Sam Zand, D.O. - Heal, Grow, Love, Transcend: Ketamine & the Future of Mental Healthcare

Dr. Sam Zand, Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer of Better U, joins Paul F. Austin for a rich conversation on at-home ketamine-assisted therapy. As a practicing psychiatrist and the Chief Medical Officer of Better U, Dr. Sam Zand utilizes his expertise in neuroplasticity to help patients address the root cause of their problems and establish new ways of thinking. After initial psychedelic medicine research at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Zand began treating patients clinically with ketamine in 2019. He now teaches psychedelic medicine rotations to psychiatry residents and medical students and is an advocate and spokesperson for the FDA-approved esketamine, Spravato. He is trained in general psychiatry, addiction recovery, and psychotherapy, and has a passion for psychedelic therapy, crisis intervention, relationship counseling, and integrated spiritual therapy. In addition to being a co-founder of Better U, Dr. Zand is also the owner and CEO of a national telepsychiatry service, Anywhere Clinic. He has merged his passions for lifestyle medicine, performance coaching, and entrepreneurship to establish platforms that build leaders and medical healers. He assisted in Crisis Intervention Training for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, helped create mental skills departments for professional sports teams and corporations, and has worked with industry leaders, corporate executives, and pro athletes. Dr. Zand is passionate about increasing education to end the stigma that surrounds mental health topics, advancing the integration of psychiatry and spirituality, and making clinically proven, innovative new therapies more accessible for all. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. Highlights: Understanding the differences between Spravato and generic ketamine, and the role each might play in the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy. ‘The Skill of Psychedelics’ - looking at medicines like ketamine in the bigger picture of healing, growth, and transformation. Dr. Zand’s Four phases of healing: Heal, Grow, Love, Transcend What differentiates Better U from other telemedicine psychedelic-assisted therapy services Dr. Zand on effective dosing, intention-setting, and utilization of psychotherapy. Exploring the correlation between dissociative experience and positive transformation How ego actualization and ego dissolution fit into the greater path of healing and transformation. Transcending pathology and the disease-care model of mental healthcare to embrace the biopsychosocial-spiritual model. The ‘Powered by Better U’ Model of collaboration to bring beneficial ketamine treatments beyond the clinic. Closing Episode Links: Better U Better Universe Foundation Dr. Zand on LinkedIn Recent clinical trial on the safety and efficacy of at-home ketamine treatments Third Wave’s Guide to Ketamine MAPS This podcast is brought to you by Third Wave’s Mushroom Grow Kit. The biggest problem for anyone starting to explore the magical world of mushrooms is consistent access from reputable sources. That’s why we’ve been working on a simple, elegant (and legal!) solution for the past several months. Third Wave's Mushroom Grow Kit and Course has the tools you need to grow mushrooms along with an in-depth guide to finding spores. This episode is also brought to you by Apollo Neuro, the first scientifically validated wearable that actively improves your body’s resilience to stress. Apollo engages with your sense of touch to deliver soothing vibrations that signal safety to the brain. Clinically proven to improve heart rate variability, it can actually enhance the outcomes of your other efforts like deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and plant medicine. Apollo was developed by a friend of Third Wave, Dr. David Rabin M.D Ph.D., a neuroscientist and board-certified psychiatrist who has been studying the impact of chronic stress in humans for nearly 15 years. Third Wave listeners get 15% off—just use this link.