Psychedelics assisting therapy, or therapy assisting psychedelics? The importance of psychotherapy in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Joseph A. Zamaria, Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold, Jonathan Shedler, Rachel Yehuda
Frontiers in Psychology February 5, 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1505894 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Mental health treatment Psychotherapy integration Therapeutic context Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 21 |
| Key points | Argues that controversy persists over psychotherapy's role in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials, framing open questions about how much therapy should accompany psychedelic administration, which therapy types best complement it, and whether psychotherapy should always be included. |
Abstract
There is notable controversy about the role of psychotherapy in clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). This heated and perpetually evolving debate informs questions such as how much therapy should accompany a psychedelic intervention (Marseille et al. , 2022), what type of therapy most effectively complements psychedelic administration (Cavarra et al. , 2022;Yaden et al. , 2022), and even whether psychotherapy should always be included (Goodwin et al. , 2023;Earleywine et al. , 2024;Schenberg, 2024).
Citations in the library
Cited by 24
- Harnessing neuroplasticity with psychoplastogens: the essential role of psychotherapy in psychedelic treatment optimization. Frontiers in Psychiatry April 8, 2025
- Psychoanalytically informed MDMA-assisted therapy for pathological narcissism: a novel theoretical approach. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2025
- Stepping back into life: How Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy transforms the way of life of the terminally ill General Hospital Psychiatry December 10, 2025
- Psychedelics and mental health: reimagining care through science, insight, and compassion. Frontiers in Pharmacology September 3, 2025
- State of the Science: MDMA‐assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder Journal of Traumatic Stress March 12, 2026
and 19 more in the library
Cites 11
- Therapeutic Alliance and Rapport Modulate Responses to Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology March 31, 2022
- Psilocybin-assisted therapy of major depressive disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a therapeutic frame Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science 2020
- Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy—A Systematic Review of Associated Psychological Interventions Frontiers in Psychology June 10, 2022
- Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default Frontiers in Psychology May 23, 2022
- Treatment with psychedelics is psychotherapy: beyond reductionism The Lancet Psychiatry December 12, 2023
and 6 more in the library