Personal Psychedelic Experience as a Training Qualification for Facilitators: A Thematic Analysis of Qualitative Interviews with Psilocybin Experts
Ar Wilson-Poe, Ka Hoffman, Jb Luoma, Cs Stauffer, Kellie Pertl, Alissa Bazinet, Dennis McCarty, Philip Todd Korthuis
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs September 13, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2401982 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 36 |
| Population | Experts with at least 5 years' experience facilitating psilocybin experiences in ceremonial settings, indigenous practices, or clinical trials |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Thematic analysis Qualitative research Hallucinogen Qualitative analysis Medical education Applied psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | Experts with extensive experience facilitating psilocybin services largely view first-hand psychedelic experience as an important qualification for facilitators, though one participant questioned its necessity. |
Abstract
Emerging legal frameworks in Oregon and Colorado license facilitators to support adults receiving psychedelic services. The current legal frameworks are silent regarding facilitators' personal experience with psychedelics. An e-Delphi process recruited 36 experts with at least 5 years' experience facilitating psilocybin experiences in ceremonial settings, indigenous practices, or clinical trials. Respondents completed in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews via secure web links. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Experts with a mean of 15.2 (SD 13.1) years' experience providing psilocybin services expressed the importance of first-hand experience with psychedelics as a qualification for the emerging workforce. One participant questioned the necessity of personal psychedelic experience. Experts suggested that personal experience may indirectly support high-quality care because it enhances facilitators' personal wellbeing, and may help facilitators understand the complexity and nature of their clients' psychedelic experiences. Novel state-legal psychedelic paradigms create a real-world opportunity to assess associations between facilitators' personal psychedelic experience and the safety and outcomes of psychedelic services.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression enrolled in an open-label trial of psilocybin | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Adults aged 22 to 69 with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
| Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Participants who completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study | 2018 | Qualitative follow-up study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis | n = 12 |
| Response of cluster headache to psilocybin and LSD Cluster headache patients who used psilocybin or LSD | 2006 | Qualitative study | n = 53 |
| Cancer at the Dinner Table: Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Distress Adult participants with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis | 2017 | Qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis | n = 13 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Prolonged adverse effects from repeated psilocybin use in an underground psychedelic therapy training program: a case report BMC Psychiatry February 28, 2025
- The Emergence of Psilocybin in Psychiatry and Neuroscience Pharmaceuticals April 9, 2025
- Oregon’s Emerging Psilocybin Services Workforce: A Survey of the First Legal Psilocybin Facilitators and Their Training Programs Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 29, 2025
- Improving Best Practice Indicators for Psilocybin Assisted Therapy Using a Mul-tiphase Mixed Methods Delphi Study International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches April 30, 2025
- Working with post-psychedelic difficulties: a meta-aggregation of users’ experiences and implications for counselling practice Counselling Psychology Quarterly September 27, 2026
and 6 more in the library
Cites 25
- Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction Journal of Psychopharmacology September 11, 2014
- Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder JAMA Psychiatry August 24, 2022
- Psychedelics, Mystical Experience, and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychiatry July 12, 2022
- Long-term effects of psychedelic drugs: A systematic review Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews March 16, 2020
- Therapeutic Alliance and Rapport Modulate Responses to Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology March 31, 2022
and 20 more in the library