This Rochester event will challenge us to think differently about how we approach mental health
Mental health will be the focus of the second annual installment of the Where the Minds Meet series, hosted by Stationary Astronaut.
The event, to be held this Friday at the Mayo Civic Center, will feature a trio of internationally-recognized speakers who specialize in holistic — and at times unconventional — approaches to health and wellness.
Their talks will touch on topics like overcoming addiction, the use of plant-based medicine, and the role of spiritual healing in healthcare.
“We are bringing the Med City a healing approach towards this epidemic of mental health disorders that we feel people might not have been considered yet,” said Nick McLaughlin, the event organizer and founder of Stationary Astronaut, a local podcast and media brand.
The keynote speech of the one-day conference will come from Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned thinker in the field of addiction. Maté is known for his work on the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, where he spent over a decade helping patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. He has also written four books. In 2018, he was awarded the Order of Canada, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his work on addiction, trauma, the mind-body unity, and the necessity of social change.
The two other physicians scheduled to speak are Dr. Joe Tafur, a family physician who advocates for integrative medical solutions; and Dr. Dennis McKenna, an ethnopharmacologist, author, and founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute. McKenna’s work at the nonprofit institute is focused on the therapeutic uses of psychoactive medicines derived from nature and used in indigenous ethnomedical practices.
Co-hosting the event with McLaughlin will be Giselle Ugarte, a Minnesota-based media personality. Ugarte will talk about themes such as the importance of mental fitness and body positivity.
Tickets to the conference are $39 and can be purchased online. There is also a “full immersion” option that provides attendees an opportunity to participate in a live podcast and discussion panel.
For more information on the event, visit wherethemindsmeet.com.
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.
Cover photo: Dr. Gabor Maté
