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)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Counseling Hallucinogens Peer support |
| Key points | 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).