Licia Sky is the Co-founder and Global Ambassador of the Trauma Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization advancing research, education, and treatment in trauma and healing. As a somatic educator, artist, singer-songwriter, and bodyworker, she trains mental health professionals to use movement, writing, theater exercises, voice, and meditation as tools for attunement, healing, and connection. With over 25 years of practice, Licia’s work integrates body-based therapies, polyvagal theory, parts work, and trauma-science research to help individuals recover from emotional and physiological dysregulation.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [3:24] Licia Sky’s facilitation approach of paying close attention without a fixed agenda
- [7:25] How Licia’s bodywork practice revealed trauma through embodied experiences
- [10:25] Bridging trauma science and lived experiences for practical clinical research
- [14:04] Slowness and temporal awareness as keys to safety and attunement
- [21:30] Psychedelics’ role in slowing perception, softening filters, and revealing inner sensations
- [27:33] Why trauma work is a lifelong process rather than a quick psychedelic “fix”
- [30:49] How thorough preparation and integration create a safe space for deep work
- [41:04] The importance of beginning integration before psychedelic use
- [46:44] Supporting ongoing integration through documentation, journaling, art, and follow-up sessions
In this episode…
Creating a safe space for people processing deep trauma is both an art and a discipline. Therapists working with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy must help clients navigate intense emotions and memories by ensuring they feel secure and supported. What practices can therapists leverage to foster trust and transformation?
Somatic educator and trauma expert Licia Sky emphasizes deep, agenda-free presence. Authentic attunement begins with the client noticing their bodily sensations and slowing the pace of interaction to invite others into awareness. Through slow curiosity, facilitators can encourage clients to stay with physical sensations before forming mental narratives, allowing trauma to surface without overwhelm. Licia also warns against viewing psychedelics as a quick fix and underscores the need for careful preparation and integration to turn profound experiences into lasting growth.
In this episode of Living Medicine, Dr. Sandy Newes sits down with Licia Sky, Co-founder and Global Ambassador of the Trauma Research Foundation, to talk about embodied trauma healing and psychedelic therapy. Licia explores how slowing down and cultivating temporal awareness creates safety, how slow curiosity helps clients process trauma safely, and why integration before and after psychedelic work is critical for meaningful, lasting change.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Licia Sky: Website
Quotable Moments:
- “I never know exactly what’s going to happen from moment to moment, and I like that.”
- “You cannot really do body work well if you’re following a script.”
- “Slowness is a superpower. And when people don’t feel safe, they usually speed up.”
- “I rarely use the word healing because that implies that it’s a one-and-done.”
- “Integration starts before you take any medicine. Integration starts with you beginning to have a grounded connection.”
Action Steps:
- Cultivate an agenda-free presence: Sitting with clients without a fixed plan invites authentic self-awareness and trust. This openness helps clients feel safe to explore and express experiences as they naturally arise.
- Slow down interactions intentionally: Speaking and moving at a measured pace creates a sense of safety and deepens attunement. It allows both facilitator and client to notice subtle body cues that might otherwise be missed.
- Begin integration before any medicine: Preparing clients to connect with their body before psychedelic work strengthens their ability to process insights. Early grounding builds a stable container for whatever emerges during the journey.
- Provide thorough post-journey support: Encourage journaling, art, and follow-up sessions to help clients integrate revelations into daily life. This ongoing process transforms fleeting psychedelic experiences into lasting personal growth.
- Offer steady, nonjudgmental witnessing: Being a calm, compassionate presence reassures clients that they are not alone in intense moments. Such attuned support fosters trust and helps them process trauma without feeling overwhelmed.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by the Living Medicine Institute.
LMI is a training, resource, and membership program educating providers about the legal and safe use of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
To learn more or participate, visit http://livingmedicineinstitute.rise25media.com.
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