What motivates spiritual health practitioners in psychedelic-assisted therapy? A qualitative study and implications for facilitator training practices
Ishan Pasricha, Caroline Peacock, Roman Palitsky, Jaime Clark-Soles, Jessica L Maples-Keller, George H. Grant, Deanna M Kaplan
Psychedelics April 29, 2025 DOI: 10.61373/pp025r.0008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Spiritual health practitioners involved in legal administration of psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Entheogenic therapy Psychedelic medicine Spiritual care Spiritual support Holistic care Pastoral care Provider experience Practitioner insights Facilitator motivations Therapist experiences Personal journey Facilitator training Professional development Ethical practice Quality assurance Therapist training |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Personal psychedelic experiences are a key initial motivation for spiritual health practitioners to pursue psychedelic-assisted therapy, and ongoing fulfillment comes from witnessing healing in others and positive personal impacts. |
Abstract
Spiritual health practitioners (SHPs), also known as healthcare chaplains, are increasingly involved in facilitating psychedelic-assisted therapies in clinical trials and community settings. Although the motivations of therapeutic practitioners are known to impact clinical decision-making and treatment outcomes, little research has investigated what drives SHPs to pursue this work. This qualitative study examined n = 15 SHP's (60% female; MAge = 46.57) who were involved in legal administration of psychedelic-assisted therapy. An inductive-deductive qualitative analysis approach yielded two major themes: (1) Initial Motivation for Practicing PAT, and (2) Ongoing Sources of Meaning and Fulfillment. The SHPs in this study often cited personal experiences as key motivations for entering this field, frequently linked to a significant personal encounter with psychedelic use. The most common Ongoing Sources of Meaning and Fulfillment included witnessing healing in others and experiencing positive personal impacts from facilitating psychedelic-assisted care. This article addresses the substantial role that personal psychedelic experiences appear to play in SHPs’ motivations to pursue this area of practice. Such experiences provide valuable first-hand knowledge of the unique phenomenology of psychedelic treatment, although they can also potentially introduce biases and reduce objectivity. Training and certification guidelines set by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) may help address these risks for SHPs through heavy emphasis placed on self-literacy and reflective learning components. Guided by these findings, we introduce a novel reflective learning exercise, as well as several existing ACPE learning components that may support psychedelic facilitators and facilitators-in-training from any professional background.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression enrolled in an open-label trial of psilocybin | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases | 2014 | Prospective follow-up with qualitative content analysis | n = 10 |
| Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Adults aged 22 to 69 with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
| Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Participants who completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study | 2018 | Qualitative follow-up study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis | n = 12 |
| The hidden therapist: evidence for a central role of music in psychedelic therapy Patients undergoing psychedelic therapy with psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 19 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Chaplains in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Rationale and Competencies Journal of Religion and Health February 28, 2026
- Spiritual wellbeing in psychedelic-assisted therapy with palliative care populations: An analysis of outcome measures Palliative & Supportive Care 2026
- A landscape analysis of psychedelic facilitation training in the US. PLoS One May 29, 2026
Cites 20
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder: An exploratory placebo-controlled, fixed-order trial Journal of Psychopharmacology March 20, 2023
- Psychedelics, placebo effects, and set and setting: Insights from common factors theory of psychotherapy Transcultural Psychiatry January 26, 2021
- Prevalence and associations of challenging, difficult or distressing experiences using classic psychedelics. Journal of Affective Disorders April 1, 2023
- The influence of therapists’ first-hand experience with psychedelics on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research and therapist training Journal of Psychedelic Studies October 5, 2018
and 15 more in the library