Peer support and psychedelics.
Zachary Skiles, James R Dixon, Dan Friedrich, Donny Reed, Christopher S Stauffer
Journal of military, veteran and family health December 1, 2023 DOI: 10.3138/jmvfh-2023-0008 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThis article examines the role of peer support in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and state-run psychedelic services, focusing on the training and certification needs for facilitators. It reviews existing peer-support frameworks from psychedelic and Veteran communities, comparing core competencies of peer support and psychedelic facilitation to identify synergies and gaps in training and supervision. The authors propose that future work will refine the role of peer support in legal psychedelic facilitation and deepen understanding of 'psychedelic peership,' where someone with firsthand psychedelic experience facilitates another's experience.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Counseling Hallucinogens Peer support |
| Key finding | Argues that peer support frameworks from psychedelic and Veteran communities can inform the training and certification of psychedelic facilitators, but gaps in training and supervision remain. |
Abstract
The field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and state-run psychedelic services will need to adequately train and certify facilitators to meet the anticipated demand for access. This article explores the role of peer support in the setting of medical and non-medical supervised psychedelic administration. Existing peer-support frameworks from both the psychedelic and the Veteran communities are reviewed, and core competencies of both peer support and psychedelic facilitation are compared to highlight synergies and identify training and supervision gaps. Future work will further refine the role of peer support in the legal facilitation of psychedelic experiences and deepen our understanding of psychedelic peership (i.e., when someone with previous firsthand experience with psychedelics facilitates the psychedelic experience of another).