Like many, Xavier Rousset looked fine on the outside. But inside, he was struggling with contentment in life. Despite doing everything “right”; therapy, working, exercising, staying social — something was missing. He felt disconnected: from purpose, direction, and his place in the world. He couldn’t access the beauty of life. He wasn’t sure why. Then one day, he was given a square of psilocybin mushroom-infused chocolate. What followed wasn’t euphoria. It was clarity.
A Trip to Transformation begins with an act of outlawed healing and unfolds into a deeply personal, globally resonant exploration of the future of mental health. What if psychedelics could be used proactively, to help us stay connected to ourselves, to others, and to life? And why are some of the most promising tools for psychological well-being still criminalised?
Xavier partners with visionary psychiatrist; Dr. Nigel Strauss, together they walk through meet Australians shut out of the system, people not “sick enough” for care, yet still suffering. Although psychedelic-assisted therapy has been recently legalised in Australia, access remains extremely restricted: only those diagnosed with severe mental illness may qualify, and the cost is prohibitively expensive for most.
Unable to access healing at home, Xavier travels to legal retreats in the Netherlands and U.S., where science-backed experiences in nature offer a more inclusive, proactive approach to staying well, not just treating illness. This global journey reveals what mental health care could become: a model rooted in connection, guided by both ancient wisdom and emerging science.
Told through humour, heartbreak, and lush imagery, the film reveals psychedelics’ deeper potential; not just to fix us after we break, but to keep us connected before we do. With a cheeky sense of humour, the film delves into the serious, yet often absurd, realities of mental health and healing, creating space for lightness amidst profound transformation.