In Service of the Medicine
1h 1m | May 13, 2026This week on The Conscious Consultant Hour, Sam welcomes White Owl, ceremony leader, healer, and author of In Service of Ayahuasca: A Medical Doctor’s Journey into an Ancient Healing Tradition.
Working with Amazonian plant medicines since 2005 and leading ceremonies since 2008, White Owl brings together the worlds of modern medicine, psychotherapy, and indigenous healing traditions. Guided primarily by the plants themselves and trained by Peruvian Mestizo Vegetalistas, his path reflects a rare integration of scientific understanding, deep spiritual practice, and decades of lived experience.
Retiring from medicine in 2022, after 36 years as a comprehensive ophthalmologist, White Owl trained in Gestalt Psychotherapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, maintaining a therapeutic practice alongside his medical career. Over time, his work evolved toward helping people heal not only physically but also emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Through ceremonies and plant dietas in Peru, as well as gatherings across North America, he has supported countless individuals in exploring expanded states of consciousness with safety, reverence, and integrity.
In this rich and grounded conversation, Sam and White Owl explore what it truly means to work in service of the medicine. Together, they discuss the healing potential of ayahuasca, the responsibilities of ceremonial leadership, and the bridge between Western psychology and ancient plant wisdom. This episode offers listeners an honest and nuanced look into a sacred tradition that continues to awaken, challenge, and transform those called to walk its path.
Tune in and share your own questions and comments about plant medicine on our YouTube livestream or on our Facebook page.
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