Integration in Psychedelic-Assisted Treatments: Recurring Themes in Current Providers’ Definitions, Challenges, and Concerns
Journal of Humanistic Psychology April 2, 2022 Mitch Earleywine, Fiona Low, Carmen Lau et al. 47 citations
Integration therapy, a key part of psychedelic-assisted treatment, helps people make sense of their psychedelic experiences after the drug's effects wear off. In interviews with 30 integration therapists, 19 themes emerged reliably. Therapists commonly defined integration as a bridge between the psychedelic experience and daily life, expressed concern about nonresponsive clients, and worried about the commercialization of psychedelic psychotherapy. They viewed integration as a process that starts before substance use, never ends, makes sense of the experience, creates behavioral change, is personalized, and makes the individual whole. Many also discussed client resistance, unrealistic expectations, power differentials, the need for connections to other providers, and self-care. The findings may help standardize integration therapy and inform future research.