Interview Study: Psychotherapy and therapeutic Touch in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy

Abstract

This qualitative interview study aims to explore the dynamics of psychotherapy and therapeutic touch in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy (PAT). With the increasing use of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), there is a growing demand for manuals and guidelines for therapists on the application of PAT. In order to develop these on an evidence-based basis, studies are needed that examine specific aspects of the setting and the therapeutic interventions used in PAT sessions in terms of their effectiveness and side effects. Whilst psychotherapy and therapeutic touch are already mentioned in manuals, there is as yet little evidence that examines the effects of these interventions in further detail. As therapeutic touch research often addressed ethical boundaries and risks (Neitzke-Spruill et al., 2025) we want to explore why therapeutic touch is used by qualified therapists in the first place. As participants experiences of therapeutic touch have already been explored (Ham et al., 2025), it makes sense to also investigate the therapists perspective on this topic. We further try to replicate the findings of Stellmacher et al. (2026), who investigated the role of psychotherapy within the PAT. Ham, R., Gardner, J., Carter, A., & Liknaitzky, P. (2025). Par)cipant experiences of therapeu)c touch in psilocybin-assisted therapy. hBps://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/ypqa2_v2 Neitzke-Spruill, L., Beit, C., Averill, L. A. & McGuire, A. L. (2025). Suppor)ve touch in psychedelic assisted therapy. The American Journal Of Bioethics, 25(1), 29–39. hBps://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2024.2433428 Stellmacher, J., Schmidt, C., Aicher, H. D., Eichel, K., Brakemeier, E., & Herwig, U. (2026). Synergies in psychedelic-assisted therapy: a qualitative interview study of psychotherapeutic processes. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17, 1771726. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1771726