Zoe Marshall Reveals MDMA Therapy Insights and Reactions

Zoe Marshall has revealed she spent tens of thousands of dollars on MDMA-assisted therapy, admitting husband Benji Marshall feared she could . 

Marshall underwent the intensive psychedelic treatment over several months in the hope it would help alleviate her mental health struggles.

The self-described 'manifestation master' lives with obsessive compulsive diisorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and emetophobia, a debilitating fear of vomiting.

'It is huge, I'm going to say one of the biggest things I have done in my life,' she said of her treatment in a video posted to social media.

'It's been legal now for two years. I first heard about this treatment when I interviewed someone on my podcast, and you have to meet very strict assessment criteria to be able to do it.'

But Zoe said the idea initially raised concerns for her husband, coach Benji Marshall, who was uneasy about her using a substance more commonly associated with recreational drug use.

'He was worried I'd become addicted or that it would have lasting negative impacts on my life,' she said in an interview with The New York Times.

She also revealed the treatment came with a hefty price tag, which she declined to disclose.

'It is eye-wateringly expensive,' she said. 'I don't even feel comfortable sharing how much money it is. It's insane.'

While full costs are not advertised online, programs conducted under the supervision of psychologists typically start at around $30,000

In addition to the treatment itself, Zoe said there were many other financial considerations.

'I knew going into this experience I would need time off, and so that has required so much logistics – taking time off work, flying grandparents in and a lot of downtime, a lot of investment.'

She also paid for someone to accompany her after her therapy sessions while Benji cared for their children at home.

Australia became the first country in the world to legalise and .

In a clinical environment, MDMA can significantly reduce activity in the brain's fear centre, allowing patients to confront and discuss deeply painful memories without triggering overwhelming anxiety.

Zoe spoke openly about taking the medication on three occasions and the extensive preparation required before each session, including packing meaningful mementos to take with her.

Among the items she packed were a T-shirt belonging to her husband that smelt of him, a letter from her four-year-old child, family photographs, sound balls, a childhood teddy bear, crystals, flowers, tea and deodorant.

'I get really hungry, but I can't physically eat. I take deodorant because it gets so stinky.'

She also explained that she is not allowed to go online for several days after a session or discuss the treatment openly because of other people's opinions about the controversial therapy - something she found isolating.

'I noticed with my husband we felt a really huge disconnect,' she said.

'Because we didn't really talk so much about what I was going through, and I think that has to be looked at.'

While many people in the comments section claimed similar treatment could be accessed more cheaply elsewhere, Zoe said that because of her conditions she needed the structure and safety of a highly controlled environment.

'Your medicine day goes for up to eight or nine hours, which is why it's so expensive, because you have two psychologists in the room with you at all times.

'There's multiple reasons for that, but another spiritual kind of source reason is there is female, male, so you can work with both of those archetypes as well when stuff comes up.'

'It's really expensive because you also have a psychiatrist on site who gives you the medicine.

'For someone who has very severe OCD, doing something like a psychedelic overseas or in Byron Bay in someone's yurt, even if they are incredible healers, the OCD part, the control part of me, needs to be able to let go and trust the process.

'It's not going to be in those environments.'

'I completely understand you can do it so much cheaper everywhere else, but I could also have a psychotic breakdown.'