Candida Maurer, Ph.D.

Dr. Maurer has integrated mind-body psychotherapy, holistic philosophy, hypnosis, dreamwork, and energy medicine into a powerful combination that has proven to be the healing key for many people. A gifted teacher, she has been on the adjunct faculty of The University of Iowa where she taught dream analysis, Jungian theory, psychological theory, hypnotherapy, and practicum. She is published in the area of pain management and hypnosis.

“I have spent over 45 years studying psychology within myself and others, and bring a wealth of experience, understanding, and compassion to helping people change the underlying patterns that bind them. I have been interested in a holistic approach to healing throughout my life and it was natural for me to seek integrative methods for psychological healing once I became a psychotherapist. As part of my training, my personal experiences with alternative medicine propelled me to study extensively in the field of bio-energetic medicine and how it intersects with psychology. I came to see that the body is an extension of the mind on the physical plane and that bodily symptoms have psychological meaning. I have studied meditation, dream analysis, energy medicine, and hypnosis in depth, and I believe that access to the unconscious mind is what allows healing to occur.

During various classes in Reiki, Healing Touch, Quantum Healing, yoga, qigong, etc., I witnessed many people transforming aspects of themselves that had seemed to be stuck. When we feel stuck, we are generally caught in a pattern of thought, feeling, and behavior that seems unmovable. These patterns are held in the body-mind in a such a way that they are usually operating unconsciously. Even though we understand our problems, understanding alone does not solve them, and we continue to be stuck in outmoded ways of being.

Symptoms such as depression and anxiety surface to show us that we are out of alignment with our true self.  But often, bodily symptoms hold the key to our inner process, and we can learn to tap into the body’s messages to understand all aspects of ourselves more deeply. When we learn to work with our bodies, our minds, and our spirits in a manner that honors each level of experience, our symptoms begin to disappear. It is through practices such as meditation, dream analysis, energy balancing, hypnosis, and psychedelic integration that we become aware of our patterns and our innate healing potential.

I feel that my task is to help others find and activate their own inner wisdom. I firmly believe that the medicine of the future will include the understanding of the energies in and around our bodies as holding the vital link to our health. When we are in alignment with these energies in our bodies and in our field, we are balanced and centered. This experience allows us to transcend the patterns of personality that have kept us from finding our true Self and we are led to healing and wholeness.”

Guiding Psychedelic Psychotherapy

Dr. Maurer has been Certified in Psychedelic Therapy and Research since 2019, and is the first person in Iowa to receive this certification. Until the end of 2024, she was the lead therapist and research scientist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in the Department of Psychiatry doing research in psychedelic therapy for people with Alcohol Use Disorder.

Psychedelics are being used by millions of people to awaken from ordinary consciousness. Unfortunately, the extraordinary experience of these medicines requires good preparation and integration in order to have its best effects. Without this level of careful attention to the process, the profound understanding that occurs during a psychedelic experience fades away. It is through various preparation and integration practices that the true benefit of these medicines can be activated.

“Psychedelic awakening has long been an interest of mine which was sparked by experiences in my 20’s. These were life-changing touchstones for the possibility of expanded consciousness, and it was these experiences which led me to pursue my doctorate in psychology. These experiences also inspired me to pursue continuing education in alternative medicine. My foundational belief is that increasing our level of awareness allows us to come to a greater sense of wholeness.”

Psychedelics, or entheogens (a term used to describe substances which allow us to find the God within), have been used for millennia to allow people to have direct contact with other states of reality. A variety of entheogens are being used by millions of people to explore the vast realms of extraordinary experiences that allow us to heal ourselves. The entheogens that became popular in the 1960’s inspired millions to seek greater awareness through psychedelics and other “spiritual technologies” such as meditation, yoga, dreamwork, and depth psychology.

Now, psychedelic medicines are being seriously studied for relief of mental illnesses such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addictions, anxiety, serious illness, and end-of-life issues. The research that is being conducted around the country has been extraordinarily promising.

Since psychedelics are still illegal, many people are ingesting these substances on their own or in group settings that may or may not support long term psychological or spiritual transformation. It is only through careful intention setting, guidance, and integration that the full value of psychedelic experiences can be accessed.

I will be teaching a certification class on Guiding Psychedelic Therapy at the Heartland Yoga studio from February 7 – May 31.

The intention for my practice and my teaching is to create a space for the soul to flourish.
Email Dr. Maurer for more information: candidasart@gmail.com