Dr. Ben Sessa is a child and adolescent psychiatrist working in adult addiction services. He is also a key player in the evolving world of psychedelic psychotherapy in the United Kingdom. In his keynote address, he discusses the role of childhood trauma in addictions.

He also speaks to how MDMA selectively inhibits the fear response, why mystical experiences occasioned by psychedelics can help people break out of abusive patterns, the challenges inherent in working with at-risk populations, and why he recommends a multi-factorial approach to modern psychiatry.