Saj's Personal Statement
My mission at PSI has always and will always be to provide a highly attuned, highly relational space in which any and all students who want to learn to work with psychedelic medicines for trauma can do so. My response email regarding training an Israeli applicant was anything but the core of that mission. Instead, it was emotional, reactive and completely unacceptable. I deeply regret that I did not respond from the non-discriminatory, inclusive, healing role PSI takes as an organization. I am truly sorry.
I genuinely regret my words and actions that I know deeply hurt the Israeli and Jewish communities, and I know there are many incredible people in Israel searching for peace and healing from trauma. All people deserve access to healing, and I led with the part of myself that had lost connection to that truth.
While this is no excuse, I just wanted you to know that my father passed away a few days before all of this happened, and things were pretty bad leading up to it. Because he and I were estranged, I thought this situation was not affecting me. I’m only now seeing how this was hitting me like a ton of bricks the entire time… numbing me out, triggering me, distorting my thoughts, distorting my judgements…and it was from that place that I made the awful decision to send this divisive and harmful response to an applicant who was sincerely desiring to bring PSI to help the suffering in Israel.
I need to also express that my response to the applicant is in no way a reflection of the PSI instructors, who do incredible work every day around the world. This was a result of my actions alone, and I take full ownership of that mistake.
I would like to extend a bridge to the Israeli healing communities that would like to work with us. I am seeking avenues to learn and repair this rupture. This is just the start of what I consider to be a much longer journey, and I appreciate you taking the time to read my words. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.
- Saj Razvi
PSI Instructors' Statement
Questions & Answers
Below are some questions we’ve received regarding this incident that I’d like to provide my personal response to. All these responses are completely my own and do not reflect the opinions of the PSI instructors or the core beliefs of PSI as an organization.
Q: Where did the hate in that message stem from?
A: The anger in my words came from my own heartbreak at what I see happening in the world. It was my own emotional, reactive place, and I deeply regret that I let it make it’s way into my role at PSI. I failed to step back and recognize just how much healing the people of Israel also need and deserve given the trauma they have faced. All people deserve access to healing, and I lost sight of that truth.
Q: Are you really unwilling to conduct a training in Israel?
A: I am absolutely willing to lead a training in Israel, but I would also like to immediately explore ways to connect with their reality and broaden my own education of what those communities have endured. There is profound, ongoing suffering there that knows no borders.
Q: Have you apologized to the individual directly?
A: It’s very important to me to respect the privacy of the individual involved, and therefore, I will not speak to our communications in detail. I can say I have expressed my sincere apology, my desire for repair, and to learn and grow from this incident.
Q: What are you doing to grow from this?
A: I am exploring several avenues of education and growth related to this, as it is extremely important to me to face my own beliefs and ensure I am open and understanding of other people’s perspectives on such a polarizing topic. First and foremost, I wanted to start by acknowledging and owning my mistake, and from here, I can work on how to relate to a group I have seen as ‘other’.
Q: Are your instructors okay with this?
A: The PSI instructors have already distributed a joint letter separating their beliefs from my mistake, which I am grateful they did. They do not deserve any responsibility for my personal and emotional words and actions, nor do any PSI employees/contractors. I am proud that they made their thoughts, their upset, their concerns clear to me and they have stayed true to PSI’s mission. They stayed true where I failed and I feel regret at making anyone feel alienated, dismissed, undeserving or unwelcomed.