Guided Psychedelic Therapy
The safest way to experience psychedelic therapy is to undergo the experience with a experienced guide. Currently, there are very few guides due to it being a relatively new area of therapy and varying legality of psychedelics around the globe. However, recently, several training organisations have created new courses offering healthcare practitioners the ability to achieve a Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.
According to research trials, the advantages of psychedelics when used in psychotherapy include, but are not limited to, reducing anxiety and depression (including for those who have not found relief from other types of therapy or drug treatment), addressing persistent symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, treating addiction, and reducing existential distress in patients with terminal illnesses.
To be a psychedelic guide the following is of the utmost importance:
- Understand the risk and benefits associated with administering psychedelics.
- Best practice techniques in regards to preparation (before) and integration (after).
- Being up to date with the most recent scientific data.
What type of psychotherapy is best?
Different forms of psychotherapy tend to produce similar clinical results[1], suggesting there are other variables—such as empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard—that are important factors influencing treatment efficacy[2]. There has been no clinical research exploring the adaptation of therapeutic processes to clients' needs and dispositions. While factors like pre-treatment motivation, expectancy (priming) and therapeutic relationship are known to affect treatment outcome (independent of therapeutic orientation) in regular psychotherapy and have been highlighted to effect therapeutic outcome.
Digital Evaluative Conditioning
There is some evidence to suggest that Guided Psychedelic Therapy can leverage enhanced neuroplasticity to extend the durability of rapid clinical response by employing various digital evaluative conditioning systems. This has been shown in one recent study to triple, – at a minimum the duration of psychedelic effect[3][4].
References
- ↑ Therapeutic role of psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in trauma: A literature review. World J Psychiatry. Fonseka LN, Woo BK. 2023 May 19;13(5):182-190. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v13.i5.182. PMID: 37303932; PMCID: PMC10251361.
- ↑ Therapeutic alliance and outcome of psychotherapy: historical excursus, measurements, and prospects for research. Ardito RB, Rabellino D. Front Psychol. 2011 Oct 18;2:270. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00270. PMID: 22028698; PMCID: PMC3198542.
- ↑ Ongoing clinical trial (as of 4th October 2022): Ketamine + Cognitive Training for Suicidality in the Medical Setting
- ↑ A Novel, Brief, Fully Automated Intervention to Extend the Antidepressant Effect of a Single Ketamine Infusion: A Randomized Clinical Trial Rebecca B. Price, Ph.D., Crystal Spotts, M.Ed., Benjamin Panny, B.S., Angela Griffo, B.S., Michelle Degutis, M.S., Nicolas Cruz, M.Ed., Elizabeth Bell, B.S., Kevin Do-Nguyen, B.S., Meredith L. Wallace, Ph.D., Sanjay J. Mathew, M.D., Robert H. Howland, M.D.https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20220216