Meaghan Buisson
Canadian speed-skating world record holder turned mental health advocate.
Meaghan Buisson is a Canadian former competitive inline and ice speed-skater who holds a world record in the solo marathon. She is also a mental health advocate, researcher, writer, and speaker.
Quick Facts
- Born
- ~42, 2022, 03, 22
- Education
- Thompson Rivers University (BSc); University of Victoria (MSc—in-progress)
- Occupation
- Former inline and ice speed-skater
- ultrarunner
- mental health advocate
- researcher
- writer
- and speaker
- Organization
- BodyWhys Youth Canada (founder and director)
- Years active
- 1999–present
- Known for
- Competitive speed skating
- mental health advocacy and writing
- and work against MDMA-assisted therapy
Facts from the source article.
Speed skating and mental health advocacy
Buisson was a 47-time Canadian national champion in inline speed skating, held 16 Canadian records, earned 11 international medals, and set the world record in the solo marathon in 2006. She later competed in ice speed skating, setting a provincial record, and skated competitively from 1999 until 2010. A traffic ticket for speeding on skates drew news coverage. After retiring due to serious injuries and personal trauma from sexual abuse and assault, she became an ultrarunner and trained for races. Buisson had studied to become a veterinarian but could not complete the program. She worked as a hiking and wilderness guide. She has spoken publicly about her experiences with severe injury, mental health struggles, sexual abuse, homelessness, and poverty. She contributed writing to Mad in America, critiquing psychiatric drugs and describing iatrogenic harm. Her honors thesis at Thompson Rivers University criticized clinical trial methodology for psychiatric drugs. She founded and directed BodyWhys Youth Canada, a mental health charity.
MDMA-assisted therapy trial
In 2013, Gabor Maté referred Buisson for a phase 2 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant PTSD, conducted by MAPS and Lykos Therapeutics (now Resilient Pharmaceuticals). She enrolled in December 2014 and was treated by Donna Dryer, a licensed psychiatrist, and Richard Yensen, whose psychologist license had lapsed in 2009; MAPS required only one licensed person per team. Buisson was the first of a planned twelve patients (eventually six). She spoke positively about the therapy in October 2016. In November 2018, she filed a complaint and civil lawsuit alleging misconduct and sexual abuse by Yensen. The allegations included inappropriate physical contact such as cuddling and spooning during MDMA-influenced sessions, the couple bringing her to live near or with them on Cortes Island, British Columbia, and Yensen having sex with her under the guise of exposure therapy. Buisson stated Yensen administered ketamine outside the trial and pursued sex while she was intoxicated. A publicly released video showed repeated inappropriate contact during trial sessions. Yensen admitted the sexual relationship but claimed it was consensual. Buisson completed her final active dosing session in October 2015, remained enrolled until her final follow-up in June 2016, lived on Cortes Island from June 2015 to May 2017, and the sexual relationship began around late 2015 or early 2016 while she was still in the trial.
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