When Chana Mason, a therapist and author living in Israel, inquired about an apprentice training program with Denver-based Psychedelic Somatic Institute (PSI) so that she could learn how to help Israelis suffering from PTSD, she received the following response via email:
“Thank you for your email and interest in the PSI Apprentice Training Program.
“Under the current circumstance of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and credible accusations of genocide, we are not at this time comfortable engaging with citizens of Israel.”
The email was signed by PSI Enrollment Director Jean Clarin.
Appalled, Chana Mason’s husband Dave Mason, on Feb. 25, posted the rejection on Facebook, which was met with comments expressing outrage and disgust.
Among the commenters was Denver native Ari Hoffman, also a therapist living in Israel. He offered to start a petition through Change.org.
“While I appreciate the right of any business owner to refuse service to whomever they like, I wrote a petition to invite the owner of the institute to connect with some Jews so he can learn more about the situation before making a decision that potentially results in prolonging the suffering of human beings,” Hoffman wrote on Facebook.
As of Monday, March 3, the online petition had been signed by 653 people.
A day after Dave Mason’s Facebook post and Hoffman’s petition, PSI owner Saj Razvi, posted a long statement on the PSI website, which follows:
“Dear PSI, Israeli and larger psychedelic healing communities,
“This is my first public reply to the unfolding conversation regarding PSI’s email response to an Israeli applicant. If you have not seen it, the reply was:
“Thank you for your email and your interest in the PSI Apprentice Training program. Under the current circumstances of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and credible accusations of genocide, we are not at this time comfortable engaging with citizens of Israel.
“I have to begin with an apology to that applicant and the larger Israeli community. I was completely in the wrong by responding to the applicant from my personal, subjective, emotion-filled, reactive opinion instead of recognizing the healing mission that could be accomplished by being inclusive, cooperative and providing trainings for people in the Israeli healing communities.
“All people deserve access to healing, and I led with the part of myself that had lost connection to that truth. This is painfully obvious to me at this moment. I deeply regret that I did not respond from the non-discriminatory, inclusive, healing role PSI should take as an organization.
“While this is no excuse, I wanted to give you some context about what was going on in my world. My father passed away a few days ago, and things were pretty bad leading up to it.
“Because he and I were estranged, I thought this situation was not affecting me, which could not be further from the truth. 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. I was altered and reactive for weeks around my father’s death and didn’t see it. It was from that place that I made this awful decision of sending this divisive and harmful response to an applicant sincerely desiring to bring PSI to help the suffering in Israel.
“So, to the Israeli community, I am deeply sorry. I’m saying this knowing that my ability to feel what is going on for you and your community that I have hurt is still limited. I truly don’t know your reality. What I know is that there are a great many good people in Israel working for peace and the healing of trauma. Ironically, this is the entire mission of PSI.
“It kills me to feel how I have damaged trust in the Israeli, PSI, and larger psychedelic healing communities by adding discrimination and alienation into a conversation that should be about growing trust, understanding and inclusion.
“I also want to say that this was 100% me and my blind process. No one else at PSI, not Jean, not the instructors had any part in this. This letter and everything contained in it is also coming only from me. It’s not being vetted by a lawyer, or a PR firm — it’s unpolished, incomplete and far from perfect. It’s me being as transparent as I can be in owning my shocking error in judgment.
“I want you to know that I am in deep reflection on all of this, and realize that I cannot even begin to understand the larger cultural forces, the historical wounds, the triggers that I may have opened as a result of this.
“What I do know is that the path is not in the direction of more alienation and ‘othering.’ This basic idea was so confusing in my altered state but seems so obvious in the light of day. It seems so obvious that healing and reconciliation do not happen without relationship.
“I can say with clarity that discrimination and exclusion are NOT a part of the culture at PSI, and I would like to extend a bridge to the Israeli healing communities that would like to work with us. I am deeply sorry that my personal process took the path that it did and I ask for your forgiveness.
“In the future, we will be taking steps to make sure any one person’s distortions (especially that of the founder) are checked and vetted by a larger committee.
“I know this is not enough. I’m fully aware that it does not capture the depth of your experience and that of your communities. I am seeking avenues to learn and repair this rupture. I hope this is at least a place to start.
“With deep remorse and apology, Saj Razvi”
Ari Hoffman posted a link to this apology on Facebook and reactions to it were mixed. Some commenters said it was a heartfelt apology, but many others felt Razvi only regretted his response to Chana Mason, but did not apologize for his anti-Semtism.
Dave Mason said:
“I can’t disagree with this more. As my wife Chana told him in her response to his letter, he’s apologizing for acting on his anti-Semitism, not for hating Jews. That is not a step forward, it’s a man who’s been caught trying to save his [ . . . ] without actually changing his beliefs.”
The cover photo on Razvi’s Facebook page depicted a meme with the headline “Israelis use dog to kill Palestinian with Down syndrome in front of his family.” As of March 3, it appears Razvi’s Facebook page has been taken down.
The staff of PSI distanced themselves from Razvi and his rejection of Chana Mason’s application. They posted the following on Instagram:
“On behalf of the instructors at PSI, we wanted to reach out in an attempt to provide clarity around the email from PSI that was sent to Chana that has now gone viral.
“That email was initiated solely by Saj Razvi, the founder of PSI, and in NO way reflects the opinions of any of the PSI instructors. None of us were consulted on it or informed by him that he would be sending that email (via Jean Clarin). Nor has there been any discussion at any point in each of our time working with PSI where any of us instructors have condoned such discrimination. And we can assure you it certainly is not a written PSI policy to endorse such extreme discrimination— we each would not be affiliated with PSI if that was the case.
“In fact, we were and are shocked, angry, deeply saddened, and have lost sleep over this. We each do this work and teach this healing modality because we support healing, compassion, kindness and connection, not hatred.
“To be clear, each and every one of us PSI instructors signing off on this email in NO way supports this anti-Semitism, discrimination and outright splitting and demonizing. This form of discrimination does not align with our individual values or as a training organization. We each have heavy hearts knowing the deep and lasting negative impact on how this model of therapy is seen. But we write this to help differentiate ourselves, the PSIP model, and the Psychedelic Somatic Institute from the political views of Saj Razvi.
“And we hope that those of you reading this can hold them separately as well. We believe the PSIP model holds tremendous hope for healing, and is a much-needed addition to the toolbox of trauma treatment.”
Signed: Daniel Kim. Jackie Meltz. Robin Temple, Harley Conyer, Kari Gleiser, Eric Bowers, Hillary McBride, Majia Lee, Lauren Ampolos, Georgeanna Lewis.
Many online commenters pointed out that the response received by Chana Mason would disqualify PSI from receiving any Colorado state funding or contracts under Colorado’s strong anti-BDS law.
Calls to Razvi and PSI from the Intermountain Jewish News went unanswered.
