Getting in Touch with Touch: The Importance of Studying Touch in MDMA-Assisted Therapy and the Development of a New Self-Report Measure.

MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) is nearing regulatory approval, but the role of therapeutic touch within it remains understudied and raises ethical concerns about power dynamics. A review of existing literature on touch in psychotherapy found little empirical evidence specifically for MDMA-AT. To address this gap, the authors developed the Touch Outcomes Measurement Inventory (TOMI), a tool for assessing clients' perceptions of touch during MDMA-AT. The creation of TOMI is the main outcome, intended to help researchers and evaluators study touch's impact and inform evidence-based, ethical guidelines for its use in MDMA-AT and other psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Study at a glance

Abstract

MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) is an emerging treatment modality, with recent phase 3 trials indicating its potential for regulatory approval. Central to this therapy is the role of touch, yet its empirical evaluation in MDMA-AT, and psychotherapy in general, remains limited. The use of touch in combination with MDMA raises concerns about power imbalances and ethical boundaries. This article reviews existing literature on therapeutic touch and introduces the Touch Outcomes Measurement Inventory (TOMI). The TOMI is developed to assess client perceptions of touch in MDMA-AT, addressing a critical gap in the current research landscape. The main outcome of this research is the creation of TOMI, a tool aimed at evaluating the impact of touch on clients in MDMA-AT. The review highlights the lack of empirical evidence in this area and the necessity for such a measure. With the increasing likelihood of MDMA-AT becoming a widely used therapy, understanding how therapeutic touch affects clients is imperative. This article emphasizes the need for evidence-based and ethical guidelines for the use of touch in MDMA-AT. The development of TOMI is a step towards achieving this, providing a means for researchers and program evaluators to assess the implications of touch in MDMA-AT and psychedelic-assisted therapy more generally.