This podcast contains discussions and descriptions of sexual abuse, which may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. Please take care of yourself and consider skipping this episode if you feel it may be harmful to your well-being. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, there are resources available to support you. Please seek help from trusted sources or support services in your area.
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/karmakoalapodcast/episodes/2025-03-12T04_10_40-07_00
A little different from the usual topics that we normally cover on the Karma Koala podcast but no less important.
Pennsylvania based Chuck Lovett got in touch after hearing one of our Karma Koala conversations with and about psychedelics lawyers that we’ve recently been having and asked if he could contribute to the conversation with his experience of what legal psilocybin treatment had done to help him after years of suffering from the result of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest in the early 1970’s. Chuck requested that licensed Oregon therapist, Nitai Aleksiewicz, also join us on the show. Chuck was referred to Nitai for discussion and eventual treatment.
Most of the conversation about legal psilocybin therapy still revolves around much needed therapy for veterans and is a favourite topic for politicians who want to try and get legislation up and running.
Lost in the conversation at a public level are many other issues such as childhood trauma, sexual abuse of children, domestic abuse, and end of life care.
Chuck talks about the issues and difficulties he had raising psilocybin therapy with the Catholic church, the medical profession and others.
Also, the lengths he had to go to in order to find out about the availability of psilocybin treatments and how he eventually managed to access the care he needed and how it has subsequently changed his life.
A huge thankyou to Chuck for coming on the podcast and speaking to us about the issues involved and to Nitai for providing some background as to how treatments are managed and arranged in Oregon.
Both have provided their contact details below and I’ve also listed some other resources.
Thankyou again to Chuck and thankyou for listening
Chuck Lovett
Chuck Lovett is a 62 year-old survivor of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in the early 1970s. Despite the trauma he endured, he has worked to overcome his past and become a dedicated advocate for others.
For over 30 years, Chuck has served as a college administrator at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In July 2024, he participated in psilocybin-assisted mental health therapy in Eugene, Oregon, as part of his ongoing healing process.
In January of 2025, Chuck began his advocacy work by joining the Board of Directors for the Adams County Empowerment Center, a local rape crisis center in Gettysburg, where he actively supports survivors of sexual violence.
Chuck is an avid gardener and battlefield walker. He’s involved in animal rescue and welfare and lives with three rescue cats and helps care for five community cats in his neighborhood. Chuck is also a music lover, reader, a very basic yoga practitioner and a Pittsburgh and Gettysburg College sports fan.
. He most cherishes time spent with family and friends.
Chuck is also available for direct messages via his Instagram account: @clove_it.
Nitai Aleksiewicz
Community & Culture Architect
Plant Medicine Entrepreneur & ‘Inner’-vator
@sacredlife.ritual
‘The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.’-CARL JUNG
Journey work with psilocybin is not a ‘magic fix-all’ pill, but a powerful modality to employ in the ongoing process of healing deep-rooted trauma. The mission of Sacred Life is to honor this modality by supporting it within a greater transformational process that harnesses: the unique gifts and history of the individual, the power of community ‘the village,’ and commitment to co-creating personalized healthy practices that will support each individual beyond their ‘journey’ experience. As we use ancient and sacred medicines in modern times it is our ethical responsibility to bring as much of the essence of this sacred ceremony as possible to those seeking guidance in their desire for deeper healing in our modern world.
Resources
Oregon Gov
Oregon Psilocybin Services – Licensee Directory
The Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) Licensee Directory provides licensees the opportunity to connect with each other for business purposes and for the public to locate licensed service centers. People who want to access psilocybin services must contact a licensed service center directly to schedule services.
The directory contains information provided by OPS licensees who have consented to have their information published. Please Note: The directory is not a comprehensive list of all OPS licensees.
During the license application process, applicants are asked if they consent to be listed in the OPS Licensee Directory. Being listed in the directory is optional and if the license applicant does not consent, they may still be licensed with OPS. As a reminder, although participation in the directory is optional, information provided in application materials, including applicant name, is subject to disclosure under Oregon’s public records laws.
The OPS Licensee Directory is not used for license verification. Please visit the OPS – Search For Licensee and Worker Permit Status webpage to verify license or worker permit status.
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/preventionwellness/pages/psilocybin-licensee-directory.aspx
SNAP – Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is a self-help organization of men and women who were sexually abused by spiritual elders (Catholic priests, brothers, nuns, ministers, teachers, etc.). Members find healing and empowerment by joining with other survivors. They are an all-volunteer group with several chapters in the United States. They have a very active on-line email support group with members from throughout the world. The web site exists to provide support and knowledge to all victims of clergy abuse, promote the SNAP email support list and provide links to other helpful information. Toll free number is 877-762-7432.
https://www.nsvrc.org/organizations/106
The Catholic Project’s primary partnership for engagement with survivors of clergy abuse is with Teresa Pitt Green of Spirit Fire.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research is leading the way in exploring innovative treatments using psilocybin. The molecular structure of psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in ‘magic mushrooms,’ allows it to penetrate the central nervous system and the scientific and medical experts are just beginning to understand its effects on the brain and mind and its potential as therapeutics for mental illnesses.
Backed by $55 million in funding, researchers build on previous work and expand research on psychedelics for illness and wellness: (1) to develop new treatments for a wider variety of psychiatric and behavioral disorders with the aspiration of treatments tailored to the specific needs of individual patients and (2) to expand research in healthy volunteers with the ultimate aspiration of opening new ways to support human thriving.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/research/psychedelics-research
