Magalie Brewer, Psy.D.

Magalie Brewer, PsyD, runs MPB Group, an outpatient mental health clinic in Maryland with offices in Columbia and Laurel. Through Healing Escapes, a company she founded in 2021, she also holds psychedelic retreats with a mental health focus in Jamaica.

Approach

Brewer founded MPB Group in 2003 as a private practice serving youth in therapeutic foster care, and grew it into a state-licensed clinic that trains new clinicians and gained national accreditation from ACHC in 2018. All its clinicians hold master’s or doctoral degrees, and a physician serves as director and psychiatrist. In 2021 the clinic added a psychedelic-assisted treatment programme in the Caribbean. Brewer holds certifications in MDMA work, harm reduction and psychedelic facilitation, and coaches therapists on designing retreats.

Who it is for

MPB Group sees children, teenagers, adults, couples and families, with a focus on trauma, grief, abuse and neglect, attachment injuries, ADHD, OCD, mood disorders, substance use and dual diagnosis. Its training programmes serve emerging clinicians and professionals seeking experiential psychedelic training.

Practical details

The Columbia office is open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 8pm, Friday until 6pm and Saturday until 4pm, and therapy is also offered by telehealth. An initial intake costs $300 and a 45-minute individual session $165, while integration sessions run $120 to $150. Insurers accepted include Maryland Medicaid, Aetna, Cigna and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Retreats last three nights and four days and combine education, group activities, a full-dose session and somatic integration through yoga and massage.

Care and safety

Retreat applicants complete a clinical screening form and an intention questionnaire, which the team reviews before follow-up calls about expectations and experience. Afterwards there is a one-to-one phone call, and clients outside Maryland are referred to an integration specialist. MPB describes Jamaica as a legal setting for its psychedelic training.