Preparation Sessions

Chapter 5 describes a preparation phase for psychedelic therapy that consists of three 90-minute nondrug sessions. This phase aims to build trust, understand the participant's depression, identify intentions, and provide psychoeducation. The therapist works across six EMBARK clinical domains: creating an environment for profound spiritual experiences, teaching compassionate internal focus and self-soothing, fostering somatic appreciation, encouraging open reception of emotions and beliefs, cultivating a safe and empowering therapeutic relationship considering trauma and culture, and codeveloping strategies to maintain therapeutic gains. Three session agendas are provided.

Study at a glance

Abstract

AbstractChapter 5 outlines a preparation phase consisting of three 90-minute nondrug sessions. Preparation lays the groundwork for potential benefits across the six EMBARK domains. The therapist’s aims in this phase include building trust, understanding the participant’s experience of depression, identifying participant intentions, and providing psychoeducation about psychedelic therapy. The chapter provides concrete instructions for the preparation sessions in each of the six EMBARK clinical domains. For example, the therapist: (E) aims to create an environment that encourages profound spiritual experiences; (M) teaches techniques for compassionate internal focus and self-soothing; (B) fosters an appreciation for somatic practices; (A) encourages the participant to openly receive their emotions and beliefs; (R) strives to cultivate a therapeutic relationship characterized by safety, acceptance, and empowerment while considering the participant’s trauma history and cultural context; and (K) codevelops strategies to promote continuity of therapeutic gains. Three session agendas are provided.