Conversations with Sara Lewis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Lewis.

Hi Sara, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Memoru Center for Visionary Healing Arts began as a collaboration between the Naropa University Center for Psychedelic-Studies and internationally-recognized MDMA-Assisted Therapy researchers, trainers and practitioners. We are committed to providing safe, equitable, and accessible care to all individuals, families and communities.

We serve the Colorado community and also accept clients from out of state who wish to travel to the clinic for psychedelic treatment. We also offer bi-ligual, bi-cultural, Spanish-speaking therapy services.

Memoru Center for Visionary Healing Arts was founded by top leading experts in MDMA-Assisted Therapy research, ketamine-assisted therapy, and psychedelic facilitator training and consultation. The Memoru Center for Visionary Healing Arts team brings over 60 years of combined experience in the psychedelic field as clinicians, trainers, and consultants including over 750 hours of MDMA-Assisted Therapy medicine sessions in clinical trials and training thousands of new psychedelic therapists.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The regulatory model for psilocybin therapy continues to be a challenge wherein psilocybin mushrooms are legal in the state of Colorado, but not legal federally. This creates major challenges in the areas of banking, payment, insurance and licensing. These treatments are also not covered by insurance making it challenging for clients to afford. On the provider side, state licensing and insurance are extraordinarily costly presenting obstacles for both clients and centers to lower costs.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I earned her PhD at Columbia University in medical anthropology and public health, and an MSW at the University of Chicago. My research sits at the intersection of religion, culture and healing with an emphasis on non-ordinary states. As a Fulbright scholar, I conducted long term ethnographic research in India, culminating in a book, Spacious Minds: Trauma and Resilience in Tibetan Buddhism, which investigates how Buddhist concepts of mind shape traumatic memory and pathways to resilience.

At Naropa University, I served as Associate Professor and Chair of Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology. I co-founded the Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies, and have trained upwards of 400 students in providing psychedelic-assisted therapy. I am the director of Memoru Center for Visionary Healing Arts’ Colorado-approved Natural Medicine training program. As a contemplative psychotherapist, I specialize in intergenerational trauma and healing through Somatic Experiencing and psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love being surrounded by mountains, trees, and wildlife, and how grounded our culture is alongside the natural world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://memorucenter.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memoru.healing/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/memoru-center-for-visionary-healing-arts

Image Credits
11:11 Productions