A psychedelic experience is the process of incorporating psychedelic substances (e.g., psilocybin, MDMA, or ketamine) into a controlled, clinical, psychotherapeutic setting for the purpose of assisting with psychedelic integration (i.e., the process of identifying, understanding, processing, and incorporating psychoemotional content) that has come up during a psychedelic experience, which ultimately leads to psychedelic healing.
A common misconception is that psychedelic healing is only engaged within the psychedelic experience (session) and that the client / patient will be healed subsequent to this psychedelic experience. In reality, much of the psychedelic healing process continues in the weeks and months following a psychedelic (or mystical) experience, wherein the client / patient puts into action the lessons that were gleaned during the psychedelic session.
What are the results of psychedelic assisted therapy?
The results of psychedelic-assisted therapy have garnered significant attention in clinical research, particularly for its efficacy in treating conditions such as PTSD and depression. Studies on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for ptsd and psilocybin-assisted therapy have shown promising outcomes, including substantial decreases in depression among patients with life-threatening cancer and individuals undergoing psychotherapy for treatment of resistant conditions. These therapy sessions often involve psychedelic psychotherapy, where the psychedelic effects of substances like MDMA and psilocybin are harnessed to facilitate breakthroughs in emotional processing and healing.
Moreover, psychedelic drug therapy has seen significant interest for its potential in the treatment of tobacco addiction and other substance use disorders. The emerging field of human hallucinogen research emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic use, showcasing how group psychotherapy can enhance the experience and effectiveness of psychedelic treatment. As psychiatric research progresses, the efficacy of psychedelic approaches continues to challenge traditional paradigms, offering new hope for individuals seeking relief from chronic mental health issues.
Is psychedelic therapy legal in Canada?
In Canada, the legal landscape for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is evolving, particularly concerning the use of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and MDMA. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated promising results for therapy for PTSD and treatment-resistant depression, leading to the designation of breakthrough therapy status for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. These therapies aim to provide relief for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and various psychiatric disorders, particularly those with substance use disorder or alcohol use disorder.
Organizations like the Centre for Psychedelic Research are conducting extensive psychedelic research to
explore the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies. This includes psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin therapy, which focus on altering the state of consciousness to facilitate healing. A systematic review and meta-analysis of these treatments is crucial in understanding their potential for psychotherapy in subjects with chronic mental health conditions. As research progresses, the use of psychedelic drugs in psychotherapy may become a transformative approach to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric disorders.
What psychedelics are used in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy?
Psychedelics such as psilocybin and ketamine are increasingly being used in psychedelic-assisted
psychotherapy, particularly as a treatment for PTSD. This innovative approach involves the use of psychedelic therapy in combination with psychotherapy, where patients may experience profound insights and emotional breakthroughs during psychotherapy sessions. The agonist psilocybin in the treatment of mental health disorders has gained attention, especially with the emergence of breakthrough therapy designations from regulatory bodies, suggesting that psychedelic therapy could offer significant benefits over traditional methods.
Ongoing research into classic psychedelic use reveals its potential in various therapeutic settings, including group therapy. In these therapy trials, participants often report transformative experiences that facilitate healing. Additionally, the phenomenon of psychedelic tourism has arisen, where individuals seek out therapy to treat their ailments in environments conducive to psychedelic compounds. This growing interest underscores the importance of understanding the combination of psychotherapy with these substances for effective mental health treatment.
Where do I start?
Psychedelic integration is a deeply personal process. The content brought up during which is different from client to client and from experience (“trip”) to experience and therefore will elucidate different areas of focus for each client.
You may be asking yourself, “Where do I even start?” For this, you are encouraged to engage in self-directed curiosity toward your natural healing awareness / intelligence. Natural healing awareness / intelligence posits that our body and mind will naturally gravitate toward the process of healing, much in a similar way one’s body heals physical wounds naturally: Our bodies and minds will instinctively know a good place to start when beginning the process of healing emotional, mental, and spiritual wounds.
As you approach your own psychedelic integration process, begin with asking yourself what feels right for you then follow that instinct as a starting guide.
Ok, I know what I want to integrate first. Now what?
One of the “best practices” and most comprehensive resources available can be found through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) who provides no-fee access to their Psychedelic Integration Station / Workbook that provides an in-depth explanation of the psychedelic integration process: (https://maps.org/integration-station/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=maps.org&utm_content=integration-station&utm_campaign=2025-bau).
