Frontiers in Psychiatry
January 12, 2022
Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler
38 citations
A multidisciplinary team developed a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program delivered in a community-of-practice group model for healthcare providers experiencing distress. In a quality improvement evaluation of 94 patients across three cohorts, mean mental health scores improved significantly from baseline to 1–2 weeks after the 12-week program. Among those screening positive at baseline, 91% showed improvements in generalized anxiety, 79% in depression, 86% of those with PTSD no longer screened positive, and 92% had significant work/life functionality improvements. Qualitative feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Results suggest the program is effective for treating depression, PTSD, generalized anxiety, and functional impairment.
Psychedelic Med (New Rochelle)
September 4, 2024
Shannon Dames, Crosbie Watler, Pamela Kryskow et al.
4 citations
Training programs for psychedelic-assisted therapy should include firsthand experience of nonordinary states of consciousness as a core component for developing therapist competence. The argument centers on how direct engagement with altered states provides practitioners with essential insights into the therapeutic process, enhances empathy and understanding of patients' experiences, and improves the effectiveness of therapeutic guidance. This experiential learning is presented as critical for achieving optimal healing outcomes and treatment efficacy, rather than relying solely on theoretical knowledge or observational training.
Human Arenas
April 25, 2026
Shannon Dames, Grace Scharf, Vivian W.l. Tsang et al.
Ritual functions as a relational organizing container that stabilizes psychedelic therapy by regulating the nervous system, orienting attention, and anchoring meaning through predictable sequencing and symbolic framing. Without clear frameworks, ritual applications risk becoming prescriptive or ethically problematic, especially when borrowing from Indigenous traditions without relational accountability. A principle-informed framework translates these functions into consent-based, culturally humble, and autonomy-protective clinical practice, shifting from prescribed techniques to co-created processes across preparation, dosing, and integration. This approach supports flexible, relational care that honors cultural context, participant agency, and situated meaning-making.
Frontiers in Public Health
July 20, 2026
Vivian Wl Tsang, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler et al.
A hybrid group model combining virtual resilience-based community of practice sessions with one in-person psilocybin-assisted therapy session was feasible and safe for 25 palliative cancer patients. Over one year, 31 therapy sessions were delivered across four cohorts, with 84% completing the program. Participants reported enhanced trust in self, improved outlook on life, and strengthened connection to community. Peer support, relational safety, and regulation practices were central to outcomes. The model offers a scalable, cost-effective approach for end-of-life care, though attention to individual preference, room logistics, and sensory control during group dosing is needed.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2022
Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Crosbie Watler
correction
This notice corrects an error in a previously published article. No new findings, data, or arguments are presented.