{"id":67495,"date":"2025-09-24T18:18:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T01:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/?p=67495"},"modified":"2025-09-24T18:33:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T01:33:40","slug":"psychedelic-salon-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/psychedelic-salon-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"An Interview with Psychedelic Salon Curator, April Pride"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

April Pride, CEO and Founder of psychedelic education platform SetSet<\/strong>, has long been at the forefront of conversations about cannabis, women\u2019s health, and now, psychedelics.<\/strong> With the launch of season two of her Psychedelic Salon <\/strong>series, she\u2019s creating a space for nuanced, community-centered conversations that highlight diverse voices and real-world experiences. We spoke with April about what inspired the Salon, how she chooses her speakers, and what she hopes audiences will take away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"Headshot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is your background in psychedelics?
<\/strong>Four years ago, my choice to begin creating education within the psychedelic space was driven by consumer protection. Prior to that, my work for the past decade has been focused on cannabis and women\u2019s health \u2014 and I saw the impact cannabis education had on more positive outcomes. Through my podcast, SetSet<\/a>, I\u2019ve had the chance to speak with clinicians, researchers, and everyday people about how these substances are reshaping our understanding of mental health and personal growth. I\u2019ve also designed products and experiences to help people \u2014 especially women \u2014 engage with psychoactive substances in safer, more intentional ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What prompted you to create the Psychedelic Salon series?
<\/strong>When I looked around at the public conversation on psychedelics, I noticed three gaps. First, most of what we hear is either highly clinical \u2014 focused on FDA trials \u2014 or highly sensationalized. I wanted something in between: accessible, nuanced conversations that reflect the real-world ways people are exploring psychedelics. Second, women\u2019s voices were largely absent from the stage. So I created the Salon as a space to highlight diverse perspectives, foster dialogue, and make these conversations approachable for anyone who\u2019s curious. Lastly, outside of the psychedelic experience itself, the most profound impact of these medicines is the community of like minds that they foster. The Salon allows us to gather IRL!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have a piece of advice for anyone interested in attending a Salon?
<\/strong>Come with curiosity, and maybe even a little skepticism. You don\u2019t need to have personal experience with psychedelics to get something out of these conversations. Many attendees don\u2019t, but they\u2019re hearing about the experiences of their friends or reading headlines. The Salon isn\u2019t about convincing anyone \u2014 it\u2019s about widening the lens, hearing stories, and walking away with more thoughtful questions than you came with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there a piece of film or other media that gets the psychedelic experience right?
<\/strong>I don\u2019t think any piece of media can fully replicate the depth of a psychedelic experience \u2014 because so much of it is internal, ineffable, and shaped by our psyche. Unless you\u2019re choosing to experience psychedelics while in nature, including an audio track of music or spoken word is critical to optimizing an altered state of consciousness. A few years ago, I collaborated with Seattle electronic music makers to create audio to listen to while under the influence of psychedelics. Music for mushroom journeys is\u00a0here<\/a>,\u00a0and soundtracks for LSD and MDMA are\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you choose the speakers for each Salon?
<\/strong>I start with science-driven topics that are trending among my Substack<\/a> readers and in my 1:1 conversations. When a specific theme is repeatedly circulating in my newsfeeds and conversations, I note it as likely of interest to a broad group of people within the psychedelic-curious community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding speakers is the tricky part because an expert may not be based in Seattle, so sometimes a Salon theme is reworked to align with the expertise of local talent. To forge a true Seattle psychedelic community, keeping the Salon hyperlocal is essential, and this will carry through into new markets as the Salon tours the US in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0What do you hope audience members will take away from these conversations?
<\/strong>I hope that people leave feeling both more informed and more connected. Psychedelics are ultimately about relationship \u2014 with ourselves, with others, and with the natural world. If someone leaves a Salon with a more profound sense of connection, or even just a curiosity to keep exploring, then I feel like we\u2019ve done our job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Floral<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

April will be curating Psychedelic Salons throughout our 2025-26 season. Each event highlights unique themes \u2014 including grief, seniors, menopause, and more \u2014 emphasizing the role of psychedelics in mental health, spiritual growth, and personal optimization. Designed to be inclusive and insightful, this series invites attendees of all backgrounds to discover how psychedelics can foster profound connections, healing, and well-being.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click the button below to learn more and get tickets!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
LEARN MORE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

