About this program
Facilitators
Course description
Join us for this 2-day workshop to better support your clients as they navigate and interpret their psychedelic experiences.
By using several case studies, we will explore common themes that arise during PHRI therapy, as well as provide a framework for working with clients during integration, emphasizing somatic and mindful inquiry. This will incorporate elements from a variety of therapeutic modalities, from modern bio-medical to traditional Indigenous perspectives. We will also provide tools and templates to navigate the legal and ethical implications of doing this important work.
Time Commitments
- 1.5 hours of online pre-work weekly
- 3.5 hours live sessions weekly (via Zoom)
This course includes 7 hours of live sessions and 3 hours of online pre-work. It is offered in English and French by a team of instructors. Please see below for more information.
November 2023 Cohort
Day: Fridays
Time (PT): 8:00am-11:30am PT
Time (ET): 11:00am-2:30pm ET
Course access begins: Monday, November 6
First live session: Friday, November 17
Last live session: Friday, November 24
Language: French
Instructors: Maxime and Karine
December 2023 Cohort
Day: Wednesdays
Time (PT): 8:30am-12:00pm PT
Time (ET): 11:30am-3:00pm ET
Course access begins: Monday, November 27
First live session: Wednesday, December 6
Last live session: Wednesday, December 13
Language: English
Instructors: Deanna and Patricia
February 2024 Cohort
Day: Wednesdays
Time (PT): 12:00pm-3:30pm PT
Time (ET): 3:00pm-6:30pm ET
Course access begins: Tuesday, February 20
First live session: Wednesday, February 28
Last live session: Wednesday, March 6
Language: English
Instructors: TBD
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Why should you take this course?
The emerging use of psychedelics
With the ongoing mental health crisis and the difficulty in meeting the needs of those who suffer, psychedelic assisted psychotherapy is emerging as a treatment modality with great potential. While these medicines and protocols are being developed for clinical settings for a variety of mental health conditions such as depression, PTSD and addictions, we recognize that these treatments are being delivered outside of the clinical context, creating potential risks to client safety.
Please note: We do not condone the use of illegal substances but believe that educating clients and therapists through a harm reduction framework is an important strategy for promoting safety.
The evident need for a well-described harm reduction approach to the use of psychedelics
As psychedelics increasingly enter the mainstream, so does the need for harm reduction. Clinicians need to understand the principles and practices of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in order to promote harm reduction and outcomes, from preparation to integration. Even those clinicians who are not necessarily directly involved in this work would benefit from being informed in order to provide their patients with up-to-date, evidence-based information. A harm reduction approach attempts to educate, reduce risk, and promote safety for those who are engaging in the use of psychoactive substances.
Through this didactic and interactive workshop, you will learn about some of the tools for applying the harm reduction approach to every stage of your client’s journey with psychedelics
From preparing clients for therapy to their medicine session to integration of the experience to help optimize outcomes, you will learn how to guide clients, should they elect to use psychedelic medicine. We will engage in case study discussions and role plays related to the various phases of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy such as assessment, preparation, set and setting, and integration. We will address the relative contraindications to exploring altered states and apply specific psychotherapeutic tools to common dysregulated states that may arise during integration.
Content Overview
Please use the arrows below to learn more about what will be taught in each module.
Topics
• Assessment
• Considerations for contraindications
• Preparation
• Intention setting
• Psychological flexibility
Learning Outcomes
• Assess the client needs during the different stages of the psychedelic journey to optimize outcomes.
• Apply a harm reduction framework to assessment, preparation, and integration.
• Articulate the current ethical limitations and considerations of psychedelic harm reduction.
• Support and guide clients through the integration process at an introductory level.
• Describe somatic psychotherapies, mindfulness-based and other process-based models that stress psychological flexibility to help enhance client resources.
Topics
• Integration needs framework
• Somatic and mindful inquiry
• Ethical and legal considerations
Learning Outcomes
• Apply a harm reduction approach to the integration of a client’s psychedelic experiences using the integration framework model.
• Describe attitudinal foundations for health professionals working with psychedelic-assisted therapy.
• Describe how somatic inquiry, mindful inquiry, and the components of experience framework can be used to support psychedelic integration.
• Explain ethical and legal considerations for health professionals working with psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Learning Outcomes
After the course, you’ll be able to:
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Assess the client needs during the different stages of the psychedelic journey.
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Apply a harm reduction framework to assessment, preparation, and integration.
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Articulate the current ethical limitations and considerations of psychedelic harm reduction.
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Support and guide clients through the integration process.
Disclaimer
The continuing professional development program in no way promotes, condones, or facilitates illegal activity, and is strictly for educational and harm reduction purposes only. Please be aware that certain psychedelic substances still remain illegal in many jurisdictions, including Canada. This program and the contents of this website do not constitute medical advice, and are not a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment.
FAQ
Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) is a transtheoretical and transdiagnostic clinical approach to working with clients who are using or considering using psychedelics in any context. PHRI incorporates elements of harm reduction psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy, and can be applied in both brief and ongoing psychotherapy interactions. PHRI represents a shift towards a stance of compassionate, destigmatizing acceptance of clients’ choices.
Yes, just be mindful of the time zones! Please also note that daylight savings time in North America typically comes into effect on different dates than some other parts of the world.
Yes, this course is recognized by the following organizations for continuing education credit.
Canadian Psychological Association
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
L’Ordre des psychologues du Québec
Numinus Wellness has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7360. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Numinus Wellness is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Yes – for 10 hours.
You will need to be able to commit to live sessions each week, however we will be able to accommodate make up sessions if there’s a week you’ll be unable to make. Please email training@numinus.com if you have any special circumstances.
Unfortunately, recordings are not provided and used only for internal quality assurance purposes.
Please consult the Numinus Practitioner Training Policies for more information about our policies.
This course is not part of the certification pathway. It is a stand-alone offering to support providers who are new to this work. This course is a great starting place for those already receiving questions from clients or for those wanting to get started with supporting harm reduction and integration in their practice.
We’re happy to help. Send us an e-mail at training@numinus.com
