Psychedelics

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is a form of therapy that involves the use of psychedelic medicines such as psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine to facilitate mental wellness, therapeutic breakthroughs, and insight.
While still largely restricted to research settings, psychedelic-assisted therapy is a broad term that encompasses a number of different approaches and protocols using psychedelic medicines, and involves protocols and practices that have been studied since the 1950s. Though psychedelics like LSD showed promise as therapeutic agents in those early years, a period of prohibition starting in the 1960s and through the early 2000s significantly hindered the research and development of these modalities.

The last decade has seen a significant body of encouraging research supporting the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for a number of mental health issues, especially depression, anxiety, addiction, and trauma. Although all psychedelics are regulated substances, the legal and medical landscape is changing quickly, and some treatment options are available.

Psychedelics, when combined with therapy, can work on both a chemical and emotional level to help people address mental health struggles.

On a chemical level, psychedelics work to increase neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections and pathways, which may expand the capacity for healing by encouraging the development of new thought patterns and/or increasing self-empathy. This can be a helpful supplement to the treatment of mental health symptoms through therapy.

On an emotional level, psychedelics can help us reconnect with our emotions, and revisit past traumas, stress and other difficult experiences from a safe and supported places. This allows us to reframe and process these experiences, reducing their negative impact on our daily lives.