Episode 61: Rethinking Psychedelic Access in Canada w/ TheraPsil CEO Spencer Hawkswell

August 28th, 2026  |  1 hr 47 secs

What happens when psychedelic research moves beyond the traditional pharmaceutical model and becomes more patient-centred, grassroots, and responsive to the realities of how people are actually accessing these therapies?

In this episode of the podcast, host and MAPS Canada Executive Director Dr. Rielle Capler speaks with Spencer Hawkswell, CEO and President of TheraPsil, about the evolving landscape of psychedelic research, access, and policy in Canada. Spencer discusses innovative approaches to clinical research, including a participant-funded psilocybin trial focused on wellness, group-based treatment models, and the potential to develop more accessible research pathways for psychedelic therapies. They also explore the challenges created by conventional clinical-trial models and the importance of generating evidence that reflects the needs and experiences of patients.

Episode 57: From Idea to Action: Shawn Shabaquay’s Run for MMIWG and Psychedelic Research

July 1st, 2026  |  41 mins 48 secs

In this episode of the MAPS Canada Podcast, host and MAPS Canada’s Executive Director Dr. Rielle Capler speaks with Shawn Shabaquay from Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation in Ontario about his personal journey of transformation, resilience, and purpose.

Shawn discusses his 40 km run from Dryden to Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation on July 1, 2026, held to honour his mother and in support of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). It is also part of a GoFundMe fundraiser for psychedelic research and MAPS Canada.

The conversation also explores Shawn’s relationship with ceremony, psychedelics, and personal healing, including experiences with peyote in ceremonial contexts and psilocybin experiences that informed his understanding of grief, trauma, and personal growth. He speaks openly about his personal experiences that have shaped his commitment to healing and community work.

This episode touches on themes of recovery, physical and mental transformation, ceremony, psychedelic integration, and the role of lived experience in shaping meaning and purpose.

To contribute to Shawn's GoFundMe, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/A-Run-For-MMIW-July-1-2026

To check out Shawn's YouTube channel, https://youtube.com/shorts/MTzTggENnOk?feature=share

Episode 51: How Psilocybin Changed One Man’s Experience with Terminal Cancer | with Steve Allgood

May 22nd, 2026  |  1 hr 5 mins

In this episode of the MAPS Canada Podcast, host Rielle Capler speaks with Steve Allgood about his experience navigating a terminal brain cancer diagnosis and the unexpected role psychedelics played in helping him confront fear, depression, and existential distress.

Steve shares the emotional reality of being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer just days before his wedding, the difficult process of radiation treatment, and the psychological toll of living under the belief that his life would soon end. The conversation explores his search for hope through alternative approaches to care, including high-dose cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, and how these experiences gradually transformed his relationship to illness, suffering, and meaning.

The discussion also highlights the importance of emotional support, psychedelic safety, and reducing stigma around end-of-life care and alternative therapies. Through Steve’s deeply personal story, the episode offers insight into the growing conversation surrounding psychedelics, mental health, and quality of life for individuals facing serious illness.

Episode 48: Inside Psychedelic Public Education at MAPS Canada with Dr. Rielle Capler

April 24th, 2026  |  35 mins 55 secs

In this episode of the MAPS Canada Podcast, host Warren Jane speaks with MAPS Canada’s Executive Director Dr. Rielle Capler about the role of public education in the rapidly evolving field of psychedelics.

Dr. Capler outlines how MAPS Canada is working to make complex research, policy developments, and therapeutic frameworks more accessible to a wide range of audiences. From research presentations and webinars to podcasts and online courses, the conversation explores how different educational formats are designed to meet people where they are.

The discussion also highlights the importance of community engagement, psychedelic safety and risk reduction, and diverse perspectives in shaping a responsible approach to psychedelic education, offering insight into how informed public discourse can support the future of the field.

Episode 44: Remembering Who We Are: Wellness, Culture & Sacred Connection with Francine Douglas

March 13th, 2026  |  47 mins 41 secs

In this episode of the MAPS Canada Podcast, host Rielle Capler sits down with Francine Douglas to explore the theme of wellness and connection through a deeply personal, cultural, and systemic lens.

Drawing from her experience as a First Nations woman, counsellor, and co-founder of Sacred Circle Wellness, Francine reflects on the medicine wheel and the interconnection of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. She shares how sacred medicines offered a reminder to a return to balance, self-care, cultural practice, and belonging.

This conversation moves beyond individual wellness into collective healing — examining how relationship, reciprocity, and cultural remembrance are essential foundations for true wellbeing.

Episode 34: Rehearsing Death: Psychedelics and the Art of Letting Go with Susan Wright

December 21st, 2025  |  40 mins 28 secs

Rielle Capler hosts this episode of the MAPS Canada podcast for a conversation with Susan Wright to explore how psychedelics can transform our understanding of life and death. In this deep and intimate conversation, Susan shares her own visionary experiences — from glimpses of other realms to encounters with loved ones — and reflects on how these journeys can serve as rehearsals for the great mystery beyond. Together, they discuss the courage to face what we cannot see, and how exploring consciousness opens us to new dimensions of being.