Brain and Behavior
February 1, 2026
Rachel Ham, John Gardner, Adrian Carter et al.
1 citation
Although commonly used in psychedelic-assisted therapy, the role of therapeutic touch remains loosely defined and ethically sensitive. Gaining insight into how participants experience and interpret touch during psychedelic sessions is essential for informing safe and effective clinical practice. Participants were sampled from a large randomized clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy that...
medRxiv
November 17, 2025
Georgia Ioakimidis-Macdougall, John Gardner, Paul Liknaitzky
preprint
Abstract First-hand experience with psychedelics may help clinicians develop skills and knowledge needed to work with the profound changes to conscious awareness occasioned by psychedelics. However, the topic remains contentious and underexplored. In this world-first study, we investigated the utility of psilocybin experiential therapist training in a sample of 14 mental healthcare...
September 26, 2025
Rachel Ham, John Gardner, Adrian Carter et al.
preprint
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) frequently utilises a “cotherapy” model, in which two therapists jointly support participants or patients through preparation, dosing, and integration sessions. While common in clinical trials, the experience of cotherapy from the participant perspective remains underexplored. This qualitative study examined experiences of cotherapy within a trial of...
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
August 7, 2025
N Brittain, Nicholas Higgins, Mary Barber et al.
4 citations
The rapid growth in psychedelic research raises novel ethical challenges for both research and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Despite these challenges, there is no consensus among researchers, clinicians, patients, and regulators on how these ethical issues may be avoided or managed. This study aimed to identify key ethical issues in psychedelic research and practice in the literature. A scoping...
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
2025
Diana McHerron, Michaela Barber, Rachel Ham et al.
Physical touch is often included as a supportive or therapeutic tool in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), involving instrumental forms of physical contact, supportive touch and somatic techniques. However, participants under the influence of psychedelics have reduced capacity to provide consent, are more suggestible and may experience and interpret therapeutic touch in ways they did not...
J Bioeth Inq
October 4, 2024
Michaela Barber, John Gardner, Adrian Carter
12 citations
Background Psychedelic medicine is a rapidly growing area of research and policy change. Australia recently became the first country to legalize the prescription of psychedelics and serves as a case study of issues that may emerge in other jurisdictions. Despite their influence as a stakeholder group, there has been little empirical exploration of psychedelic researchers' views on the...
Psychol Psychother
September 16, 2024
Michaela Barber, John Gardner, Paul Liknaitzky et al.
3 citations
BACKGROUND: Policy changes in Australia mean that psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is now available to consumers outside of clinical trials. Yet, the regulatory frameworks guiding the practice of PAT are underdeveloped, and the evidence base for guiding clinical practice is diverse and emerging, resulting in anticipated challenges in translation to community practice. Mental health clinicians...
SSM - Qualitative Research in Health
November 30, 2022
Michaela Barber, John Gardner, Adrian Carter
5 citations
Clinical and basic science research with psychedelics is a nascent but rapidly growing field. Historically, psychedelics research has faced setbacks due to overenthusiasm, methodological challenges, and conflicting worldviews. This can in part be attributed to the dual heritages of spiritualism and science that ground western psychedelic use. Through semi-structured interviews with Australian...
The International journal on drug policy
September 1, 2020
Michaela Barber, John Gardner, Michael Savic et al.
16 citations
Background Ibogaine is a psychedelic drug used by for-profit clinics and lay-people to treat addiction, despite some reported fatalities and a lack of rigorous clinical research. Little is known about ibogaine therapy from a consumer perspective. Online discussions generate and disseminate information about ibogaine therapy and provide a window into how people understand ibogaine's risks and...
International Journal of Drug Policy
May 25, 2019
John Gardner, Adrian Carter, Kerry O’Brien et al.
23 citations
Recent clinical studies illustrate that psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin may represent much-needed new treatment options for mood disorders and alcohol and other drug use disorders. More clinical studies are required to confirm the safety and efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies, but the cultural stigma that has surrounded psychedelics since the 1960s has hindered research. This...