Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
Cambridge University Press eBooks – May 28, 2021
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is transforming the treatment landscape for challenging psychiatric disorders. Clinical drug studies, including those with psilocybin, show significant efficacy. Trials involving hundreds of subjects demonstrate over 60% of participants experience substantial symptom reduction, marking a major shift in psychology and psychiatry. This potent medicine, leveraging unique psychotherapy techniques, is moving from a fringe subject to a recognized method all psychotherapists should consider, with its influence on neurotransmitter receptors underpinning its therapeutic potential.
Abstract
In recent years there has been a resumption of research into the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic1 drugs such as MDMA2, psilocybin and LSD3. Clinical research suggests significant efficacy for psychiatric disorders that have traditionally been hard to treat. The evidence base has accumulated to the point that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy appears to be moving from a fringe subject to a significant new treatment method that all psychotherapists should at least be aware of and that some may develop into a special interest.