Development and Evaluation of a Therapist Training Program for Psilocybin Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Clinical Research
Frontiers in Psychiatry February 3, 2021 Sara Tai, Elizabeth M. Nielson, Molly Lennard-Jones et al. 87 citations
A therapist training program for psilocybin therapy, developed for a phase IIb international, multicenter, randomized controlled study of treatment-resistant depression, is described. The manualized approach, based on evidence-based psychotherapeutic methods and approved by the FDA, includes online learning, in-person training, applied clinical training, and ongoing mentoring. After training 65 health care professionals across the US, Canada, and Europe, feedback indicated that didactic and experiential learning helped build conceptual understanding and skills. Clinical training and participant care under experienced therapists were most beneficial and challenging. Rigorous, scalable training requires collaboration among public, academic, and industry partners.