Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 20, 2021
M. Earleywine, Brianna R. Altman, Joseph A. de Leo
8 citations
People with depressive symptoms find a combination of ketamine and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as credible as CBT alone, and both are seen as more credible than ketamine alone. Those who have had psychotherapy before tend to view ketamine as less credible. Depression severity does not relate to credibility ratings. The findings suggest that potential clients are cautious about ketamine despite media attention, and that providing balanced treatment descriptions may reveal important credibility information.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 5, 2024
Mitch Earleywine, Alyssa B. Oliva, Joseph A. de Leo et al.
6 citations
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which views the mind as composed of multiple subpersonalities or 'parts' shaped by trauma, has gained popularity, particularly in psychedelic-assisted treatments. However, outcome data for applying IFS to post-traumatic stress disorder are limited, and its theoretical assumptions are difficult to test. The model's appeal highlights a problem with how empirically supported treatments are perceived. Ethical recommendations for presenting IFS include providing detailed psychoeducation about evidence-based treatments, being candid about the experimental nature of alternatives, monitoring progress, and watching for harm. Drawing on IFS's appealing features to improve perceptions of validated treatments may attract more clients and reduce dropout while awaiting empirical evidence.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
September 22, 2023
Mitch Earleywine, Maha N. Mian, Joseph A. de Leo
5 citations
Expectations about psychedelics are understudied despite their powerful subjective effects. In over 500 people who have used psilocybin, expectancies about antidepressant effects correlated with specific subjective experiences—mystical experiences, ego dissolution, and emotional breakthrough—that previous work linked to depression improvement. Current depressive symptoms, ego dissolution, and emotional breakthrough each predicted unique variance in expected antidepressant effects, but mystical experience expectancies did not. Demographic factors and general hallucinogen involvement showed only weak correlations. These findings suggest that psilocybin users hold relevant expectancies about subjective and antidepressant effects, which could influence treatment outcomes and deserve monitoring in clinical trials.
Cognitive and Behavioral Practice
April 1, 2025
M. Earleywine, Henry A MacConnel, Joseph A. de Leo
Metaphors used in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) shape client expectations and outcomes, yet few publications address their deliberate use within a cognitive-behavioral framework. Common metaphors like journeys, brain rewiring, and medicines may not suit all clients or align with learning-focused interventions. This paper introduces baseball's "batting practice" as an alternative metaphor, emphasizing autonomy, agency, responsibility, and the incremental skill-building nature of PAT. Depicting the therapist as a coach reimagines therapy as active engagement, ongoing effort, gradual improvements, and periods of progress and stagnation, paralleling integration processes. The metaphor highlights process over outcomes, persistence, patience, mindfulness, and teamwork. Potential shortcomings are noted to encourage flexibility and collaborative metaphor selection for optimizing outcomes in psychedelic-assisted CBT.