Abstract: Background and aims: In Western clinical contexts, dissociation is a common transdiagnostic response to overwhelm and is highly relevant to integration capacity. In psychedelic-assisted therapy (PaT), non-ordinary states may open access to emotionally intense material while also activating protective distance when the experience outpaces coping capacity. This article introduces a...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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.
Introduction: This perspective on experiential training delves into the potential benefits and counterarguments related to integrating firsthand experience of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PaT) to enhance the competency of trainees. The Case for Experiential Training as a Core PaT Competency: Experiential training serves a dual purpose: promoting therapists' mental wellness and refining their...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...