Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy and ACT: Discovering the Universals in Psychological Healing

In the past few years, research has shown that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has extraordinary potential as a life-changing treatment approach.

Researchers have been exploring promising breakthrough treatments for PTSD, depression, addiction, and end-of-life anxiety, as well as uncovering new insights into the nature of psychological distress and mechanisms of healing.

And they are discovering that the often surprisingly positive outcomes of these studies are associated with the following:

• Radical opening to experience
• Embracing vulnerability
• Appreciating the unreliable fluidity of thought 
• Seeing how our sense of self is constructed
• Appreciating our interconnection with others and the wider world
• Identifying core values by which to live

While many forms of conventional psychotherapy incorporate one or more of these principles, they all happen to be core attitudes cultivated in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Given the many parallels between ACT and the outcomes occurring in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research, many questions have begun to emerge:

What can clinicians learn from these parallels?

How can research into psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy inform our clinical practice if we’re not participating in the studies?

Might ACT be an effective framework to prepare clients for, guide them through, and help them integrate psychedelic-assisted sessions?

What should clinicians do when clients ask about psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy?

These questions and many more will be explored in our live online conference Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy and ACT: Discovering the Universals in Psychological Healing.

About this Course:

This 4-part live online conference will bring together pioneers in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, ACT, and other mindfulness and acceptance-oriented approaches to explore these questions surrounding psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and ACT.

Each session will involve conversations among experts in each of these areas, along with ample opportunities for attendees to contribute their insights, perspectives, and questions.

At this innovative conference, panelists will set out to identify practical tools and techniques derived from psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, ACT, and other approaches to help clients with a wide array of disorders. 

Over 4 sessions moderated by psychologist and psychedelics expert Dr. Ronald Siegel, you’ll explore…

• How to identify the common elements in a wide variety of psychological disorders
• An overview of evidence for efficacy and mechanisms of action in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and ACT
• The role of transpersonal or “mystical” experience in ACT, mindfulness-informed, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy 
• What psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, ACT, and other acceptance-based treatment approaches can teach clinicians about optimizing therapeutic relationships
• Practical ways to introduce the transformative elements of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and ACT — such as metacognitive awareness, acceptance, understanding self-as-context, and values clarification — into other forms of psychotherapy
• The beginning foundations of psychedelic-assisted therapy for the ACT practitioner thinking about how this might one day fit into their existing practice
• And more…

With the knowledge gained about this emerging field, including the potential perils as well as the promise, you’ll be able to assist and guide clients who ask about psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and those who might be experimenting with psychedelics on their own. 

And each presentation will be followed by a discussion and opportunities to bring your burning questions to the expert panel to further deepen your understanding.

You’ll come away with an appreciation of the universal principles in psychological healing and the potential of therapeutic strategies currently being tested in psychedelic-assisted work.

Join us for this exciting course as we explore the cutting edge of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and ACT.

Meet The Presenters:

Moderated by Dr. Ronald Siegel, each session of the conference will feature conversations between experts in the fields of acceptance and commitment therapy and/or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy:

Dr. Steven C. Hayes, co-founder of ACT, and  Dr. William Richards, psychedelic-assisted therapy pioneer who has published papers on psychedelics since 1966, discuss the processes of change and psychedelics from a founder’s point of view.

Dr. Gita Vaid, a lead instructor at The Ketamine Training Center, and Jason Luoma, a longtime ACT practitioner who is currently running the first trial of MDMA-assisted therapy in the Pacific Northwest, discuss psychedelics as tools for healing, growth, and repair.

Dr. Janis Phelps, a leader in psychedelics as well as traditional mindfulness, and creator of the first university-accredited, post-graduate training program in psychedelic therapy and research, and Dr. Rosalind Watts, a long-time ACT practitioner who was recently named one of the top women in psychedelic research by Business Insider, bring their unique backgrounds and experience with psychedelics together to discuss research innovations and the roots of change.

Dr. Anthony Bossis, who has been conducting research and clinical trials on psilocybin and end-of-life care for over 15 years, and Dr. Jennifer Gregg, a long-term ACT practitioner and trainer who specializes in the treatment of cancer patients and their families, come together to discuss psychedelics and ACT in the palliative care space.

Don’t miss the chance to join this discussion with some of the brightest minds in ACT and psychedelic-assisted therapy.

This conference will take place over 4 live online sessions, beginning on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. Prior to registering, please review the CE packet for session abstracts, objectives and references. Presenter bios can be found by clicking here. Attendees may earn CE/CME hours if participating in the live event. Sessions must be attended in full in order to earn CE credit for individual sessions.

This training is worth up to 8 CE credit hours if attended live. While we can only provide CE to those who are present – i.e. logged in – for live sessions, Praxis webinars are recorded for later viewing. Registrants may access these recordings at any time for up to nine months from the conclusion of the training to which they pertain.