Annales Médico-psychologiques revue psychiatrique
July 10, 2024
Federico Seragnoli, Gabriel Thorens, Louise Penzenstadler et al.
8 citations
A team at Geneva University Hospitals developed an interdisciplinary model for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) that combines the altered state of consciousness induced by LSD or psilocybin with traditional dialogue-based psychotherapy. Since 2014, Swiss law has allowed exceptional medical authorizations for these substances. From September 2020 to February 2024, the team received 224 personal authorizations (114 for LSD, 110 for psilocybin) and conducted 396 individual sessions. The protocol includes patient selection, preparatory psychoeducation, controlled substance administration, and integration sessions. The authors argue that psychedelic-induced consciousness alteration can act as a catalyst to revive stalled psychotherapeutic processes and call for continued research and broader clinical integration of PAP.
Psychology International
December 19, 2025
M Cheng, Tatiana Aboulafia Brakha, Albert Buchard et al.
LSD and psilocybin produce different patterns of heart rate change over time in patients with treatment-resistant depression or anxiety disorders. In a small retrospective study of 30 patients receiving either substance during supervised sessions, LSD caused a delayed but sustained heart rate increase peaking at 3–4 hours, while psilocybin led to an earlier decline. Anxiety levels did not explain these differences, and no serious cardiovascular events occurred. The distinct temporal profiles suggest the two psychedelics may activate the cardiovascular system differently in clinical populations, though the findings are preliminary due to the small sample and retrospective design.
medRxiv
December 1, 2025
Tatiana Aboulafia Brakha, Albert Buchard, Cédric Mabilais et al.
preprint
In a real-world clinical setting, a single dose of LSD (100 µg) or psilocybin (25 mg) combined with psychotherapy significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms in 115 adults with treatment-resistant disorders. Symptoms were measured one to three months after treatment, with no serious adverse events. Patients also showed reduced rumination, self-blame, and catastrophizing, along with increased positive refocusing and reappraisal. Both substances produced comparable clinical benefits despite different subjective effect profiles. The findings suggest that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is feasible and effective in routine specialized care.
Research Square
December 1, 2025
Albert Buchard, Federico Seragnoli, Michel Sabé et al.
Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are common in people seeking psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and are strongly linked to baseline depression and anxiety. In 192 adults assessed for EMS and 74 patients followed through psilocybin- or LSD-assisted therapy, baseline schema burden—especially around failure and defectiveness—was tied to cognitive-depressive symptoms. However, schema burden did not predict the quality of the acute psychedelic experience or moderate overall symptom improvement. Patients experienced significant reductions in depression and anxiety with each session, but these changes depended on initial symptom severity, not their schema profile. Treatment effects were similar for psilocybin and LSD. The findings indicate that EMS are useful for identifying cognitive-emotional themes, such as core beliefs about failure, to address during psychotherapeutic integration, rather than for patient selection or outcome prediction.
Psychoactives
September 1, 2025
M Mercier, Cédric Mabilais, Vasileios Chytas et al.
A patient with persistent somatoform pain disorder and recurrent depressive disorder underwent four sessions of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. The intervention was associated with reduced negative impact of pain on daily life, increased pain acceptance, improved quality of life, and fewer depressive symptoms. The case suggests that psychedelics combined with psychotherapy may offer a novel approach to chronic pain treatment, though controlled studies are needed.
Research Square (Research Square)
May 12, 2023
Gabriel Thorens, Louise Penzenstadler, Leonice Furtado et al.
A patient with generalized anxiety disorder and claustrophobia who had not improved with conventional therapy underwent three sessions of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy that included both imaginary and real exposure to an elevator. After treatment, anxiety and fear of closed spaces, elevators, and planes decreased. Scores on the Beck Depression Inventory-II, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Fear Questionnaire showed significant improvement. The patient reported feeling more relaxed, more willing to face fearful situations, and a shift in perception of fearful stimuli, possibly reflecting new memory representations and a disconfirmatory experience.