Dosing and Therapeutic Conduct in Administration Sessions in Substance-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Systematized Review
Sascha Thal, Michelle Wieberneit, Jason M. Sharbanee, Petra Skeffington, Raimondo Bruno, Tobias Wenge, Stephen Bright
Journal of Humanistic Psychology May 3, 2023 DOI: 10.1177/00221678231168516 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematized review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psycinfo Psychotherapist Medline Psychological intervention Dosing Systematic review Pharmacology |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | Most available evidence on therapeutic conduct during administration sessions with serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens is anecdotal, preventing conclusive statements about best practices. |
Abstract
While the potential of serotonergic psychedelics and related substances as adjuncts in substance-assisted psychotherapy (SAPT) has been investigated for the treatment of several disorders, evidence for the appropriate therapeutic conduct in administration sessions is sparse. In this article, we discuss the current evidence for best therapeutic practice during administration sessions with serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens as adjuncts to psychotherapy. We conducted a systematized review of the literature following PRISMA guidelines. PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Clinical trials, treatment manuals, study protocols, qualitative studies, case studies, descriptive studies, opinion papers, reviews, book chapters, and conference proceedings published until February 1, 2022 were retrieved. The final synthesis included k = 82 sources. Information about substances, dosages, number of administration sessions, issues that are common for clients, different types of experiences, music, and therapeutic conduct was summarized, compared, and critically discussed. The effects different therapeutic models, methods, techniques, and more complex interventions each have on the therapeutic outcome have not been investigated by means of rigorous research. Most of the available evidence we retrieved was anecdotal limiting any conclusive statements regarding appropriate therapeutic conduct during administration sessions. Consequently, essential components of therapeutic interventions remain largely tentative, necessitating systematic investigation.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: where is the psychotherapy research? Psychopharmacology August 1, 2024
- Key competencies for psychedelic treatment in real-world mental health care settings. General Hospital Psychiatry 2025
- Therapeutic frameworks in integration sessions in substance‐assisted psychotherapy: A systematised review Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy December 26, 2023
- Psychological support in psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials: A systematic review. Journal of Psychopharmacology May 1, 2026
- If you respect someone, let them go? Personal autonomy and physical safety in psychedelic treatments JME Practical Bioethics July 1, 2026
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