There has been a recent explosion in the number of psychedelic trainings available for mental health professionals. From brief webinars to in-depth certificate programs that last months, there is an increasing number of options to gain education and experience with psychedelic-assisted therapy. For many clinicians, it is easy to get overwhelmed by all of these options. This is especially true given that actually practicing psychedelic-assisted therapy is not yet possible unless one is working in the context of a clinical trial or in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
Portland Psychotherapy offers training in the area of psychedelics. We host a monthly one-hour webinar called Therapeutic Research in Psychedelic Science, or TRIPS, that features a variety of speakers on topics related to the science and practice of psychedelic-assisted therapy. We also feature workshops on various topics in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
You can also look at this article on Navigating Your Way Through the Psychedelic Field: How to Get Involved.
Education and Training
There are more and more training and educational opportunities in the area of psychedelics. Research shows that many clinicians are still misinformed about psychedelics and commonly harbor stigma.
Resources for more training include:
- Portland Psychotherapy: Therapy and Research in Psychedelic Science (TRIPS) Seminar Series and other psychedelic trainings
- Psychedelic Grad: Website and podcast dedicated towards student navigating careers in psychedelic medicine
- Fluence: professional education in psychedelic-assisted therapy and integration
- Psychedelic Seminars: educational series on range of topics in psychedelics
- Scptr: Psychedelic Therapy Training Program
- Psychedelic Integration Coach: Professional Certification Program
- Medicinal Mindfulness Psychedelic Sitters School: Mindfulness-based psychedelic journeywork and psychedelic activism training
- CIIS: Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research
- Polaris Insight Center: Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy training
- Horizons 2019 Classes: Monthly events focused on individual topics as well as continuing education classes designed for health professionals
- Center for Optimal Living: Psychedelic program series exploring sociocultural issues in the psychedelic community
- MAPS: MDMA Training Therapy Program
- Ketamine Training Center: Training designed for experienced professionals who already have mastery in their respective fields and are interested in providing treatment in the context of a joint collaboration of medical and psychological skill sets to create a team approach for delivering Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
- Yale Psychedelic Study Group: Seminar series
- PRATI (Psychedelic Research and Training Institute): Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy training
- Sage Institute: Clinician-oriented two-year internship on depth psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy
Research
There are many labs around the country engaging in psychedelic science that you can find through a basic web search.
- The Portland Psychotherapy Lab is conducting scientific research in psychedelics.
- Click here if you are interested in volunteering as a research assistant.
- You can see some of our recent publications on psychedelics including a meta-analysis of recent rigorous trials and a paper on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Psychedelics.
Getting Personal Experience
If you are interested in getting more personal experience with altered states of consciousness, consider these options.
Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship
Please visit here for more information on Portland Psychotherapy’s clinical and research postdoctoral fellowship position for clinical psychologists.
Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration Services
It is possible to provide therapeutic support to clients who are using psychedelics on their own. Portland Psychotherapy’s Psychedelic Integration and Safety Services are one example of the types of clinical services that can be offered. See the section on education and training to learn more about how to obtain training in this area. You can learn more about the risks in practicing psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy here and what licensing boards think about doing this kind of therapy here.
Portland Integration Network
Portland Integration Network is a community of interdisciplinary mental health professionals and referral networks for clients to access providers who have experience and knowledge related to psychedelics.
Portland Psychedelic Society
There are psychedelic societies all around the world that you can join to network with others in the field and to learn more about psychedelic science. Portland Psychedelic Society is a large volunteer organization with 15-20 meetings every month about various topics in psychedelics. Visit their Meetup Page and consider the Health Care Professionals Meeting that meets on the first Wednesday of each month from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM (PT).