April Pride, CEO and Founder of psychedelic education platform SetSet<\/strong>, has long been at the forefront of conversations about cannabis, women\u2019s health, and now, psychedelics.<\/strong> With the launch of season two of her Psychedelic Salon <\/strong>series, she\u2019s creating a space for nuanced, community-centered conversations that highlight diverse voices and real-world experiences. We spoke with April about what inspired the Salon, how she chooses her speakers, and what she hopes audiences will take away.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What is your background in psychedelics?
<\/strong>Four years ago, my choice to begin creating education within the psychedelic space was driven by consumer protection. Prior to that, my work for the past decade has been focused on cannabis and women\u2019s health \u2014 and I saw the impact cannabis education had on more positive outcomes. Through my podcast, SetSet<\/a>, I\u2019ve had the chance to speak with clinicians, researchers, and everyday people about how these substances are reshaping our understanding of mental health and personal growth. I\u2019ve also designed products and experiences to help people \u2014 especially women \u2014 engage with psychoactive substances in safer, more intentional ways.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What prompted you to create the Psychedelic Salon series?
<\/strong>When I looked around at the public conversation on psychedelics, I noticed three gaps. First, most of what we hear is either highly clinical \u2014 focused on FDA trials \u2014 or highly sensationalized. I wanted something in between: accessible, nuanced conversations that reflect the real-world ways people are exploring psychedelics. Second, women\u2019s voices were largely absent from the stage. So I created the Salon as a space to highlight diverse perspectives, foster dialogue, and make these conversations approachable for anyone who\u2019s curious. Lastly, outside of the psychedelic experience itself, the most profound impact of these medicines is the community of like minds that they foster. The Salon allows us to gather IRL!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Do you have a piece of advice for anyone interested in attending a Salon?
<\/strong>Come with curiosity, and maybe even a little skepticism. You don\u2019t need to have personal experience with psychedelics to get something out of these conversations. Many attendees don\u2019t, but they\u2019re hearing about the experiences of their friends or reading headlines. The Salon isn\u2019t about convincing anyone \u2014 it\u2019s about widening the lens, hearing stories, and walking away with more thoughtful questions than you came with.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Is there a piece of film or other media that gets the psychedelic experience right?
<\/strong>I don\u2019t think any piece of media can fully replicate the depth of a psychedelic experience \u2014 because so much of it is internal, ineffable, and shaped by our psyche. Unless you\u2019re choosing to experience psychedelics while in nature, including an audio track of music or spoken word is critical to optimizing an altered state of consciousness. A few years ago, I collaborated with Seattle electronic music makers to create audio to listen to while under the influence of psychedelics. Music for mushroom journeys is\u00a0here<\/a>,\u00a0and soundtracks for LSD and MDMA are\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How do you choose the speakers for each Salon?
<\/strong>I start with science-driven topics that are trending among my Substack<\/a> readers and in my 1:1 conversations. When a specific theme is repeatedly circulating in my newsfeeds and conversations, I note it as likely of interest to a broad group of people within the psychedelic-curious community. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Finding speakers is the tricky part because an expert may not be based in Seattle, so sometimes a Salon theme is reworked to align with the expertise of local talent. To forge a true Seattle psychedelic community, keeping the Salon hyperlocal is essential, and this will carry through into new markets as the Salon tours the US in 2026.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0What do you hope audience members will take away from these conversations?
<\/strong>I hope that people leave feeling both more informed and more connected. Psychedelics are ultimately about relationship \u2014 with ourselves, with others, and with the natural world. If someone leaves a Salon with a more profound sense of connection, or even just a curiosity to keep exploring, then I feel like we\u2019ve done our job.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Floral<\/a><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

April will be curating Psychedelic Salons throughout our 2025-26 season. Each event highlights unique themes \u2014 including grief, seniors, menopause, and more \u2014 emphasizing the role of psychedelics in mental health, spiritual growth, and personal optimization. Designed to be inclusive and insightful, this series invites attendees of all backgrounds to discover how psychedelics can foster profound connections, healing, and well-being.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Click the button below to learn more and get tickets!<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
LEARN MORE<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67677,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-interview-conversation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townhallseattle.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}