How to Prepare for the Resurgence of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Six Ways to Prepare Yourself and Your Practice to Become a Forerunner in a Cutting-Edge Field
By Kara Blakey
If you’re reading this, then you’re already ahead of the curve.
The latest scientific advances in the world of medicine means that our understanding of the beneficial use of psychedelics for trauma, suicidality, depression, OCD, and anxiety has absolutely skyrocketed. In fact, this November, Colorado residents will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to allow for the sale of psilocybin in licensed healing centers, where people could use them under supervision.
While this legislation may seem like a win for the psychedelic community, many feel that it is coming on a little too strongly and isn’t focusing on making Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy accessible to everyone in need which poses the question - who is really benefiting from this bill?
So the fight carries on.
If passed, this bill will make it necessary for practitioners to brace themselves for an influx of patients showing curiosity around Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Therefore, it is imperative that current and future psychedelic practitioners stay on top of the research and take advantage of professional development opportunities led by experts in the field.
Here is how you can develop a firmer knowledge base on psychedelics for your ongoing professional development:
1. Unpack Your Political and Socio-Cultural Baggage Around Psychedelics as Drugs and Medicines
It’s no secret that psychedelics come with a lot of cultural baggage. Since the 70s, psychedelics have been listed as a schedule 1 drug meaning that they have no accepted medical value and have significant potential for harm and dependence. While current research combats this classification, showing that psychedelics can be used both effectively and safely to treat mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and PTSD, there is still a palpable stigma around psychedelics deeply rooted in misrepresentations, misunderstanding, and an unwillingness to accept a paradigm shift in how we view mental health and illness.
By understanding your own biases when it comes to psychedelics as well as the potential biases of your clients and community, you can become a more informed advocate for Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP) and arm yourself with the right information to lift the stigma and focus on helping change public perception regarding the use of psychedelics as medicine to get people the help they need.
2. Understand the Uses and Actions of Psychoactive Substances in Healing or Therapeutic Contexts
It goes without saying that to properly advocate for and administer this treatment, practitioners need to understand how it works - and this can be hard to keep up with considering the findings continue to evolve. Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy is a complex process that requires both medication and therapy to truly work.
By listening to the experiences of experts in the field, practitioners can gain an understanding of best practices for administering psychedelic therapy. There truly is no better resource than first-hand accounts from the practitioners that have been administering psychedelic therapy since its emergence. Joining supervision cohorts or consultation groups like the ones offered by Reflective Healing, a Fort Collins-based Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy Center can help you establish a network of individuals that can help you stay informed about the uses and actions of psychoactive substances in therapeutic contexts.
3. Speak to the Emerging Research on the Uses and Risks of Psychedelics for a Range of Conditions
As previously stated, the research surrounding the use of psychedelics in a therapeutic setting is ongoing. Science has proven that Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy can treat chronic pain and treatment-resistant depression; psilocybin can treat depression and OCD; and MDMA has been proven to treat some types of trauma and PTSD. Being up to date on the most current research not only ensures that you are choosing the best medication for your clients but also helps establish you as a credible source when it comes to the uses of psychedelics.
Understanding the risks associated with the use of psychedelics is also vital in establishing yourself as an expert in the field. Just like with any psychoactive drug, there will be some individuals who can be harmed by the effects of psychedelics. Familiarizing yourself with preexisting conditions that don’t mix well with various psychedelics as well as the potentially negative reactions or experiences one may glean from Psychedelic Assisted Therapy guarantees that you are giving your clients the appropriate information they need to decide if PAP is right for them.
4. Explain the Shifting Paradigm that Psychedelics Have Brought to Psychiatry and the Mental Health Field
You’ve likely heard the phrase “psychedelic revolution” when discussing the implementation of psychedelic medicine into the therapeutic process. And while the term may be wearing out its welcome, it holds value - there really is a revolution happening here.
To be able to support this claim, practitioners need to be able to articulate exactly how the therapeutic paradigm is shifting. Practitioners need to be able to compare traditional ways in which certain mental disorders were approached, diagnosed, and treated as well as the effectiveness of those treatments to the current research showing the impacts of psychedelic therapy on those same mental disorders. The focus needs to shift away from traditional treatment methods and onto the positive results that accumulate after only a handful of sessions of PAP and their ability to rewire neurons in the brain associated with specific mental disorders. Speaking to this transformative approach to mental health is essential in growing yourself as a forerunner in the field.
5. Anchor Your Ethical Professional Roles and Skill Sets for Working With Clients in This Area of Practice.
As a mental health professional, you have a duty to your clients to do no harm and provide the best care you possibly can. Just like with any area of healing, there are ethical guidelines you must follow in order to administer this medicine in the safest way to your clients. Therefore, understanding the harm that can be done by not following the guidelines, steps, and best practices for administering PAP is necessary to be a credible psychedelic practitioner.
Spend time figuring out what you don’t know about this process so that you can feel confident that you are doing this cutting-edge treatment justice. Define who you are as a practitioner in this space and cultivate a professional persona with clear expectations of yourself for how you will perform PAP in your practice. You can do this by building a psychedelic community to help hold yourself accountable to these expectations and participate in professional development opportunities offered by practitioners and advocates in your area.
6. Find Professional Development Opportunities that Cover Important Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Topics in Your Area
The easiest way to ensure you are developing a firmer knowledge base around Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy in order to establish yourself as an expert in the field is to find professional development opportunities that cover these topics. Spending time looking these things up on the internet can only get you so far, but listening to lived experiences, speaking with experts on research and policy, and studying methods of seasoned psychedelic practitioners pave a much more informed and legitimate path toward your success in this area of practice.
Events like Psychedelics on the Couch put on by Enduring Love and Reflective Healing provide an introduction to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for mental health professionals, counselors, therapists, and healers and is advertised as a way to develop a firmer knowledge base on psychedelics for your ongoing professional competence and a segway to their Psychedelic Facilitator Immersives for intermediate-level training on psychedelic-assisted therapy using ketamine as the tool that will be taking place this spring.
Psychedelics on the couch explicitly covers the topics outlined above as well as detailed information about the individual benefits of various plant medicines and their inevitable emergence into the field of therapy. If you are in the Northern Colorado area, this event cannot be missed.
Everyone who is in the business of psychedelic therapy right now has the potential to be a forerunner in the field.
You are taking part in a renaissance.
Time to get started.
*Kara Blakey is a Psychedelic Content Marketing Specialist providing expert copywriting and web design for alternative health and wellness professionals. If you are interested in learning more about why you could benefit from having a copywriter for your practice, you can contact her at kara.blakey@kblakeycc.com or visit her website kblakeycc.com.
