Ian Cook

Psychedelic Patient Advocate, Founder of the Lawrence, Kansas Psychedelic Society and Alva Dean Consulting

Ian Cook is a poet, musician, and artist living in Lawrence, Kansas. He lives with his partner Maddie, pups Mildred and Cordelia, and rats Remy, Charlie, Alfie, and Grandpa. Ian is the founder of the Lawrence Psychedelic Society and consults through Alva Dean Consulting.

Ian entered into the psychedelic space in earnest following a loved one's mental health crisis with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, which first manifested due to abuse by their partner with psychedelics (that also lacked proper care and support). Ian himself lives with Bipolar 1 and Depression, having undergone Ketamine treatment with his own preparation and integration protocols. He has found effective systems for living with his conditions through creative expression, poetry, art, music, breath-work, meditation, journaling, and communing with Source in his regular practice. As a result of his experiences and those of his loved one, Ian focuses his consulting work on patient advocacy, community building, education on the basics of psychedelics, awareness, safety, risk reduction, and the importance of preparation and integration. 

In his work Ian hopes to honor his Chinese/Indonesian matronage, which instills in him his sense of belief and respect for spirit. Ian is also inspired by his paternal grandmother, Ruth, of Swedish descent who was a nurse, and his grandfather, Alva Dean, of German descent who was a psychiatrist and treated veterans with PTSD through the VA (after after serving in the Navy and completing a residency at the Menninger Clinic when it was based in Topeka, Kansas). Ian's grandparents serve as a model for the clinical side of his work, and his approach to consulting in the psychedelic and mental health space, focusing on the experience of the patient and helping to develop a unique protocol for the unique individual.