Consciousness Medicine: Conversations with Françoise Bourzat about Bridging an Ancient Lineage with Traditional Psychotherapy

INbodied Life with Lauren Taus

Françoise Bourzat is a consciousness guide with sanctioned training in the Mazatec tradition and other indigenous traditions. She has a master’s degree in Somatic Psychology from New College of California and is a Certified Hakomi Practitioner. Drawing from more than 30 years of experience, Bourzat’s skillful and heartfelt approach presents the therapeutic application of expanded states without divorcing them from their indigineous, ritual contexts.

Bourzat trains therapists and facilitators, teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), and lectures internationally. In 2019, North Atlantic Books Consciousness Medicine, a book co-authored by Francoise and one of her students Kristina Hunter. The book delivers a coherent map for navigating non-ordinary states of consciousness and offers an invaluable contribution to the field of healing and transformation.

Born in France, Francoise spent much of her early life traveling the world and she now lives in the San Francisco area with her husband.

In this conversation, we talk about Francoise’s personal experience and journey into psychedelics, the special magic of mushrooms, and the work that she is currently doing to address some of the very real problems we face in the world now.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

• How psychedelics can facilitate a process of liberation, open fields of compassion and allow a person to feel/heal more deeply
• Some characteristics of indigenous traditions and the unique ways in which they educate individuals to do medicine work; how to ensure respect while engaging in practices from other cultures
• Why a guide is so important in psychedelic work, and how Francoise is bridging the gap between ancient traditions and contemporary psychotherapy
• How psilocybin may be able to support the mental health pandemic and the complex grief that so many face with losses due to Covid 19
• What it’s been like as a woman working in the psychedelic space

RESOURCES

• Francoise Bourzat's Website
• Order Francoise’s Book, Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth
• Francoise’s Instagram