Alexandra Haas

Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco.

2 papers in the library · 89 citations · publishing 2021-2023

Papers

Participant Reports of Mindfulness, Posttraumatic Growth, and Social Connectedness in Psilocybin-Assisted Group Therapy: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

Journal of Humanistic Psychology June 12, 2021 Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Eve Ekman, B. Anderson et al. 47 citations

In a qualitative study of nine gay cisgender men diagnosed with HIV before 1996 and experiencing significant trauma symptoms, psilocybin-assisted group therapy helped participants shift from habitual, evaluative thinking to mindful, experiential awareness. During psilocybin sessions, individuals processed and released previously avoided feelings such as grief and shame, and accessed positive emotions including joy, gratitude, love, care, and compassion. The treatment also supported meaning-making and posttraumatic growth across psychological, relational, and spiritual dimensions, as participants integrated past traumas into their life narratives. These findings suggest that combining group therapy with psilocybin may enhance trauma processing by reinforcing social cohesion, safety, trust, and belonging.

DOI: 10.1177/00221678211022949 Psilocybin Mindfulness Interpretative phenomenological analysis Psychotherapist +6

Reports of self-compassion and affect regulation in psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder: An interpretive phenomenological analysis.

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors June 5, 2023 Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Elizabeth M Nielson, Michael Zingman et al. 42 citations

In a small qualitative study of the first randomized controlled trial of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder, participants reported that the treatment helped them process emotions tied to painful past events, fostered self-compassion, self-awareness, and feelings of interconnectedness. The acute drug sessions laid the groundwork for more self-compassionate regulation of negative affect. Participants also described newfound belonging and improved relationship quality. The findings suggest psilocybin increases the malleability of self-related processing, reduces shame and self-critical thoughts, improves affect regulation, and lowers alcohol cravings, indicating that integrating self-compassion training with psychedelic therapy may enhance AUD treatment outcomes.

DOI: 10.1037/adb0000935 Psychedelic therapy Addiction treatment Mental health Substance abuse recovery +1