I gained insights that have continued to stay with me.

Patient Reflection

I became interested in psychedelic clinical research after a friend participated in a trial and was deeply affected. I have experienced a fair amount of trauma in my own life, including my husband being diagnosed with cancer. Eventually, I learned that we might qualify for a dyad study at Sunstone due to his diagnosis.

Throughout the experience, I felt very safe and supported. I had done a tremendous amount of work on myself before participating, and preparation with the Sunstone team built on that foundation. There are no guarantees about how someone will respond to this therapy, but I felt like the clinical team took every possible precaution and that I was surrounded by well-trained, supportive people. I felt very well protected.

Though I don’t remember every detail of the entire dosing experience, I remember feeling open to it. Overall, I gained insights that have continued to stay with me. One of the most impactful was a recognition of how much we all want to feel loved, valued, and appreciated—and how many different ways we look for that. It also made me reflect on my own self-worth and how much of my identity has been connected to doing things for and taking care of other people.

I also came away feeling that my husband had a greater appreciation for me and for everything I had done while caring for him. That was meaningful to me.

Overall, I’m incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to participate. It was a very positive experience for me.