Psychedelic Therapy: An Ancient & Innovative Approach To Healing
Psychedelic Therapy is an emerging field in the west. Indigenous cultures have been using psychedelics safely for thousands of years to assess and treat spiritual emergencies as well as other maladies. In the west psychedelics gained some traction and popularity in the 60’s as a part of the counterculture movement, to open your mid, but were never accepted by mainstream science or medicine, due to a lack of true understanding. Fortunately, when the popularity died out in the media and in popular culture, work continued out of the public eye in the underground and in research labs around the world. Continuing this work has been pivotal and instrumental in what we are seeing now as a legitimate and safe alternative and adjunct to healing and growing.
New Breakthroughs In Healing
We are currently experiencing a reemergence, but this time it is expanding into the field of mental health. Due to successful outcomes in clinical trials studying the use of various psychedelics in treating mental health and substance abuse issues, the legalization of psilocybin in Oregon and now the decriminalization of mushrooms and other plant medicines in Colorado, psychedelic therapy to treat depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD as well as end of life care. As these medicines are becoming increasingly accepted as legitimate and safe ways to treat an array of issues, more and more people are using psychedelics as an adjunct or in place of traditional forms of therapy to ease discomfort, inspire breakthroughs, strengthen relationships and promote healing.
Many in the psychedelic community are seeing these medicines helping to accelerate the healing process. People are experiencing personal breakthroughs not experienced in therapy before “connecting the dots” in new and expansive ways as they better understand and work through areas in which they previously seemed to stay stuck.
Understanding Psychedelic Therapy
Psychedelic therapy involves using mind-altering substances, such as ketamine, psilocybin, LSD, MDMA and other plant medicines and psychedelics, to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness with the support of a trained professional. Used for thousands of years by shamans and other indigenous healers, these medicines promote healing, spiritual growth and increased connection with self, others and, for many, a higher power, cosmic energy or life force.
Today, we’re seeing that psychedelics used in a safe, supportive environment can bring forth increased feelings of peace, belonging, meaning/purpose, relief, and excitement about and interest in the world. These medicines have been safely used for thousands of years by ancient and indigenous cultures to help expand consciousness and heal many types of ailments, and clinical trials studying the effects of psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, Ayahuasca, DMT and other medicines are verifying what ancient civilizations have known for centuries.
Psychoactive substances increase the neuroplasticity of the brain— meaning that they literally help your brain become less rigid and more open to understanding, perceiving and shifting old, ineffective ways of being. In this expansive state, people become more able to process and transform issues around attachment, abandonment, traumas and other deeply ingrained pain points.
Psychedelics can induce profound breakthroughs, and in the days, weeks and even months that follow, the brain is in a more flexible state and open to implementing change. This is where the integration part of working with a psychedelic therapist is key. A skilled professional with extensive experience with psychedelics and various therapeutic modalities, can help you process the journey, better understand and begin to shift old paradigms and patterns, promote healing, foster a healthier, happier lifestyle, develop momentum and begin celebrating successes.
Research is ongoing, and as a society, we’re beginning to understand the role of psychedelics in mental health care. Clinical trials taking place all over the world are showing the significant benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy in treating depression, anxiety, substance abuse and addiction disorders, OCD, ADHD, trauma, PTSD, eating disorders and more. We’re also seeing these medicines yield remarkable results in healing relationships, enhancing spiritual connection and creativity, navigating chronic health conditions and finding peace and even joy while nearing end-of-life.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), these psychoactive drugs may have an effect “on perception of the exterior world and an individual’s concept of their role within it,” and the ability to “influence mood, stress management, memory, and social functioning.”
The Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Process
The currently accepted protocol of psychedelic therapy includes preparation (prep), the actual psychedelic journey (dosing), and follow-up integration sessions to help you download, process and understand what you experienced and learned in your journey so that you can make and sustain affirming changes in thinking and behavior.
To be resourced and ready for any psychedelic journey, preparing with a trained person who understands psychedelics and plant medicines both personally and professionally is the first step. The process of journeying and healing is different for everyone, and it’s important to discuss and decide on the right medicine and timeline for everyone.
Most providers will suggest or request you participate in at least three preparation sessions prior to dosing. These sessions allow an opportunity to develop a rapport, undergo an evaluation and assessment and ensure that you understand the medicine of choice and feel well informed before entering a psychedelic experience. Preparation could include the exploration of mindfulness, meditation, breathwork and other techniques designed to help you feel safe while leaning into and staying present during the dosing. A successful journey with any psychedelic is often associated with being in the right mindset and right environment (often referred to as set and setting), and comprehensive preparation work can help you feel well-resourced with skills to help support yourself within the experience.
The next stage is dosing. Dosage is tailored to each person’s needs and depends on the medicine chosen as well as where you are in your healing journey.
The final, and perhaps most important, part of the psychedelic therapy process is called integration. Many people use psychedelics and experience profound “ah-ha” moments, however, without proper integration and implementation, those ah-ha moments and breakthroughs can be fleeting. For any sort of prolonged healing, integration is critical to the process, which is why most providers will suggest at least three follow-up sessions to help you integrate your experience. In this stage of the process, providers will help you make sense of the feelings, insights and memories that emerged while on the psychedelic, discuss and process any big breakthroughs, and figure out both innovative and practical ways for you to nurture new perspectives and implement positive changes into your daily life. In addition, integration may help you recognize aspects about your mental health you were not able to see prior or to deepen your understanding of your mental health you didn’t fully grasp prior to your journey.
With both preparation skills and integration support, healing can occur faster and with more efficacy and long-lasting effects.
A Flexible, Collaborative and Compassionate Approach
The psychedelic therapy process is about much more than the actual psychedelic journey. Using and processing the effects of these medicines with trained professionals will offer you a new way to be with and process trauma—utilizing both a top-down and bottom-up approach. The preparation and integration sessions are personalized and thoughtfully, specifically designed to help you get clear on your values, goals and how you’re structuring and living your life so you can build and live the life you want.
It’s important to note that each person responds to psychedelics—and to different types of psychedelics—in their own way, and there is still a lot of gray area when it comes to the outcomes of these medicines. If any practitioner is making ironclad guarantees about psychedelic treatments, please beware. While psychedelic therapy does have a high rate of efficacy, results vary. The experience can also be intense, which is why preparation, harm reduction support and integration work with a trained, skilled and experienced psychedelic assisted therapist and/or spiritual healer is important for a successful journey and long-term health and healing.
That said, there are many people who experience more profound breakthroughs, understandings and tenable desires to make significant life changes during a series of psychedelic therapy than in years of traditional therapy. For many who have been in therapy for years, psychedelic therapy often brings everything you’ve learned in sessions and all the puzzle pieces together in a way that finally makes sense, leading to a fresh perspective on your life and your place and purpose within the world. Best of luck on your journey!