
By fortunate chance, we ran into Representative Ramon Romero Jr at Cava after the movie premiere. His insight on psychedelics for mental health was invaluable. He was able to bring in his knowledge from his Mexican heritage to share more about these drugs and their history and the importance of "respecting the medicine and honoring the process" in order to be safe with this kind of treatment.
I followed up with a colleague and reviewed meta-analyses showing that psychedelics can significantly enhance neuroplasticity. However, the greatest benefit comes with immediate and ongoing therapeutic support—often for up to a year. Without it, there’s a risk of reinforcing unhealthy patterns.
