Incorporating MDMA as an Adjunct in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy With Clients Impacted by Trauma or PTSD
Katie Almond, Robert Allan
The Family Journal July 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1177/1066480719852360 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstractAbstract
This article explores incorporating 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as an adjunct in emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT) with clients in which at least one participant has endured a traumatic experience and reports symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite classification as a Schedule I drug on the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), in 2017 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designated MDMA as a “breakthrough therapy” in the treatment of PTSD and approved plans for a Phase 3 clinical trial sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. This article aims to integrate previous and current research involving the therapeutic use of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy into the treatment of PTSD with the systemic, evidence-based approach of EFT.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on MDMA for PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The potential use of N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA) assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of eating disorders comorbid with PTSD. | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in adolescents: rationale, potential, risks, and considerations. Adolescents with PTSD | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| MDMA-assisted therapy: challenges, clinical trials, and the future of MDMA in treating behavioral disorders. | 2025 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Development of an Australian Clinical Practice Guideline on methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. People with post-traumatic stress disorder | 2025 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Including Sexually and Gender Diverse Populations in 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Trial Research. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Current Perspective on the Therapeutic Preset for Substance-Assisted Psychotherapy Frontiers in Psychology July 13, 2021
- Psychedelics beyond medicine: Treatment, enhancement, hype, consent, and the limits of medicalization Philosophical Psychology September 8, 2025
- Therapeutic frameworks in integration sessions in substance‐assisted psychotherapy: A systematised review Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy December 26, 2023
- Psilocybin and MDMA in Couples Therapy: Investigating Treatment for Substance Use Disorders and Codependency Contemporary Family Therapy December 11, 2025
- A biopsychosocial model of MDMA-assisted therapy in application: Dyadic One Session Treatment for specific phobia Frontiers in Psychiatry September 5, 2025
Cites 5
- Durability of improvement in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and absence of harmful effects or drug dependency after 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy: a prospective long-term follow-up study. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2013
- Can Drugs Be Used to Enhance the Psychotherapeutic Process? American Journal of Psychotherapy July 1, 1986
- A Method of Conducting Therapeutic Sessions with MDMA Journal of Psychoactive Drugs December 1, 1998
- An Exploration of the History and Controversies Surrounding MDMA and MDA Journal of Psychoactive Drugs September 1, 2001
- Intimate insight: MDMA changes how people talk about significant others Journal of Psychopharmacology April 29, 2015