Ayahuasca and Addiction Treatment: An Insider’s Perspective – HPP 10

Guili Zavaschi, MA, LPC

Ayahuasca is a traditional amazonian plant medicine that contains the hallucinogenic substance DMT. You may have heard of it because Ayahuasca has become quite popular among spiritual seekers in recent years. There have been many articles and documentaries about it, and often the news coverage exploits the problems people have experienced with it.

However, this traditional medicine is also used in certain areas of the world as a way to help addicts in recovery and the results are quite remarkable.

In this episode, we have a special guest, Guili Zavaschi, a former therapist at the Takawasi Rehab Center in Peru. Takawasi is one of the few addiction centers in the world legally using Ayahuasca for the treatment and recovery from devastating addictions. Guili shares his first-hand experience as a therapist working with patients at Takawasi, the amazing process he witnessed patients go through, and an exploration into Ayahuasca’s miracles and potential dangers.

Show Notes:

What is Ayahuasca and how is it used [6:00]

The Takawasi Addiction Center in Peru [15:00]

Using plant medicine for healing addictions [16:00]

Code of ethics for patients undergoing indigenous treatments [18:30]

The 10 day solo in the jungle [28:30]

Role of the therapists at Takawasi and Ayahuasca integration sessions [28:15]

What happens when you take Ayahuasca [35:00]

Guili Zavaschi, MA, LPC

Guili Zavaschi is Licensed Professional Counselor with a private practice in Boulder, Colorado. He is originally from Brazil and has lived in the United States since 2008 after completing his masters degree in counseling psychology from the University of Wyoming. He has worked in Brazil and Peru as a psychotherapist, using rock climbing as a therapeutic tool. He worked at the Takiwasi Rehab Center for Addictions for nearly three years. He teaches at the undergraduate level and continues to develop rock climbing, wilderness and self-explorative work for teenagers.