With this resource in mind, having a trained (preferably regulated) mental health professional provide structured guidance through psychedelic-assisted treatment is highly recommended, especially for the purpose of integrating a safe and effective use of Self through the process.
How might psychedelic integration be experienced within a clinical setting?
Psychotherapists offer various modalities that seek to create an effective psychedelic integration process, which may include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Humanistic Psychology, Motivational Interviewing (MI), among others. In reality, most psychotherapeutic approaches offer benefits toward the integration of psychedelic experiences. As such, exploring the optional therapeutic modalities to identify which method resonates most with your personal experiences may be an aspect of your “due diligence”.
Also worth noting: While therapists may specialize within specific therapeutic modalities (e.g., ACT, CBT, DBT, etc.) and engage effective interventions from their respective modality/ies, having a clinician who is trained in psychedelic integration is highly encouraged and recommended. One referral resource for sourcing psychotherapists trained in psychedelic integration can be found through the web service psychedelic.support (https://psychedelic.support/) and specifically through this link: https://psychedelic.support/community/?online=false&acceptingClients=false&profileType=community&size=12&s=3&pc=false.
If you are seeking a local regulated health professional, you are welcome to connect with me (spencer@cwcp.ca) as I am experienced with the practice of psychedelic integration.
How do you practice psychedelic integration?
Primarily, I approach psychedelic integration with the following modalities:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): This modality can be useful for exploring acceptance of things that cannot be changed (e.g., past relationships, life challenges, trauma, etc.) while cultivating change in areas when possible.
- Narrative Therapy: Can be helpful for those who are looking to redefine how they view themselves and how they view their life story. This approach can also bring about a better understanding of social constructs and to explore “why we do the things we do” in the first place.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS): Can benefit the process of psychedelic integration through access and healing of the protective and wounded parts of one’s psyche. The client and clinician then strive to reintegrate parts into the client’s Self concept.
N.B., With the above context provided, I do not believe every lesson learned from a psychedelic session can be integrated through introspection and thought exploration alone. There are also techniques that may be beneficial in maintaining meditative states of mind throughout one’s everyday life. For example, someone who is working through anxiety may find benefits from performing activities that put them into a flow state or interrupt anxious thought patterns. Just being in a state of mind where anxious or negative thoughts diminish can be very therapeutic in making it easier to access these states of mind more regularly. Simply put: No one method will be the best for everyone.
“I had a very difficult psychedelic experience; Where are the sunshine and rainbows?”
In certain instances, individuals can have a particularly difficult psychedelic session, which is distinctly different from a “bad” session, since there can still be a great deal of healing and lessons acquired from a difficult session.
If this is the case for you, there can be numerous reasons for this: Maybe your natural healing intelligence is trying to tell you something; maybe you had a bad set or setting (N.B., Set being the mental state that you were in at the time of taking the psychedelic, setting being the location, environment, and /or people who you were with). Whatever the reason may be, this is a great moment to reflect on the experience and grow from it.
In rare cases, one might have a traumatic experience during a psychedelic session, thereafter having a lasting impact on everyday life; an experience that can be disheartening, as one usually engages psychedelics for a healing. When the opposite occurs, the associated feeling can be one of tremendous uncertainty (i.e., that your whole world has changed over the course of just a few hours). If this resonates with you, you are not alone: There is still hope for what is called post-traumatic growth.
Post-traumatic growth seeks to work through trauma and experiencing a number of positive changes in one’s life in the following five areas: Appreciation of life, new possibilities in life, personal strength, relationships with others, and spiritual change. Post-traumatic growth can take time and a great deal of patience. If you have experienced lasting trauma from a psychedelic experience, I encourage you to seek support from members of the psychedelic community, experienced counsellors / psychotherapists, or associated clinicians who are experienced in working with trauma resulting from psychedelic usage. If you need immediate support, The Fireside Project (https://firesideproject.org/) can be reached by phone at 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433).
Bottomline: Discussing and navigating post-traumatic growth can be worrisome to an individual new to psychedelic-assisted treatment. As such, before partaking in a first time psychedelic session, please do your “due diligence” by researching the matter thoroughly and cultivating your awareness of the associated steps in preparation of the experience.
If you are looking to work through trauma resulting from psychedelic-assisted treatment or if you are simply interested in psychedelic healing and integration with a regulated mental health clinician, get in touch: spencer@cwcp.ca.
