The Soulful Advocacy of Dr. Sarah Abedi – Healing Beyond the Hospital Walls
Dr. Sarah Abedi’s journey from emergency medicine to the forefront of psychedelic advocacy is a testament to the courage it takes to question the norms of one’s profession, in working towards their ultimate mission. During our discussion on the MINDBEND podcast, she reflected on her path with encouraging candor, sharing insights that bridged the clinical with the deeply personal. Through her story, she invites us to rethink healing—not as a linear process but as an intricate interplay of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
From Emergency Medicine to Introspection
Dr. Abedi began her career in emergency medicine, a field she admired for its acute, life-saving interventions. But even during her residency at UCLA’s Harbor County Hospital, she couldn’t ignore the deeper issues manifesting in the emergency room. Chronic illnesses and mental health crises repeatedly brought patients through the doors—conditions that, in her view, could have been addressed years earlier with preventative care.
Her residency during the COVID-19 pandemic magnified these cracks in the system. Witnessing end-stage pathology, preventable deaths, and systemic failures drove her to what she called “moral injury.” It wasn’t burnout, she explained, but the emotional toll of navigating a system that seemed structurally incapable of fully supporting the people it served.
The pandemic also laid bare her own health struggles—gut issues, skin conditions, and an overwhelming sense of depletion. These symptoms weren’t just physical; they were signposts of a deeper misalignment. “As a healer, I was the most depleted,” she admitted. “That did not feel right.”
Her self-healing journey led her to psychedelics, a field where she saw profound potential to address the root causes of suffering. It was a pivot that would not only reshape her career but also her philosophy on health.
Psychedelics: A Tool for Root-Cause Healing
Dr. Abedi spoke passionately about the potential of psychedelics to heal what modern medicine often overlooks. “The separation of mental and physical health is unsustainable,” she stated, pointing to the landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study as evidence. The study revealed how traumatic experiences in childhood are correlated with chronic physical diseases in adulthood—a connection Western medicine often fails to fully address.
Dr. Abedi believes psychedelics hold a unique power to access these deeper layers of trauma. Through her work in clinical trials, she has seen promising results, particularly with psilocybin and MDMA. Yet, she is careful not to oversimplify psychedelics as a magic bullet. True healing, she stressed, requires integration—an often-overlooked step that involves translating the insights gained from psychedelic experiences into actionable changes in everyday life.
Integration, for Dr. Abedi, is where the real work begins. Drawing from indigenous traditions, which place community and spiritual connection at the center of healing, she advocates for a holistic approach. “It’s not just the psychedelic,” she emphasized. “Healing happens in the integration—the weeks, months, or even years after the experience.”
The Role of Policy and Access
Dr. Abedi’s advocacy extends beyond the clinical. She has stepped into the policy arena, driven by the stark inequities she’s witnessed. Her involvement with the Treat California initiative—modeled after California’s groundbreaking stem cell research program—aimed to secure $5 billion in state funding for psychedelic research and equitable access. While polling revealed skepticism about government oversight, Dr. Abedi remains hopeful about the future of such initiatives.
Access, she argued, must be at the forefront of the psychedelic conversation. Marginalized communities, veterans, and low-income individuals—those who often stand to benefit the most—are frequently left out of the equation. The current state-by-state models of psychedelic regulation, while a step forward, remain prohibitively expensive for many, emphasizing the urgency of creating affordable, community-centered treatment options.
Toward a New Model of Healing
Looking to the future, Dr. Abedi envisions a healthcare system that merges the best of Western and traditional medicine. Prevention, she believes, must take precedence over reactive treatment. This includes teaching patients to listen to their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and cultivate lifestyles that support holistic well-being.
At its heart, her vision is deeply humanistic. She believes healing isn’t just about eliminating disease but helping individuals reach a state of optimal health—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. “When given the right environment,” she said, “the human body is incredible at healing.”
Dr. Abedi’s work challenges us to reimagine what it means to heal. Her journey—from the chaos of the ER to the nuanced world of psychedelics—is a reminder that true medicine addresses the whole person. At MINDBEND, we continue to aim to highlight voices like hers, breaking down stigmas and exploring the policies and practices that will shape the future of mental health and psychedelics.