Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Explained
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is a form of therapy where individuals work with licensed therapists to process their psychedelic experiences and find relief from mental health issues. These therapy sessions can be part of a comprehensive psychotherapy process or a more short-term visit to integrate a transformative experience. While therapists cannot administer most psychedelic drugs (except in legal ketamine clinics and clinical trials), they provide support and guidance before and after the experience.
In contrast to coaches, therapists have additional education and clinical training. They may hold advanced degrees such as Ph.D., PsyD., M.S., M.A., LMHC, LICSW, and others. Psychedelic therapists are also qualified to diagnose and treat mental health conditions like anxiety, treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma, eating disorders, and more. Licensed therapists are held accountable by a code of ethics and a licensing board.
Through therapy sessions, trained clinicians help individuals extract valuable insights from their psychedelic journeys, facilitating healing from past traumas, cultivating healthier coping mechanisms, and examining unhealthy thought patterns. Often, psychedelic therapists incorporate psychedelic integration as an integral part of their therapeutic approach, which may also include other forms of therapy such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), somatic therapy, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
