Dr Krista De Castella

I’ve always been fascinated by how our beliefs shape our experience — whether that’s beliefs about ourselves and others, or even the world and our place in it. I’m a clinical psychologist and psychedelic-assisted therapist (Wild Mind and MAPS trained), and part of the Clinical Psychedelic Lab at Monash University. In this role, I’ve worked with clients using Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression and MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. This includes supporting clients with psychedelic preparation, dosing, integration work and the processing of challenging experiences. In my broader clinical work, I’ve taught mindfulness and meditation (MBSR) to individuals and groups, provided nature-based therapy for neurodiverse kids and worked with adults and couples in a variety of settings in Australia and California.

My approach is grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS-trained) and informed by psychodynamic, humanistic, and attachment-based frameworks. I believe healing happens most deeply when we can compassionately turn toward what’s difficult, within a warm, open, and authentic therapeutic relationship. 

I hold a PhD in Psychology from the Australian National University and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University. I also spent two years as a visiting researcher at Stanford’s Clinically Applied Affective Neuroscience (CAAN) Lab, studying the effects of mindfulness meditation on anxiety and emotion regulation. 

Outside of clinical work, I’m a long-time Zen practitioner and ordained priest in the Soto Zen tradition, as well as an avid martial artist. I have a personal interest in Buddhism, transpersonal psychology and non-ordinary states of consciousness.