Exploring the role of psychotherapy in psychedelic assisted therapy

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the psychotherapeutic context within psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). Previous research on PAT has primarily concentrated on assessing the effectiveness of psychedelics in addressing psychiatric conditions such as major depression, anxiety disorders, and addiction disorders (Aday et al. 2020). In recent studies, psychotherapeutic counselling was provided in order to ensure safety while not being the focus of the investigation itself (Gründer et al. 2023). However, it appears possible that psychotherapy contributes to the positive outcomes observed in PAT thus far. In order to examine the psychotherapeutic aspects in PAT, six psychotherapists and psychiatrists with experience in treating people with psychedelics are to be interviewed to investigate their perception on the role psychotherapy plays in this treatment. Aday, Jacob S.; Mitzkovitz, Cayla M.; Bloesch, Emily K.; Davoli, Christopher C.; Davis, Alan K. (2020): Long-term effects of psychedelic drugs: A systematic review. In Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews 113, pp. 179–189. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.017. Gründer, Gerhard; Brand, Manuela; Mertens, Lea J.; Jungaberle, Henrik; Kärtner, Laura; Scharf, Dennis J. et al. (2023): Treatment with psychedelics is psychotherapy: beyond reductionism. In The lancet. Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00363-2.

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