Psychedelic Integration: Premise and Promise

Psychedelic compounds have a rich and fascinating history of use in spiritual and healthcare settings. After a nearly 60-year hiatus, recent advances in clinical research indicate that these medicines may soon be available to the public as treatments for some of humanity’s most profound forms of suffering: alcoholism, drug addiction, PTSD, and depression. Psychotherapists and other healthcare providers are increasingly called upon to help clients integrate profoundly meaningful psychedelic experiences into the fabric of their daily lives, resulting in long-term positive changes.

This 3-day retreat is designed for clinicians and healthcare providers who want to learn more about current psychedelic research and clinical practice, including how to work with patients who have a history of psychedelic use or have expressed an interest in using psychedelics. This interactive training includes experiential learning, demonstrations, self-reflection, and role-play exercises. The themes of spirituality, ethics, and critical discussion will be woven throughout the program with opportunities for connection, collaboration, and building community.

We start with the premise that your patients are curious about psychedelic research, and so are you! The early part of our program gives some background on psychedelic compounds, their history, and current research with MDMA and Psilocybin-assisted therapy. We then discuss recent and current clinical trials, outcomes, legal status, and what it all means for the future of addiction and trauma treatment. We then move to the practicalities of defining integration and how it can occur in a clinical setting. We focus on translating research findings into clinical practice, including working with patients who are considering using psychedelics, actually using psychedelics, or have used them in the past. This program includes discussion of assessment and integration techniques, resources, and legal and ethical issues. Program participant clinicians will complete the retreat with a conceptual and practical understanding of how to engage clients in discussions about psychedelics that are balanced, reduce potential for harm, and increase the potential for benefit from these experiences.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the historical justifications for psychedelic clinical research
• Describe key theoretical approaches to psychedelic-assisted therapy
• Discuss the state of psychedelic clinical research, rescheduling efforts, and how psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy works with clients
• Compare psychedelic integration psychotherapy to integration in peer and shamanic settings
• Assess clients for key “red flags” that indicate someone should seek specialized psychiatric care after a psychedelic experience
• Utilize principles of psychedelic-assisted therapy in a basic/initial assessment of clients who report psychedelic use
• List contraindications and discuss high risk cases of individuals who are contemplating psychedelic use
• Describe the role of the therapist in an individual's integration psychotherapy process