What is Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy?
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is a groundbreaking mental health treatment that combines the controlled use of psychedelic medicines structured around psychotherapy.
A New Frontier in Mental Health
At PSI we believe these therapies hold promise for many people with conditions like depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, grief, and other hard-to-treat conditions, especially when conventional approaches fall short. However, PAT will not work for everyone, and further study of these innovative approaches is needed to fully validate their safety and long-term success in different conditions.
These therapies are intended to be delivered in safe, supportive settings designed to help people access deep insight, emotional healing, and foster long-term positive behavioral changes. Currently ketamine is the only medicine available for PAT outside of clinical trials while other psychedelics including psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, DMT, 5Meo-DMT are currently being evaluated in clinical trials for many conditions, and await FDA-approval.
What to Expect in a Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Session?
Psychedelic-assisted therapy at PSI is grounded in the well-established “set and setting” model first articulated in the 1960s (with even older roots in traditional and shamanic healing practices) and now embedded in modern clinical trial designs. Set is your inner state: mood, mindset, intentions, and the broader story of your life. Setting is the external container: the room, lighting, art, music, and the experienced psychedelic guides or facilitators who are considered essential to the success of PAT.
Preparation
Patients undergo several therapy sessions to set intentions, and expectations and to build trust with their facilitators.
Journey/Dosing Session
Medicine is administered in a calm, supportive environment, typically with eyeshades and music with support from one or two facilitators. Challenging emotions can arise and that’s okay. Some people have a powerful “mystical” or “peak” experience (feelings of unity, deep insight, or sacredness), but healing can happen with or without it.
Integration
In the days and weeks after the experience, patients participate in therapy sessions to help process insights and apply them to daily life.
How Psychedelics Work
Psychedelic medicines not only alter consciousness temporarily, they promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and rewire structurally and functionally. When paired with psychotherapy, this creates a powerful opportunity for long-term healing and change.
Psychedelics appear to 'loosen' overly rigid brain circuits that may be involved in depression, anxiety, substance abuse or trauma while opening a temporary window of heightened neuroplasticity. When combined with therapeutic support in the right set and setting, a potentially transformative period is created in which the brain can reorganize, reprocess painful memories, and form new more positive emotional and cognitive patterns.
Our PSI Approach to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
At PSI, we combine rigorous clinical science with compassionate care. Our TRIP Clinics are led by experienced clinician-scientists with deep expertise in behavioral health, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and in psychedelic clinical trials with medicines like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA.
What sets us apart:
- Experienced and licensed psychotherapists, physicians, and clinical researchers
- Personalized preparation, dosing, and integration pathways
- Two TRIP Clinics specifically designed to deliver safe and compassionate PAT
- Over 10,000 ketamine-assisted psychotherapy sessions delivered by the PSI team
- FDA-grade infrastructure for clinical research
- Over a dozen psychedelic clinical trials completed or underway
Potential Treatment Areas for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
While ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is currently available for many mental health conditions, clinical trials of other psychedelic medicines are underway to determine if they may benefit people with a range of mental health and neurological conditions including:
Mental Health:
- Major depressive disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- PTSD and trauma-related distress
- Substance use disorders
- Prolonged grief
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Eating disorders including anorexia
Cognitive & Neurological:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
- Stroke
- Dementia and Parkinson’s disease
- Chronic pain syndromes
Clinical Trials at PSI Actively Enrolling or Soon to be Enrolling
We are actively conducting or preparing to launch trials using:
- Psilocybin for major depression
- LSD for generalized anxiety disorder
- DMT for treatment-resistant depression
These studies are part of our commitment to advancing safe, effective psychedelic therapies that meet the highest standards of medical care and scientific integrity.
Ready To Learn More About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy?
Whether you're considering treatment, exploring a clinical trial, or simply curious about this growing field, we invite you to explore: