This thesis explores the lived experience of counsellors, as they navigate the emergence of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies (PAPs) in the UK. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study examines in-depth interviews with five qualified counsellors, with varying degrees of first-hand psychedelic experience, who were all interested in working with psychedelic therapies in...
Psychedelic medicine is a rapidly growing, billion-dollar industry poised to transform mental health care by incorporating spiritual experiences into clinical psychiatry. However, while the blending of psychiatry and mystical experience has long made this field unique, the blurred boundaries between science and spiritual practice have sparked increasing public debate. What does the entanglement...
Emerging evidence suggests psychedelic-assisted therapies ameliorate symptoms of psychopathology. However, less is known about how psychedelics influence positive psychological functioning (e.g., compassionate love, self-compassion, and life satisfaction). These constructs may be relevant in understanding how psychedelics exert their therapeutic effects, as they are central to both intra- and...
The integration of psychedelics and music in therapeutic settings is gaining recognition for its potential to enhance mental health outcomes. This review synthesizes current evidence on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this synergy, focusing on receptor-level pathways (e.g., 5-HT2A receptor agonism, BDNF-TrkB signaling) and neural circuit dynamics (e.g., default mode network...
Communications BiologyApril 24, 2026Tatum Askey, Daniel Allen-Ross, Daniil Luzyanin et al.
Chronic pain states remain challenging to control with current drug therapies. Here, we demonstrate that a single dose of psilocybin produces a sustained anti-nociceptive effect in chronic neuropathic pain models in male and female mice, mediated primarily by 5-HT2A receptors. Critically, psilocybin significantly potentiates the analgesic efficacy of gabapentin, a standard-of-care treatment,...
Este artigo analisa o uso terapêutico de substâncias psicodélicas no campo da saúde mental, articulando avanços recentes da pesquisa científica, incluindo protocolos de Psicoterapia Assistida por Psicodélicos (PAP) e perspectivas ancestrais associadas ao uso de enteógenos. Parte-se do reconhecimento de que saberes tradicionais, especialmente indígenas, foram historicamente marginalizados nos...
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized data from 13 clinical trials (n=606) evaluating psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Despite early enthusiasm, the pooled standardized mean difference (-0.79, 95% confidence interval: -3.98 to 2.40, p=0.63) revealed no statistically significant overall antidepressant effect, with...
Psilocybin-assisted therapy shows promise for depression, though current evidence relies on Phase 2 trials with notable methodological limitations. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating psilocybin-assisted therapy for major or treatment-resistant depression up to February 2024. We evaluated depressive symptom severity using...
Art TherapyApril 20, 2026Rebecca Ann Wilkinson, Alyssa B. Gursky
Renewal of research into psychedelics indicates their ability to provide relief from challenging conditions like trauma, treatment resistant depression, addictions, and end-of-life distress. Psychedelics appear to promote neuroplasticity, stimulate creativity, dampen fear responses, circumvent psychological defenses, soften rigid beliefs, and foster profound feelings of unity. The non-verbal,...
Psilocybin simultaneously holds six contradictory legal classifications across jurisdictions: Schedule I (US federal), Breakthrough Therapy (FDA), legal therapeutic use (Oregon, Colorado), Schedule 8 medical use (Australia), and pending rescheduling review (DEA/HHS). This regulatory fragmentation constitutes a classification cascade—a multi-stage disruption propagated through administrative,...