Frontiers in Public Health
April 14, 2026
Anthony L. Back, Bonnie A. Mcgregor, Leslie L. Thorn et al.
Introduction: Psilocybin therapy has demonstrated efficacy for cancer-related anxiety and depression, but resource-intensive individual treatment models raise important questions for psychedelic public health about equitable access and scalability. In our prior Phase 1/2 study of group retreat psilocybin therapy for patients with metastatic cancer, we observed partial responders who did not...
Psychedelic Medicine
January 18, 2026
Anthony L. Back, Bonnie A. Mcgregor, Leslie Lazar Thorn et al.
1 citation
Background: Psilocybin is a promising therapy for cancer-related distress, but existing individual treatment models are resource intensive. In this study, we designed and tested a group model of psilocybin therapy for people with metastatic cancer and cancer-related anxiety and depression. Method: Eligibility criteria included metastatic cancer, moderate-to-severe symptoms of anxiety or...
Psychedelic Medicine
December 23, 2025
Anthony L. Back, Bonnie A. Mcgregor, Lindsay Billingsley et al.
1 citation
Background: Psilocybin therapy is an emerging treatment for cancer-related anxiety, depression, and existential distress. Most clinical trials to date have studied individual models of psilocybin therapy, but group models may offer increased access and benefits of community. Purpose: This technical report describes a group facilitation model developed for an food and drug administration...
Psychedelic Medicine
May 8, 2024
Susanna Myers, John Guy, Anthony L. Back et al.
7 citations
For a new clinical trial testing a group retreat-based format of psilocybin-assisted therapy, our research team created an initial set of practice guidelines that aimed to describe facilitator use of touch in a way that is ethical, supportive, and minimizes harm. In our first three retreats, however, we had two unexpected experiences with touch that led us to iterate our initial guidelines into...