What motivates spiritual health practitioners in psychedelic-assisted therapy? A qualitative study and implications for facilitator training practices

Spiritual health practitioners (healthcare chaplains) increasingly facilitate psychedelic-assisted therapy. A qualitative study of 15 such practitioners (60% female, average age 46.57) found two main themes: initial motivations and ongoing sources of meaning. Personal psychedelic experiences were a key initial motivator. Ongoing fulfillment came from witnessing healing in others and positive personal impacts of facilitating care. Personal experiences provide valuable firsthand knowledge of psychedelic phenomenology but may introduce bias. Training guidelines from the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, emphasizing self-literacy and reflection, may help address these risks. The authors introduce a reflective learning exercise based on these findings.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Spiritual health practitioners (SHPs), also known as healthcare chaplains, are increasingly involved in facilitating psychedelic-assisted therapies in clinical trials and community settings. Although the motivations of therapeutic practitioners are known to impact clinical decision-making and treatment outcomes, little research has investigated what drives SHPs to pursue this work. This qualitative study examined n = 15 SHP's (60% female; MAge = 46.57) who were involved in legal administration of psychedelic-assisted therapy. An inductive-deductive qualitative analysis approach yielded two major themes: (1) Initial Motivation for Practicing PAT, and (2) Ongoing Sources of Meaning and Fulfillment. The SHPs in this study often cited personal experiences as key motivations for entering this field, frequently linked to a significant personal encounter with psychedelic use. The most common Ongoing Sources of Meaning and Fulfillment included witnessing healing in others and experiencing positive personal impacts from facilitating psychedelic-assisted care. This article addresses the substantial role that personal psychedelic experiences appear to play in SHPs’ motivations to pursue this area of practice. Such experiences provide valuable first-hand knowledge of the unique phenomenology of psychedelic treatment, although they can also potentially introduce biases and reduce objectivity. Training and certification guidelines set by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) may help address these risks for SHPs through heavy emphasis placed on self-literacy and reflective learning components. Guided by these findings, we introduce a novel reflective learning exercise, as well as several existing ACPE learning components that may support psychedelic facilitators and facilitators-in-training from any professional background.