September 26, 2025
R. Ham, John Gardner, Adrian Carter et al.
preprint
In psychedelic-assisted therapy, two therapists often work together to support participants through preparation, dosing, and integration sessions. This qualitative study examined how participants experienced this cotherapy model within a trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Interviews with 18 participants revealed three major themes: cotherapy on dose day provided safety, trust, and highlighted access issues; cotherapy influenced therapeutic processes; and cotherapy shaped the impact and credibility of therapeutic insights. Overall, participants valued cotherapy, which served both as a safety and supportive measure and as a potentiator of therapeutic processes. These findings can guide clinical practice and future research to enhance feasibility and accessibility while preserving safety and therapeutic benefits.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Andrew S. Gibbons, Paul Liknaitzky, Suresh Sundram
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is often treated with psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT), but only about 44% of participants respond. This multi-omic study compared blood samples from 11 responders and 13 non-responders after a 6-week PAT regime. Five genes were differentially expressed between groups, including CTXN2-AS1 and HLA-V. A panel of four genes (CTXN2-AS1, DUT-AS1, HLA-V, and PARP16) could distinguish 45% of responders from all other participants. These findings suggest potential blood biomarkers for predicting PAT response in GAD, though validation in larger cohorts is needed.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Susan Meikle, Olivia Carter, Paul Liknaitzky et al.
A small pilot trial of psilocybin with psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression found a clinically meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms three weeks after the second dose, with an average improvement of 7.14 points on the depression scale and a large effect size. However, individual responses varied widely: two participants showed lasting improvement, three relapsed, and two saw no substantial benefit. Mindset before dosing and spiritual or perceptual experiences during the session predicted treatment trajectory, but prior expectations did not. The study supports further research into tailoring psychedelic therapy to individual differences.
Drug and alcohol dependence
July 1, 2025
Dilara Bahceci, Krista Siefried, Maureen Steele et al.
Among 268 people who used methamphetamine, nearly half had a diagnosed mental illness and were at risk of suicide, and most had taken other substances besides methamphetamine and psychedelics. Most psychedelic experiences were unplanned, recreational, and combined with other drugs. After the experience, about 59% reported improved mood, 50% improved social functioning, and 34% reduced methamphetamine use. Planning the experience and having less challenging experiences were linked to better outcomes. The findings suggest that psychedelic use may improve mood and social function and reduce substance use in this population, but highlight the importance of context and setting.
March 21, 2025
R. Ham, John Gardner, Adrian Carter et al.
preprint
In a clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, 18 participants provided longitudinal perspectives on therapeutic touch. Most valued touch, especially after experiencing it during psilocybin dosing sessions. Touch offered connection during intense emotions and could manage the intensity of acute psychedelic experiences. Some attributed direct therapeutic effects to touch, and a strong therapeutic relationship was essential for its effective use. The authors argue that touch application should be individualized and embedded in comprehensive consent, with further research needed on safety and therapist training.
Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology
January 1, 2025
Diana McHerron, Michaela Barber, Rachel Ham et al.
Physical touch is often used as a supportive tool in psychedelic-assisted therapy, but participants under the influence of psychedelics have reduced capacity to consent and are more suggestible. Interviews with 16 researchers revealed three themes: flexible frameworks, therapeutic alliance, and boundary management. Researchers noted that consent to therapeutic touch should be established before dosing sessions and continually managed. Flexibility in consent protocols helped build therapeutic alliance but also created challenges in boundary management. Researchers emphasized the need for clearer ethical guidelines for handling changing preferences during dosing sessions and limits on expanding consent after drug administration.
November 25, 2024
Joshua Maurice Kugel, Ruben Laukkonen, David B. Yaden et al.
preprint
Insights—sudden, subjectively true understandings—are common during psychedelic experiences and are often considered central to therapy, but their role had not been systematically assessed. This systematic review of 98 studies found that psychedelic-catalyzed insight (PCI) was positively correlated with dose and was statistically significant in 93% of studies comparing psychedelic to placebo. Crucially, 86% of studies found PCI associated with positive therapeutic outcomes, often more strongly than mystical-type experiences. The findings suggest PCI is an important topic for clinical psychedelic therapy and for understanding mechanisms of psychedelic therapy.
Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing)
July 1, 2024
Claire J Foldi, Paul Liknaitzky, Martin Williams et al.
Anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of any psychiatric illness, but current medications are largely ineffective partly because the neurobiological causes are poorly understood. Renewed research into psychedelic medicine, particularly psilocybin, suggests it may help symptoms related to serotonin signaling and cognitive inflexibility in anorexia nervosa. Clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression show promising results, though methodological biases remain. The first clinical trial of psilocybin in anorexia nervosa patients began in 2019, highlighting the need to understand the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Animal models, such as the activity-based anorexia rodent model, can provide detailed brain and behavior analysis without the confounds of patient expectancy and bias. The authors argue such studies are crucial for informing clinical applications and identifying which patient subpopulations might benefit most.
October 18, 2022
Paul Liknaitzky
Psychedelic therapies are returning to clinical research and may soon re-enter medical care for mental illness, but substantial work remains before they are ready for widespread use. When combined with psychotherapy, substances such as psilocybin (from 'magic mushrooms') and MDMA (from 'ecstasy') show potential for treating mental health conditions.