Peter H Addy – Psychedelics, Hallucinogens and Entheogens: What Clinicians Need to Know

Outline

Types of Psychedelic Substances: What You Need to Know

• Classic Psychedelics: LSD, Psilocybin, Mescaline, DMT
• Empathogens: MDMA
• Dissociatives: Ketamine, Dextromethorphan, Nitrous Oxide
• Complex Psychedelics: Ayahuasca, Ibogaine
• Other Atypical Psychedelics: Salvia Divinorum, Cannabis

History & Context of Psychedelic Use: The Research

• Epidemiology: Who uses, how, & how often
• Pharmacology: How they work in the brain
• Indigenous Use: How they work in culture
• Safety
  • Addiction to psychedelics
  • MDMA is not ecstasy
  • Potency & purity of “street drugs”
  • Ibogaine & cardiac toxicity
• Contemporary Research
  • PTSD
  • Addiction
  • End-of-life anxiety
  • Depression
  • OCD
  • Social anxiety

Legal Avenues for Experiencing Psychedelics: Paths Clients May Take

• Clinical Trials for MDMA & psilocybin
• Cultural Tourism
  • South American ayahuasca tourism
  • Central American mushroom tourism
• Contemporary Tourism
  • Mushroom tourism in the Netherlands, Jamaica
• Church for ayahuasca & peyote
• Legal Psychedelics
  • Ketamine & cannabis clinics
  • The strange case of Salvia
• Exercise: Discuss psychedelics with your client

Ethical Considerations for Your Clients

• Sexual abuse in psychedelics communities
• Outing & societal pushback
• Isolation when your client has no community
• Limitations of the related research

Ethical Considerations in the Therapy Room

• Assessment strategies to determine high risk
• The entropic brain theory
• Diagnoses that may benefit from psychedelic experiences
• How to talk about future illegal activity
• Spiritual bypassing: Using psychedelics to avoid working on yourself
• Exercise: Navigate ethical challenges

Psychotherapy Preparation & Integration

• Non-directive counseling
• Grounding techniques
• The holotropic mind model
• Exercise: Practice counseling techniques