The Anatomy of Inner Safety: IFS, Psychedelics & Trauma-Informed Healing

Episode 312

J. Ashley T. Booth, LCSW, MS

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, host Paul F. Austin welcomes back J. Ashley T. Booth, LCSW, MS—a longtime friend, therapist, and psychedelic pioneer. Ashley shares her journey from psychedelic community activism to clinical work with ketamine and MDMA, culminating in her new illustrated book: Quieting the Storm Within. They explore how Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy intersects with psychedelic-assisted therapy, particularly in the healing of trauma, building trust with inner parts, and working at low doses. Ashley explains how IFS helps clients reframe “problematic” behaviors with compassion and teaches us to listen more deeply to ourselves. Together, they unpack the nuances of somatic memory, protector parts, and the power of working slowly and gently—instead of blowing past resistance.

J. Ashley T. Booth, LCSW, MS has been working at the intersection of psychedelics and wellness since she started the Southern California Psychedelic Society, the Aware Project: Rethinking Psychedelics in 2015. In 2016, she was hired as the study coordinator on the MAPS-sponsored FDA clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD, soon becoming the only pre-licensed psychotherapist to be offered a position as a co-investigator on the trial. She has worked in Los Angeles and internationally offering IFS, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Hakomi, psychedelic integration and harm reduction. To professionals entering the burgeoning field of psychedelics, she offers consultation and training around psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and associated services. She has given numerous talks at conferences, workshops, and podcasts regarding the mindful reintroduction of psychedelics into Western Culture. Currently she is publishing a picture book introduction to Internal Family Systems therapy that she wrote and illustrated.