Dr Simon Amar
Dr. Simon Amar is a consultant psychiatrist with extensive expertise in psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy. He completed his medical degree and psychiatry specialty training at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Following his residency, he spent four years at the McGill University Health Centre, a leading tertiary care institution, before establishing a private practice focused on psychotherapy for depression, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders.
In 2016, Dr. Amar began working with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) as a Principal Investigator, setting up the Montreal site for the Phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, where he also served as a therapist.
After relocating to Melbourne in December 2021, Dr. Amar joined the Psychedelic Research Lab at Monash University, contributing as a core therapist to groundbreaking clinical trials, including psilocybin-assisted therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, and a multi-site trial of 5-MeO-DMT-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression. In the latter, he serves as both a therapist and mentor for the three Australian trial sites.
Dr. Amar has also played a pivotal role in advancing psychedelic therapy training in Australia, leading the Monash team that hosted two MAPS MDMA-assisted therapy training programs for Australian clinicians. He continues to supervise and mentor Authorized Prescribers and therapists involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy programs across the country.
Beyond his professional endeavours, Dr. Amar is deeply passionate about fatherhood, community building, conscious dance, men’s work, healing, and connecting with nature.
