Psychedelic Assisted Therapy - Full 2023 Ethics and Integrity Series

In the last 5 years, we have seen an explosion of training and literature around the use of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and its use for resistant treatment depression and other mental health issues. WAMFT is excited to present an in-depth series on the use of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Come and understand the historic use of these substances through the knowledge of indigenous and ancient peoples, know the law (past, present and future) in Washington State, learn the implications of its use by your clients and become up to date on the research.

Session 1: Centering Identity, Culture, & Relationship in Psychedelic Therapy

Presenter

Sara Reed is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and psychedelic research therapist at Imperial College London. Her prior research work includes participating as a study therapist in the clinical study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. She also received training in psilocybin therapy using ACT at Yale University and works with ketamine as an adjunct to psychotherapy in her private practice.

Session Description

Cultural and social identities shape how we navigate and experience the world, and the psychedelic therapy container presents a unique opportunity to support participants in navigating these unique positions. Without attuning to, validating, and centering these parts of self in sessions, facilitators can misinterpret, dismiss, or ignore essential elements to a participants process. How can we reimagine health equity in the psychedelic therapy space? How does the legacy of colonization impact how facilitators show up and deliver treatment in medicalized psychedelic therapy? Join this session as the presenter discusses how she centers identity, culture, and relationship as a Black therapist and researcher in psychedelic therapy.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this session participants will be able to:

• Explore the culture of psychedelic therapy
• Define culturally responsible care
• Discuss considerations for working cross-culturally

 

Session 2: A Conversation with PAT Practitioners

Session Description

Bethany Suppes, PhD, LMFT will moderate a panel of mental health and medical professionals reviewing their experiences with psychedelic-assisted therapy practices. This includes questions regarding how they entered the practice, trained and prepared for it, and ethical considerations in their ongoing use of PAT with a variety of populations. The presentation will conclude with open discussion and questions from the audience for the panelists.

Learning Objectives: 

• Participants will know at least one recommended training to ethically enter into PAT. 
• Participants will identify at least two potential contraindicators for PAT, both as a client and practitioner. 
• Participants will have at least two ethical considerations in the potential application of PAT with various client populations.

Session 3:

Presenter

Jarryn Robinson-Ellis, PhD, is Core Faculty in the Couple and Family Therapy Program at Antioch University Seattle. She has an extensive history teaching clinical practicum and internship courses, qualitative research methodologies, multicultural courses, human growth and development, ethics, and group theory. Her research interests explore the experiences of women of color in academia, racialized trauma, microaggressions, and ethical ambiguity. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Neuroscience from Purdue University in 2010, her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe BS in 2012, and her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision in 2018 from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has been working with children, adults, and families for almost 10 years in the areas of: trauma, mental health relapse, substance use, racialized trauma, and identity development. She has also utilized alternative treatment modalities such as ketamine-assisted therapy and neurofeedback with individuals tackling treatment-resistant PTSD. anxiety and depression.

Session Description

This presentation will introduce participants to ketamine both in its use medically and recreational background to help cultivate understanding of the substance. Participants will explore both the ethical and educational considerations of this intervention as well as exploration of the experiences of clients who receive this form of treatment.

Learning Objectives

As a result of this session participants will:

• Cultivate an understanding of ketamine, its history and its future in psychotherapeutic intervention
• Become informed on the processes included in training to provide ketamine assisted therapy
• Increase knowledge of ketamine assisted therapy as a therapeutic modality and approach.

Session 4:

Presenter

Pat Donahue is a Psychedelic Lawyer based out of Spokane, Washington. A founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Assoiation, Pat runs Terrapin Legal- a law firm devoted to representing  ethical clients in the emerging psychedelics ecosystem

Session Description

The first half of Pat's presentation will outline what 'psychedelics' are as well the effects these both novel and ancient technologies have on the individual. This portion of the presentation will also briefly summarize the past, present, and possible future use and legal status of these molecules.

The second half of Pat's presentation will address ethical and legal considerations for therapists in Washington State. Time permitting, there will be a brief Q + A at the end of the session.

Learning Objectives

As a result of Pat's session, participants will gain a basic understanding of the history, effects, and legal status of the emerging psychedelics ecosystem.