Welcome to the Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Guide.
We are glad you found us.
Discover the latest updates on developments and academic research in the field of psychedelic assisted therapy. Our comprehensive information is tailored for psychologists, therapists and members of the public, providing insights and knowledge to enhance your understanding about the therapeutic benefits, and risks, of psychedelics.
The Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Guide also provides updates and insights into the regulation of psychedelic assisted therapy in Australia.
About Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), sometimes referred to as psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), is a type of psychiatric practice that involves ingesting a psychedelic substance as part of a psychotherapeutic process. In this therapy, the use of psychedelics is typically combined with talk therapy.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy typically involves three distinct therapy phases: preparation, the acute psychedelic experience, and integration. The non-psychedelic elements of this approach are essential for both effectiveness and safety.
What are psychedelics?
A range of consciousness-altering psychedelic drugs are currently being used or researched for therapeutic purposes in both clinical and nonclinical settings. Some are derived from plants, like psilocybin (magic mushrooms), DMT, peyote, ayahuasca, and ibogaine.
Set and Setting
During the psychedelic session, ‘set’ and ‘setting’ are considered paramount.
‘Set’ refers to mindset, a complex mix of more transient phenomena like expectation and mood, and more enduring phenomena like personality and past experience.
‘Setting’ refers to the context or environment in which the session takes place, including basic factors like the comfort and aesthetic quality of the room, and more complex factors like the quality of the relationship with the clinicians and the mood they help to set.
Is psychedelic assisted therapy legal?
The short answer is: it depends where you live.
In 2023, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia approved Mind Medicine Australia’s application to reschedule psilocybin and MDMA from Schedule 9 (prohibited substances) to Schedule 8 (controlled medicines) of the Poisons Standard. This decision will see psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, used for treatment-resistant depression.
Caution
Please note that while the potential benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy are promising, it’s important to remember that these substances should only be used under the supervision of trained professionals, due to their powerful effects and potential risks.