Psychedelic psychotherapy

Course Description

The course introduces students to the rising field of psychedelic psychotherapies that are expected to have a major impact on mental health care worldwide within a few years. It focuses on the background information, requirements, techniques and protocols that psychologists need to know when working in psychedelics-assisted therapies, or with clients who wish to integrate their previous psychedelic experiences.

Course Topics

• altered states of consciousness; psychedelics
• transpersonal psychology; trauma processing and regression;
• psychedelic research, experiments and healing
• psychometric measuring; addictions and dependence; assisted psychotherapies; ethics
• psychedelic and psycholytic therapies; therapist training; therapy protocols
• MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine, LSD, ibogaine, ayahuasca
• psychedelic experience integration

Presentations:

• [01] Sep 16 Introduction and Overview
  Introduction of the course. Topics and approaches. Course requirements. Practical issues.
  (slides PDF)

• [02] Sep 23 Altered State Assisted Therapies
  Altered states of consciousness (ASC): definitions and phenomena. Spontaneous, pathological and induced states. Physiological, pharmacological and psychological inductions. Altering subsystems of consciousness. Therapeutic applications of ASC.
  (slides PDF)

• [03] Sep 30 The Broader Context of Psychedelics
  Hallucinations: definitions and phenomena. Hallucinogens: dissociative, deliriant, psychedelic. Other related substances. Purposes of substance use. The drug instrumentalisation hypotheses. Psychonaut subculture. Biohacking.
  (slides PDF)

• [04] Oct 07 Psychedelics: Substance Information
  History, physiology, psychology and phenomenology of psychedelics and related substances: ayahuasca, cannabis, DMT, ibogaine, ketamine, LSD, MDMA, muscimol, psilocybin, salvinorin A, LSA, mescaline.
  (slides PDF)

• [05] Oct 14 Psychology of Psychedelic Experience
  Psychoeducation. Set and setting. Intention and integration. Deconditioning agents. Transpersonality and spirituality. Entheogens. Trauma processing and regression. Stanislav Grof and the perinatal matrix. Metaphysical considerations.
  (slides PDF)

• [06] Oct 21 Psychedelics: Research, Experiments, Healing
  The dawn, golden age, pause and renaissance of psychedelic research. Early results. Current research directions. Psychometric measuring instruments. Treatments of addictions and dependence. Hospice use: end-life anxiety.
  (slides PDF)

• [07] Nov 11 Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapies: Theory
  Ethical principles. Psychedelic and psycholytic therapies. Lay and underground therapies. Therapist training process. Therapy protocols: MAPS, Johns Hopkins, Kenézy hospital.
  (slides PDF)

• [08] Nov 18 Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapies: Practice I
  
  • MDMA

• [09] Nov 25 Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapies: Practice II
  
  • Psilocybin
  • Ketamine

• [10] Dec 02 Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapies: Practice III
  
  • LSD
  • Ibogaine
  • Ayahuasca

• [11] Dec 09 Psychedelic Experience Integration
  Client groups. Conditions and environment of client-work. Search for meaning, apprehension. The lived body experience. Psychedelic 'bypass' and ego inflation. Non-pathologising language use. Transference and counter-transference. Data protection.
  (slides PDF)

• [12] Dec 16 Summary and Outlook
  Summary of the course. Near and far future perspectives. Notable research institutions and organisations. Top researchers and advocates. Local and global psychedelic societies. Conferences and meetings. Professional journals. Funding and academic career. Media and online resources.