A Social Justice Perspective on Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy in Community Mental Health
Susan Cameron
Routledge eBooks October 9, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781003566229-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Key points | Argues that while emerging research indicates psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is effective for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, inequities in research and implementation raise social justice concerns, including whether study samples represent potential consumers and whether past patterns of exclusion are being repeated, particularly regarding race-based trauma among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. |
Abstract
Psychedelics have re-emerged in this century as a popular substance to use by people of different ages and socio-economic status. The reasons for use vary between recreational and treatment focused. The Controlled Substance Act of 1970, signed by then President Richard Nixon, created a ban on the use of these substances in the United States, but advocates have found reason to revisit the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics in both physical and behavioral healthcare settings. But at what cost? Is the research conducted a true representation of potential consumers? Is history repeating itself in current research practices? This chapter seeks to take a social justice approach to understanding the modern-day implementation of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as a modality of treatment in community-based mental health clinics with a special focus on treating race-based trauma experienced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Emerging research reveals psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as an effective form of treatment for common mental health conditions such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, in effort to gain better understanding of the outcome, scholars have noted and uncovered inequities that exist within the research and implementation of treatment.
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 |