Creating Greater Safety in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Spaces
Maira Evelyn Clancy
2023 DOI: 10.46569/20.500.12680/cf95jj52q (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | Psychedelic therapists |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Legalization Harm Certification Abuse of power Safer Psychotherapist Medical education Computer security Law |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | To reduce harm and promote safer experiences, psychedelic-assisted therapy needs a multi-faceted system of safeguards including rigorous education, certification, reporting avenues, investigations, and ethical codes. |
Abstract
As the medical legalization of psychedelic-assisted therapy quickly approaches in Western society, more stories of abuse by psychedelic therapists against clients are emerging, tracing a disturbing pattern and history of exploitation and abuses of power in the field.Utilizing the survivor-centered approach as a theoretical framework, this research study examines the existing literature about safety within psychedelic-assisted therapy spaces, provides a synthesis of three survivors' accounts of therapy abuse, and analyzes four interviews conducted with psychedelic therapists in order to answer the research questions: 1) What are the protocols and safeguards currently in place to protect clients from sexual abuse or boundary violations during psychedelicassisted therapy treatments? 2) Which have worked, which have failed, and which need to be changed or added?To reduce harm and promote safer experiences for clients, the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy needs to implement a multi-faceted process of safeguards, including more rigorous education and training in the therapist certification process, comprehensive avenues for reporting misconduct, immediate investigations into allegations, and definitive codes of ethics and norms of conduct.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy, 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 |
| LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases | 2014 | Prospective follow-up with qualitative content analysis | n = 10 |
| 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 |
| The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy Patients undergoing psychedelic therapy with psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 19 |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Psychedelic Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Patient Experiences in Qualitative Studies CNS Drugs August 17, 2020
- Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy Harm Reduction Journal April 11, 2021
- The early use of MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) in psychotherapy (1977–1985) Drug Science, Policy and Law 2018
- A Qualitative Exploration of Relational Ethical Challenges and Practices in Psychedelic Healing Journal of Humanistic Psychology September 16, 2021
- Policy considerations that support equitable access to responsible, accountable, safe, and ethical uses of psychedelic medicines Neuropharmacology August 13, 2022
and 3 more in the library