Dr Simon Ruffell

I believe in meeting people where they’re at & working holistically. For me, the magic happens when you work across paradigms, bringing together Indigenous wisdom & Western science in synergy.

My work draws from training in three modalities: Western medicine (medical doctor specialising in psychiatry), research psychology (with a PhD in ayahuasca and mental health), and traditional plant medicine (student of curanderismo).

I worked on a major trial at King’s College London investigating the effects of psilocybin on treatment-resistant depression, though since 2016 my work has been primarily dedicated to exploring the traditional psychedelic brew ayahuasca.

I am CEO of Onaya Health and co-founder of the not-for-profit Onaya Science, researching the effects of ayahuasca in naturalistic Amazonian settings in collaboration with universities, charities, and Indigenous-led think tanks worldwide.

My work seeks to understand plants such as ayahuasca from both an Indigenous and a Western viewpoint, with the goal of generating a richer understanding of healing modalities. I am currently training under Keyo Sui Rono and Don Rono Lopez.

• Medical Doctor (MBChB)

• MRCPsych (Members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists)

• PhD in ayahuasca and mental health outcomes

• Foundation in Psychoanalysis

• Psychodynamic psychotherapy

• Internal Family Systems

• Integration coaching

• Shipibo cosmology

• Depression & anxiety

• Trauma

• Relational difficulties

• Different perceptions of reality

• Psychedelic preparation & integration

• Master plant dietas

• Spiritual exploration