Psychedelic-Assisted Training: Outcomes from a World-First Study

After decades in the wilderness, psychedelic therapies are making a comeback into clinical research, and are poised to re-enter medical care. While many basic clinical questions are under investigation, the imminent prospect of a new class of treatments is motivation to explore key questions surrounding their implementation. Key among these are methods of training therapists and the associated competencies, arguably central to safe and effective clinical outcomes. As part of an extensive psychedelic therapist training program, we provided psilocybin with support to therapist volunteers (n=14) working within a clinical psychedelic trial. Each participant received one preparation session, one dosing session (25 mg psilocybin), and one integration session. Findings from this world-first proof-of-concept study will be described, including therapist reported changes to professional competencies, and the attitudes of clinical participants regarding their therapists receiving psilocybin. The results from this study make an important contribution to the broader conversation surrounding methods of training therapists and the implementation of psychedelic therapies into healthcare.