Philadelphia-based Courtney Hutchison (33), a licensed social worker, psychotherapist, and racial justice advocate, provides counseling to students at the Wharton Business School. She is currently a doctoral student in Social Work at Rutgers University and plans to become a clinical social work professor championing psychedelic-assisted therapy and trauma intervention, particularly for marginalized communities. Courtney is affiliated with the West Philly Sound Mind Center and hopes to participate in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training within the next 1-2 years.

“I view the accelerated, profound, and heart-centered effects of psychedelic-assisted therapies as a form of radical resistance to entrenched and intergenerational oppression of many forms, including racism, misogyny, gender-based violence, and capitalistic values,” she says.

When Courtney was a teen, her dad shared how his psychedelic experiences had changed his perspective. In her 20s, she experienced these substances and became endlessly curious about how they shifted her assumptions about reality and consciousness. “I have deep respect for use of these substances in guided, structured ways that maximize the potential for growth, healing, and safety,” she says.

A former medical reporter for ABC News, Courtney earned a Master of Social Service from the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr, a Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Global Environment/Global Health from Brown University.
Connect: @chootchis

The Cosmic Sister Emerging Voices Award (CS EVA) increases visibility for talented newcomers who demonstrate potential in the field of psychedelics. We are pleased to announce the very first CS EVA recipients, in partnership with The Sleeping Octopus Assembly on Psychedelics (@pittsburghsoap) in Pittsburgh, PA, Sep 27-29, 2019.