Personal psychedelic experience of psychedelic therapists during training: should it be required, optional, or prohibited?
International Review of Psychiatry June 12, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2024.2357669 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychedelic medicine Entheogenic therapy Therapist training Professional development Therapist education Clinical training Experiential learning Personal psychedelic experience Self-experience Therapist self-exploration Therapeutic empathy Patient understanding Therapeutic rapport Client guidance |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key points | Argues that the current evidence does not justify requiring personal psychedelic(-like) experience for psychedelic therapists, though such experience can be valuable to therapists and patients and carries very low likelihood of harm, so therapists should be given the opportunity to have a psychedelic experience during training. |
Abstract
Personal psychedelic experience is common among psychedelic therapists and often considered to be a necessary aspect of training: only personal psychedelic experience allows psychedelic therapists to properly guide patients through their own psychedelic experience, to truly understand that experience, and to help them integrate it into their lives. But is this really true? The present paper examines the value of therapists' personal psychedelic experience, why this value may be higher than that of personal experience with other psychotropic drugs, and whether it justifies a requirement of personal psychedelic experience for psychedelic therapists. The analysis, which also considers the literature on therapists' personal experience with the mental disorder being treated or with psychotherapy, concludes that the current evidence does not justify making personal psychedelic(-like) experience a requirement for psychedelic therapists. However, because therapists' personal psychedelic experience can be valuable to both therapists and patients, and because the likelihood of harm is very low, psychedelic therapists should be given the opportunity to have a psychedelic experience during their training.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on 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 | |
| Learning to Let Go: A Cognitive-Behavioral Model of How Psychedelic Therapy Promotes Acceptance | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy | 2018 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy | 2021 | 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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 21
- Psychedelic Medicine Exceptionalism. The American Journal of Bioethics 2025
- Further education in psychedelic-assisted therapy - experiences from Switzerland. BMC Medical Education March 5, 2025
- Mitigating Ethical Issues in Training for Psychedelic Therapy Neuroethics April 1, 2025
- Regulatory Challenges of Integrating Psychedelics into Mental Health Sector Psychoactives April 22, 2025
- Same Same but Different: On Psychedelic Exceptionalism The American Journal of Bioethics 2025
and 16 more in the library
Cites 57
- 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
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
and 52 more in the library