Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy
Harm Reduction Journal April 11, 2021 Brian Pilecki, Jason B. Luoma, Geoff J. Bathje et al. 135 citations
As clinical trials show strong evidence for psychedelic-assisted therapy's benefits, many people are using psychedelics on their own rather than waiting for legal medical access. Therapists have an ethical duty to support these clients, but incorporating psychedelics into traditional psychotherapy poses risks given their prohibited status. This paper explicates these risks and describes ways therapists can mitigate them while practicing within legal and ethical boundaries. A harm reduction approach is emphasized as a useful framework for conducting therapy around clients' psychedelic use. Therapists can meet with clients before and after personal psychedelic experiences to help minimize risk and maximize benefit. Common clinical scenarios in this growing area are discussed.