Talking Ayahuasca with Dr. Jeff McNairy
Talking Ayahuasca with Dr. Jeff McNairy

Recovery Rocks

Lisa Smith talks with Dr. Jeff McNairy about ayahuasca, how it may affect addiction and trauma, and what actually happens at his medically licensed retreat. The conversation compares plant medicine with traditional recovery tools and looks at safety, fears and who might benefit.

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29:57•28 Aug 2026

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Ayahuasca, Recovery, and Rethinking Treatment with Dr. Jeff McNairy

Episode Overview

Ayahuasca is presented as addressing both brain chemistry and underlying trauma in addiction, a "two-pronged approach" similar to meds plus therapy.
Rythmia runs a highly structured, medically licensed programme with screening, on-site doctors and nurses, and carefully prescribed dosing.
Guests take part in four ceremonies alongside yoga, breathwork, bodywork and classes designed to help them feel safe and reconnect with themselves.
Dr. Jeff emphasises that difficult emotions and fear can surface, especially around trauma, but staff support people one-to-one through those moments.
Retreat outcomes are tracked, with Dr. Jeff reporting very high self-reported rates of people feeling they "got what they came for" and ongoing aftercare support.

“"Some people are sober, but they’re white‑knuckling their recovery and they’re not really happy people there, but they’re sober."”

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Recovery Rocks tackles that question from a new angle as Lisa Smith talks with Dr. Jeff McNairy, Chief Medical Officer at Rythmia, a medically licensed ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica. This conversation is aimed at people in recovery, those feeling stuck with traditional approaches, and anyone "ayahuasca-curious" who’s also a bit terrified they’ll be the unlucky 2% who has a terrible time.

Lisa is upfront about her 22 years of abstinent, 12‑step-based recovery and ongoing antidepressant use, which sets the stage for a grounded, non-preachy chat about options rather than one-size-fits-all answers. Dr. Jeff explains how his background in mainstream psychiatry and non‑12‑step treatment led him to plant medicine.

He breaks down addiction into two parts – the neurochemical side and the emotional/trauma side – and says ayahuasca can address both: it "resets neurochemistry" and helps people process buried experiences through what he calls a "two‑pronged approach" similar to meds plus therapy. You’ll hear a detailed walk-through of a week at the retreat: medical screening, four night‑time ceremonies, yoga, breathwork, bodywork and a strong emphasis on feeling safe. Dr.

Jeff compares the experience to a lucid dream and jokes that it can feel like "20 years of therapy in a night", while being clear there can be nausea, fear and emotionally intense moments, especially for those with trauma histories. He also talks honestly about the small percentage who feel they didn’t get what they came for, how his team follows up, and why he focuses on helping people reconnect with their "true self" and sense of personal sovereignty.

If you’ve ever wondered whether plant medicine has a place alongside abstinent recovery, this chat might give you plenty to think about. Where do you see yourself on the spectrum between sticking with what works and trying something new?

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