Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy
Brian Pilecki, Jason B. Luoma, Geoff J. Bathje, Joseph Rhea, Vilmarie Fraguada Narloch
Harm Reduction Journal April 11, 2021 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-021-00489-1 via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAs clinical trials show strong evidence for psychedelic-assisted therapy's benefits, many people are using psychedelics on their own rather than waiting for legal medical access. Therapists have an ethical duty to support these clients, but incorporating psychedelics into traditional psychotherapy poses risks given their prohibited status. This paper explicates these risks and describes ways therapists can mitigate them while practicing within legal and ethical boundaries. A harm reduction approach is emphasized as a useful framework for conducting therapy around clients' psychedelic use. Therapists can meet with clients before and after personal psychedelic experiences to help minimize risk and maximize benefit. Common clinical scenarios in this growing area are discussed.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychedelics Psychedelic integration Psychedelic harm reduction Therapeutic ethics |
| Citations | 135 |
| Key finding | Therapists can use a harm reduction framework to meet with clients before and after personal psychedelic experiences, helping minimize risk and maximize benefit while practicing within legal and ethical boundaries. |
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelic-assisted therapy may represent an upcoming paradigm shift in the treatment of mental health problems as recent clinical trials have demonstrated strong evidence of their therapeutic benefits. While psychedelics are currently prohibited substances in most countries, the growing popularity of their therapeutic potential is leading many people to use psychedelics on their own rather than waiting for legal medical access. Therapists therefore have an ethical duty to meet this need by providing support for clients using psychedelics. However, incorporating psychedelics into traditional psychotherapy poses some risk given their prohibited status and many therapists are unsure of how they might practice in this area. This paper explicates such risks and describes ways in which therapists can mitigate them and strive to practice within legal and ethical boundaries. A harm reduction approach will be emphasized as a useful framework for conducting therapy around clients' use of psychedelics. It is argued that therapists can meet with clients before and after their own personal psychedelic experiences in order to help clients minimize risk and maximize benefit. Common clinical scenarios in this growing clinical area will also be discussed.