Understanding Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy Providers' Perspective and Insights: A Qualitative Analysis.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.) September 1, 2024 Crystal Lederhos Smith, Nathan Sackett, Brian Connor Stark et al. 4 citations
Underground psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy providers described their protocols and perspectives in interviews analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Four themes emerged: personal experiences and self-healing motivated sharing and promoting positive effects of psychedelics as altruism; guides articulated consistent yet flexible processes; guides believed client benefit came from clients' own intrinsic ability to heal; and guides expressed dissonance about legalization, desiring increased access and decreased risk but also concerned about potential negative impacts on provider flexibility and depersonalization from standardization. The findings aim to inform research and policy as psychedelic use expands in the United States.