Dr. Melissa Barker, EdD

Dr. Melissa Barker, EdD is an entrepreneur, activist, and emerging voice in the growing psychedelics movement. Dr. Barker is the founder of The Phoenix Project, a community-led mental health tech platform created by survivors for survivors.

Dr. Barker’s personal experience of sexual violence and her resulting PTSD diagnosis led her to explore such modalities as somatic therapy, IFS, and mindfulness-based psychotherapy. She eventually discovered the incredible therapeutic power of psychedelics and began implementing them to integrate her trauma.

Her experiences with ketamine, MDMA/MDA, psilocybin, and LSD (alongside her work helping other survivors) spurred her into a deeper understanding of what healing from sexual trauma, abuse and violence means for women, particularly in today’s current climate.