Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy preparing your target using psychohistoriography: a Jamaican perspective
Winston de la Haye, Geoffrey Walcott, Jordan Eaton, Jhoelle Beckford, Janelle Greene
Frontiers in Psychiatry June 29, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1136990 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Psilocybin Psychohistoriographic Brief Therapy |
| Dose | micro-doses of crushed, dried psilocybin mushrooms |
| Duration | 8-week outpatient process, followed by supervised in-office dose in the 9th week |
| Topics | Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychedelic assisted psychotherapy New frontier Psychedelics Psychohistoriography Mental health treatment Psilocybin research Innovative psychiatry Caribbean medicine |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key points | Proposes that the De La Haye psilocybin Treatment Protocol (DPTP), combining microdoses of psilocybin with Psychohistoriographic Brief Therapy, could be a viable treatment approach in Jamaica. |
Abstract
The efficacy of psilocybin and other psychedelics as modes of treatment have been demonstrated through clinical trials and other studies in the management of a number of mental illnesses, including some treatment resistant cases. In Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP), psychedelics catalyze or enhance the experience fostered by psychotherapeutic methods. Psychohistoriographic Brief Psychotherapy, conceptualized by the late Professor Frederick Hickling in the 1970′s in Kingston, Jamaica, offers a pathway for exploration in the Jamaican context. Applied to individuals, Psychohistoriographic Brief Therapy (PBT) has already shown success in patients with personality disorders in Jamaica through a process which includes documenting life experiences in a psychohistoriogram. In the De La Haye psilocybin Treatment Protocol (DPTP), micro-doses of crushed, dried psilocybin mushrooms are taken throughout an 8-week outpatient process of documenting the components of the psychohistoriogram, making use of the increased openness and empathy associated with the use of psychedelic agents. These sessions are followed by supervised in-office therapeutic/mystical doses of crushed, dried psilocybin mushrooms in the 9th week. Given the legal status and availability of psilocybin containing products in a few countries like Jamaica, there is a potential role for a regulated psychedelic industry contributing to the body of useful and rigorous clinical research which is needed in this area. Clients could benefit as we venture into this new frontier in psychiatry.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The influence of therapists’ first-hand experience with psychedelics on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research and therapist training | 2018 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Yale Manual for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy of Depression (using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Therapeutic Frame) | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy for treating anxiety, depression, and existential distress in people with life-threatening diseases Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews September 11, 2024
- Psilocybin for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease Frontiers in Neuroscience July 10, 2024
- Toward Standardized Products Containing Biomass of Psilocybe Cubensis Fungi Journal of AOAC International August 13, 2025
- The effect of casing and gypsum on the yield and psychoactive tryptamine content of Psilocybe cubensis (Earle) Singer. Fungal biology February 1, 2024
- Assessing readiness for implementation of psychedelic-assisted mental health therapy, in low- and middle-income countries Journal of Psychedelic Studies September 4, 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 32
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
and 27 more in the library