Psychedelics as a Training Experience for Psychedelic Therapists: Drawing on History to Inform Current Practice

As psychedelic-assisted therapy with psilocybin expands, hundreds of therapists need training, yet current programs do not include a personal psilocybin experience. The last such training with a similar compound occurred in the Spring Grove LSD Training Study (1969–1974). This article examines archival data from that study to guide modern training efforts, suggesting that incorporating nonordinary states of consciousness may benefit therapist preparation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The therapeutic use of psilocybin in psychedelic-assisted therapy models is currently being tested for a variety of indications, necessitating the training of hundreds of therapists. At present, training programs do not include the provision of a psilocybin experience for therapists, and the last time such an experience was offered with a similar compound was through the Spring Grove LSD Training Study between 1969 and 1974. This article explores archival Spring Grove data to inform training programs and efforts to establish or provide training experiences with psilocybin or otherwise include experiences with nonordinary states of consciousness in the training of psychedelic therapists.