Addressing Psychosocial Distress With Psychedelic-Inspired Therapies
Thu Feb 05 2026
As the number of patients and survivors of cancer grows each year, awareness of the disease's emotional toll—including depression, anxiety, and deep existential distress—is increasingly recognized as a critical aspect of cancer care. In response, psychedelic-assisted therapy is gaining attention as a promising alternative to traditional mental health interventions, providing relief for some patients. To shed light on the patient experience with this treatment, CANCER BUZZ spoke with breast cancer survivor Judy Wight; Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC, executive director of Life with Cancer and Patient Experience at Inova Health System; and Manish Agrawal, MD, cofounder and CEO of Sunstone Therapies, about the human side of psychedelic-assisted therapy, promising existing research, and how it can shape the future of psychosocial care.
"It's not that I'm a different person. It's more like I'm becoming the person I was meant to be. And all those layers of trauma and sadness...I've been able to shed a lot of that." – Judy Wight
"When I started to learn about psychedelic-assisted therapy, read some of the patient accounts, and see some of the research, I said, 'I've got to learn about this. I think that this could be another tool that would be useful for people in this space where we don't have the perfect answer, and we don't have the perfect treatments.'" – Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC
"When I give talks around this, I have an iceberg. Above the iceberg I have chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, and underneath the iceberg I have what's called psychosocial, psycho-spiritual, psychological care. And I think true cancer care is treating everything in the iceberg, not just what's above the water." – Manish Agrawal, MD
Guests:
Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC
Executive Director, Life with Cancer and Patient Experience
Inova Health System
Fairfax, VA
Judy Wight
Breast Cancer Survivor
Manish Agrawal, MD
Cofounder and CEO
Sunstone Therapies
REKINDLE Investigator
This podcast is sponsored by Reunion Neuroscience.
Resources:
The REKINDLE Study
ClinicalTrials (NCT07002034)
REKINDLE Brochure
Reunion Neuroscience
Adjustment Disorder Associated With Medical Illness: Unmet Needs and Rationale for RE104 as a Novel Psychedelic Therapy
Exploring Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Oncology
Addressing the Psychological Burdens of Cancer on World Mental Health Day
Psychosocial Care in Oncology: Advocating for Policy Changes that Improve the Culture of Care
Collaborative Care: A Model for Embedding Counseling in Oncology and Palliative Care
Spirituality and Cultural Humility: Core Components of Comprehensive Palliative Care
Psychosocial Care in Oncology
Collaborative Care: A Solution for Increasing Access to Psychosocial Care in Cancer Programs and Practices
Scan to learn more about the REKINDLE study:
More
As the number of patients and survivors of cancer grows each year, awareness of the disease's emotional toll—including depression, anxiety, and deep existential distress—is increasingly recognized as a critical aspect of cancer care. In response, psychedelic-assisted therapy is gaining attention as a promising alternative to traditional mental health interventions, providing relief for some patients. To shed light on the patient experience with this treatment, CANCER BUZZ spoke with breast cancer survivor Judy Wight; Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC, executive director of Life with Cancer and Patient Experience at Inova Health System; and Manish Agrawal, MD, cofounder and CEO of Sunstone Therapies, about the human side of psychedelic-assisted therapy, promising existing research, and how it can shape the future of psychosocial care. "It's not that I'm a different person. It's more like I'm becoming the person I was meant to be. And all those layers of trauma and sadness...I've been able to shed a lot of that." – Judy Wight "When I started to learn about psychedelic-assisted therapy, read some of the patient accounts, and see some of the research, I said, 'I've got to learn about this. I think that this could be another tool that would be useful for people in this space where we don't have the perfect answer, and we don't have the perfect treatments.'" – Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC "When I give talks around this, I have an iceberg. Above the iceberg I have chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, and underneath the iceberg I have what's called psychosocial, psycho-spiritual, psychological care. And I think true cancer care is treating everything in the iceberg, not just what's above the water." – Manish Agrawal, MD Guests: Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC Executive Director, Life with Cancer and Patient Experience Inova Health System Fairfax, VA Judy Wight Breast Cancer Survivor Manish Agrawal, MD Cofounder and CEO Sunstone Therapies REKINDLE Investigator This podcast is sponsored by Reunion Neuroscience. Resources: The REKINDLE Study ClinicalTrials (NCT07002034) REKINDLE Brochure Reunion Neuroscience Adjustment Disorder Associated With Medical Illness: Unmet Needs and Rationale for RE104 as a Novel Psychedelic Therapy Exploring Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Oncology Addressing the Psychological Burdens of Cancer on World Mental Health Day Psychosocial Care in Oncology: Advocating for Policy Changes that Improve the Culture of Care Collaborative Care: A Model for Embedding Counseling in Oncology and Palliative Care Spirituality and Cultural Humility: Core Components of Comprehensive Palliative Care Psychosocial Care in Oncology Collaborative Care: A Solution for Increasing Access to Psychosocial Care in Cancer Programs and Practices Scan to learn more about the REKINDLE study: