Queer healing in altered states: A critical interpretive synthesis of psychedelic therapy in queer and non-binary individuals
Journal of Psychedelic Studies October 22, 2025 Sonia David, Anupama Sadasivan 2 citations
Queer and non-binary people are largely left out of psychedelic research and therapy. A review of 44 studies from 2014 to 2024 found that 36.7% of clinical trials lacked data on gender-diverse participants or failed to recruit them due to structural barriers. In contrast, 32.7% of qualitative studies emphasized identity affirmation and community care, but only 10.2% addressed intersecting oppressions. Three themes emerged: clinical exclusion and epistemic violence, embodied healing through altered states, and grassroots queer psychedelic practices. The authors call for queer-affirming, intersectional, and decolonial methods to ensure psychedelic therapies support collective liberation rather than reinforce marginalization.