Frontiers in Public Health
July 20, 2026
Vivian Wl Tsang, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler et al.
Background Psilocybin-assisted therapy is continuing to show significant positive effects for palliative cancer patients, both in reducing symptoms and improving one’s sense of hope and meaning. Most research has focused on individual therapy models, limiting access and overlooking potential community-based benefits. Methods This qualitative study describes the results of patients experiencing...
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
June 19, 2026
Judith Rohde, Tyler M Moore, Kathryn Walker et al.
Ketamine combined with psychotherapy has shown promise in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but predictors of clinical benefit remain unclear. In this systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA), we examined patient- and treatment-level predictors of PTSD symptom change after combined treatment. Eligible studies combined ketamine with psychotherapy in...
Human Arenas
April 25, 2026
Shannon Dames, Grace Scharf, Vivian W. L. Tsang et al.
Ritual is a cultural-psychological technology that facilitates transitions by establishing safety, trust, and shared meaning. In psychedelic therapy, ritual remains underdeveloped despite the heightened vulnerability and suggestibility inherent in non-ordinary states. Without clear frameworks, ritual applications can become prescriptive or ethically problematic—particularly when elements are...
Molecular Psychiatry
April 1, 2026
Josh Allen, Mujun Sun, Tamara L Baker et al.
1 citation
Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses a significant medical concern, predominantly affecting females. IPV-related brain injuries (IPV-BI), such as mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and non-fatal strangulation (NFS), sustained during physical attacks are common and often repetitive. Chronic neurobehavioral sequalae from IPV-BI are associated with neuroinflammation and impaired neuroplasticity,...
Frontiers in Public Health
January 29, 2026
Vivian W. L. Tsang, Camille Roney, Pamela Kryskow et al.
Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging intervention that combines the administration of psilocybin with structured psychological support to address profound psychological, emotional, and existential distress. Central to this model is the recognition that many forms of suffering-particularly at end of life-are relational in nature and require relational forms of healing. It is our...
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
October 17, 2025
Vivian W. L. Tsang, Megan Kennedy, Tarun Walia et al.
1 citation
OBJECTIVE: Many first responders deal with mental health challenges due to significant work-related stress. Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) has been shown to alleviate the symptoms and improve the lives of those living with PTSD. This qualitative case study explores the impacts of KAT on the firefighters beyond the initial alleviation of their PTSD symptoms. METHODS: Six firefighters who were...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 22, 2025
Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Vivian W. L. Tsang et al.
3 citations
RTT-KaT offers a structured, scalable, evidence-informed, and culturally responsive model that bridges clinical safety with both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems. A longitudinal follow-up study is currently underway to evaluate long-term impact and guide future implementations.
Psychedelic Med (New Rochelle)
September 4, 2024
Shannon Dames, Crosbie Watler, Pamela Kryskow et al.
4 citations
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training: An Argument in Support of Firsthand Experience of Nonordinary States of Consciousness in the Development of Competence.
Scientific Reports
July 17, 2024
Sara de la Salle, Hannes Kettner, Julien Thibault Lévesque et al.
21 citations
Recent clinical trials have found that the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin effectively alleviates anxiodepressive symptoms in patients with life-threatening illnesses when given in a supportive environment. These outcomes prompted Canada to establish legal pathways for therapeutic access to psilocybin, coupled with psychological support. Despite over one-hundred Canadians receiving...
European Psychiatry
April 1, 2024
Shannon Dames, Crosbie Watler, P. Kryskow et al.
1 citation
Introduction This review explores the benefits of incorporating personal experience(s) with non-ordinary states of consciousness as a core component of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PaT) training.The program incorporates an optional experiential training component. We collaborate with professionals affiliated with a Canadian non-profit organization specializing in PaT experiential training. As...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 19, 2023
Nicolas Garel, Jessica Drury, Julien Thibault Lévesque et al.
32 citations
Background Subanesthetic ketamine has accumulated meta-analytic evidence for rapid antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), resulting in both excitement and debate. Many unanswered questions surround ketamine’s mechanisms of action and its integration into real-world psychiatric care, resulting in diverse utilizations that variously resemble electroconvulsive therapy,...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 18, 2023
Emmy Manson, Erin Ryding, Wes Taylor et al.
13 citations
Novel and traditional psychedelic medicines are attracting interest as potential treatments of mental illness. Before psychedelic therapies can be made available in culturally safe and effective ways to diverse peoples, the field must grapple with the complex legacies of colonialism and ongoing clashes between biomedical and Indigenous Ways of Knowing. This article presents results of a pilot...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2023
V. Tsang, Dragos C Razagan, P. Kryskow et al.
10 citations
ABSTRACT The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has increased among healthcare providers, while the effectiveness of conventional treatments remains limited. Ketamine-assisted therapy offers a promising alternative; however, few have integrated ketamine with a group-based therapeutic modality. We report a retrospective, secondary analysis of a 12-week...
European Psychiatry
March 1, 2023
V. W. L. Tsang, R. Moyer, P. Kryskow et al.
2 citations
IntroductionHealthcare practitioners (HCPs) are facing a mental health crisis. Group therapies have long been used to treat symptoms associated with PTSD, anxiety and/or depression, however no studies have investigated the role of implementing group therapy with and without ketamine-assisted therapies (KaT).ObjectivesThe current study investigated the effects of the Roots to Thrive (RTT) group...
European Psychiatry
March 1, 2023
V. W. L. Tsang, Brendan Tao, Shannon Dames et al.
1 citation
IntroductionKetamine has been increasingly used to treat mental health conditions yet there is a lack of safety data on intramuscular (IM) and sublingual (SL) dosing in a community setting. The Roots to Thrive Ketamine assisted Therapy (RTT-KaT) program is a 12-week program with 12 Community of Practice (CoP) group therapy sessions and three ketamine sessions.ObjectivesTo provide preliminary...
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
2023
Vivian W. L. Tsang, Brendan Tao, Shannon Dames et al.
19 citations
In the last few years, ketamine is becoming increasingly common in the treatment of mental health conditions, but there is a lack of safety data informing intramuscular and sublingual dosing in a community-focused group psychotherapy setting. The Roots To Thrive ketamine-assisted therapy (RTT-KaT) program is a unique 12-week RTT-KaT program with 12 community of practice (a form of group...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
January 12, 2022
Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler
38 citations
Amid an international pandemic and a worsening mental health crisis, ketamine-assisted therapy is emerging as a promising solution for those deemed “treatment resistant.” Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are on the rise, with accelerating direct (e.g., burden of suffering) and indirect (e.g., disability/role impairment and impact on family) costs. Psychedelic-assisted...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
2022
Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler
correction
Corrigendum: A Cohort-Based Case Report: The Impact of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Embedded in a Community of Practice Framework for Healthcare Providers with PTSD and DepressionError in Figure/TableIn the published article, there was an error in Figure 2 as published. The PTSD label on the legend that is imbedded in the figure was on the legend component of the figure was posted on the anxiety...