British Journal of Psychotherapy
June 30, 2023
Nadav Liam Modlin, Joanne Stubley, Carolina Maggio et al.
11 citations
The psychedelic state is an interdependent intrapsychic, somatic, interpersonal, and spiritual happening that can bring forth unconscious desires and traumas, experienced as both cathartic and anxiety-provoking. In clinical trials, these effects often co-occur. Amid renewed interest in psychedelics for mental health, gaps remain in understanding extra-pharmacological factors and therapeutic models. Drawing from psychoanalytic perspectives, this paper explores intersections between psychedelic therapy and psychoanalysis for traumatic stress. It considers the psychedelic state as an attempt to make the unconscious conscious by immersing in a bewildering waking-dream, a willful vulnerability to build trust, and an indescribable experience to redescribe the traumatic past.
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
June 8, 2025
Nadav Liam Modlin, Victoria Williamson, Carolina Maggio et al.
1 citation
PTSD is a common and debilitating condition that current treatments only partially address. This review examines psilocybin, a classical psychedelic, as a potential therapeutic agent. It synthesizes recent literature on psychedelic therapies for trauma-related conditions, including treatment-resistant depression and end-of-life anxiety. The authors propose a conceptual framework viewing PTSD as a maladaptive interpretive framework that psilocybin may disrupt through its psychopharmacological properties and subjective effects. A clinical narrative illustrates this process. Recommendations emphasize rigorous, trauma-informed protocols for safe administration in medical research settings.
Psychodynamic psychiatry
June 1, 2026
Nadav Liam Modlin, Zsofia Elek, Carolina Maggio et al.
Psychedelic therapy may help people access unconscious mental content—preverbal, dissociated, or developmentally buried material—that emerges through bodily sensations, symbolic images, and intense emotions. A psychodynamic framework, drawing on psychoanalytic theory, can guide clinicians in working with this material across four phases: screening, preparation, the treatment session, and follow-up integration. Although neurobiological mechanisms like 5-HT2A receptor activation are well studied, unconscious processes remain underexplored. The authors argue that psychoanalytic models, though currently underrepresented, can deepen understanding of therapeutic change beyond symptom reduction and should inform future research, training, and individualized care as psychedelic treatments move toward broader clinical use.