Mental Health Frontiers: Psychedelics-Assisted Therapy Workshop with Lina Jan

Psychedelics-assisted therapy research has reached, as Rick Doblin from MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) has put it, a critical mass, meaning that the regulatory bodies have no choice but to consider the evidence when making decisions about the future of mental health care. For the past five decades, the research was mostly funded by interested philanthropists; however, over the last few years, more and more for-profit corporations have been providing funding for these research studies, trusting that they will receive a return on their investment. In December 2023, the Netherlands Health Minister announced a 1.6 million euro state funding for psychedelics-assisted therapy research. In January 2024, the EU appointed 6.5 million euros to fund further psychedelics-assisted therapy research. Due to an overwhelming body of evidence pointing to the efficacy and safety of profiles of substances like MDMA and psilocybin when compared to traditional psychiatric medication, since January 2023, Australia changed its regulations to allow these substances to be prescribed by psychiatrists when combined with talking therapies. There are substantial reasons to believe that psychedelics-assisted therapy will soon be available in the EU and the UK.

Topics covered:

• The current state of evidence – MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine – and current research.
• The set, setting and matrix challenges.
• The current protocols for the preparation and integration stages.
• Ethics when working with expanded states of consciousness and harm reduction. • Contraindication: psychedelics, certain psychiatric disorders and traditional psychiatric medication.
• Therapist-facing and client-facing literature and resources. With psychedelics-assisted therapy becoming more mainstream and gradually receiving more mainstream media coverage, counsellors and psychotherapists may encounter clients asking for their opinions on whether it would be safe for them to try. Whilst currently, it is illegal in the UK and EU to offer psychedelics-assisted therapy due to psychedelics being categorised as Class 1 illicit drugs, there are countries nearby, such as the Netherlands and Portugal, where clients may seek these treatments and experiences. Therapists may help them prepare and, subsequently, integrate the experiences and insights.

This webinar is not designed to fully prepare counsellors and psychotherapists for psychedelics-assisted therapy but to inform them about current developments in the psychedelics-assisted therapy (PAT) field, outline the essential differences between the traditional talking therapy and PAT and equip them with directions to available resources.

Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event

• Learn about the current state of evidence relating to Psychedelics-assisted therapy research
• Learn about the current contraindications and exclusion criteria for Psychedelics-assisted therapy
• Gain a better understanding about the preparation and integration stages of Psychedelics-assisted therapy

Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?

• This workshop is suitable, but not limited to, for counsellors, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, holistic practitioners and coaches.

How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?

• This workshop may help practitioners answer a variety of questions their clients may have and re-direct them to a host of resources. This workshop may also help practitioners be better prepared to help any clients who may have had a psychedelic experience to integrate it into their life.