Psychedelic Experiential Pharmacology: Pioneering Clinical Explorations with Salvador Roquet (How I Came to All of This: Ketamine, Admixtures and Adjuvants, Don Juan and Carlos Castaneda Too): An Interview with Richard Yensen

Richard Yensen, a research fellow at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center from 1972 to 1976, studied psychedelic psychotherapy with Stanislav Grof and treated patients with substance abuse disorders, cancer, neurosis, and health professionals seeking training. His Ph.D. dissertation examined MDA use in psychotherapy with neurotic outpatients. After years of government-sanctioned psychedelic research, he developed a non-drug shamanistic psychotherapy called Perceptual Affective Therapy. He held an FDA investigational new drug permit for LSD and psychotherapy until 2006. Yensen is now a licensed psychologist, director of the Orenda Institute, and president of the Salvador Roquet Psychosynthesis Association.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Richard Yensen was a research fellow at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center from 1972 to 1976. He studied psychedelic psychotherapy with Stanislav Grof, M.D. and other senior staff. During this time he treated patients with substance abuse disorders, cancer, neurosis, and other health professionals seeking a training experience. Dr. Yensen did his Ph.D. dissertation on the use of MDA in psychotherapy with neurotic outpatients and conducted his research at the MPRC. Through many years of experience in governmentsanctioned psychedelic research, he has evolved a non-drug shamanistic psychotherapy called Perceptual Affective Therapy. In the 1990’s Richard was co-holder of IND 3250, an investigational new drug permit issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to study LSD and psychotherapy until 2006. He is currently a licensed psychologist in California and director of the Orenda Institute in Vancouver and Cortes Island, British Columbia, Canada and president of the Salvador Roquet Psychosynthesis Association. He has served on the faculties of Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore.