Virtual course

Fundamentals of Female Biology & Psychedelics

Your guide to navigating psychedelic use for women for practitioners, facilitators, and psychonauts alike

OVERVIEW

Why do I need to understand female specific psychedelic science?

Female biology has long been neglected in the field of research surrounding physical and mental health. The psychedelic industry is in the process of revolutionising a class of substances with indicated potential for addressing a range of psychological and physiological disorders. Despite this, female biological mechanisms continue to not be addressed or considered in this research.

In this course, we will chart out the current state of research in the area of female specific indications for safe and effective psychedelic use, and outline our current understanding of the interactions between this novel class of drugs and female biology, from the interactions between ovarian hormone fluctuations and neurotransmitter systems, to mental health and psychosocial aspects of psychedelic treatments.

An extensive scoping review is being conducted to help us understand the current available data for gender difference in psychedelic use.

We have initial surveys that will be distributed to a larger sample of women who have experience with psychedelics. We will use this research to identify trends and patterns, and form evidence-backed hypotheses for the experiences of female psychedelic users.

We are engaging academic thought leaders to explore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for women specific disorders.

We are looking to partner with ongoing clinical and observational trials to include female specific data points that will allow us to untangle how these substances may be affecting the bodies of women, or how their biology may be affecting their experiences with psychedelics.

Course content:

  • MODULE 1: FEMALE HORMONAL CYCLES

    • What makes female biology unique?

    • Neuroendocrine Systems

    • Development & the Menstrual Cycle

    • Menopause

  • MODULE 2: IMPACT OF FEMALE HORMONES ON THE BRAIN

    • Neurotransmitters & Neuro-active Steroids

    • Estrogen

    • Progestone

    • Neuroactive Hormones & The HPA Axis

  • MODULE 3: WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

    • Women’s Mental Health

    • Women’s Mental Health & The Menstrual Cycle & Menopause

    • Depression

    • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    • Women’s Physical Health

  • MODULE 4: HISTORY OF WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

    • History of Women’s Mental Health in Psychology Research

    • History of Women’s Mental Health in Pre-Clinical and Clinical Research

    • Current State of Women’s Mental Health Research

  • MODULE 5: WHAT ARE PSYCHEDELICS?

    • Classical psychedelics

    • Classical Psychedelics & Female Hormones

    • Non-Classical Psychedelics

    • Non-Classical Psychedelics & Female Hormones

  • MODULE 6: PSYCHEDELICS & FEMALE HEALTH

    • Depression & Psychedelics

    • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Psychedelics

    • Menopause & Psychedelics

    • Pre-Menstural Disorders & Psychedelics

    • Female Reproductive Concerns & Psychedelics

    • Eating Disorders & Psychedelics

    • Personality Disorders & Psychedelics

    • Pain Disorders & Psychedelics

  • MODULE 7: SET AND SETTING

    • Psychosocial Aspects of Women’s Mental Health

    • Set & Setting

    • Risk Factors

  • MODULE 8: TREATMENT MODALITIES

    • Psychedelic Assisted Therapy

    • Microdosing

    • Psychedelic Retreats

    • Recreation Use

    • Consent Laws

This course is for:

    • Psychedelic practitioners and facilitators who seek to understand female specific drug interactions to support their female clients

    • Researchers who seek to understand and incorporate female specific drug interactions in their work

    • Women interested in psychedelic therapies who would like to deepen their understanding of psychedelic interactions with female bodies

    • This course is not for women seeking advice on self medicating with psychedelics

Your instructor

Dr Grace Blest Hopley

  • Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley founded Hystelica due to her passion and interest in women’s psychedelic use. Grace is a neuroscientist with a Ph.D from King’s College London. She has spent 10 + years research the effects of cannabinoids and psychedelics; across clinical, recreational and naturalistic settings.

Fundamentals of Psychedelics & Female Biology

A guide to navigating psychedelic use for women. Designed for practitioners, facilitators, and psychonauts.

With it’s focus on female biology and the the role in psychedelic-assisted outcomes – this course is the first of its kind.

Join Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley on a 7+ hour journey through the female hormonal system and the unique impacts on psychedelic use.

As a neuroscientist with a Ph.D from King’s College London and 10 + years of research on the effects of cannabinoids and psychedelics, Dr. Blest-Hopley leverages her knowledge and expertise to deliver easy-to-understand content on female-specific biological mechanisms and safe psychedelic use.

The ONLY online course created by psychedelic researchers.

  • Understand the fluctuations of ovarian hormones throughout the lifespan and reproductive cycle
  • Describe the mechanism of effect of classical and non-classical psychedelics and interactions of with female hormones
  • Discuss psychosocial drivers behind women’s mental health
  • Identify the influence of ovarian hormones on the brain, body, and women’s mental health
  • Provide an overview of psychedelic treatment indications for female-specific conditions and those that disproportionately affect women

  • Define female-specific considerations for psychedelic treatment modalities

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