Post: How Does Psychedelic Therapy Work?

As a psychologist who has served as a therapist and site co-principal investigator in clinical trials of MDMA and psilocybin, I’m often asked what conditions psychedelic therapy can treat and how it actually works. While research is still ongoing, we’ve gained significant insights into both questions.

MDMA has demonstrated remarkable potential to treat PTSD , with Phase 3 trials showing significant symptom reduction in patients who hadn’t responded to conventional treatments (Mitchell et al., 2021). The therapy appears particularly effective because MDMA can help patients process trauma without becoming overwhelmed by fear or anxiety .

Psilocybin has shown promise for several conditions. For depression , it appears to help break patterns of repetitive negative thinking and provide new perspectives on one’s life situation (Carhart-Harris et al., 2016). In treating alcohol use disorder, psilocybin can help people examine their relationship with alcohol and find new meaning that supports recovery (Bogenschutz et al., 2015). For end-of-life anxiety, psilocybin sessions frequently help patients come to terms with mortality and find peace (Griffiths et al., 2016).

Ketamine , already in clinical use, provides rapid relief from severe depression, often helping people who haven’t responded to traditional antidepressants . (Feder et al., 2014). While the immediate effects are attributed to ketamine’s biochemical properties, ketamine-assisted therapy can create a window of opportunity for meaningful psychological work. How Does Psychedelic Therapy Work?

Psychedelic therapy operates on multiple levels—biological, psychological, and experiential. At the biological level, the medicines affect the networks within the brain that are involved in the regulation of mood, thought, and emotional processing. They often increase neuroplasticity, making the brain more amenable to change (Ly et al., 2018).

Psychologically, the treatments appear to work through several mechanisms. They can help people access and process emotional material that’s usually difficult to reach. They often provide new perspectives on longstanding problems. And they frequently generate meaningful experiences that help people revise their understanding of themselves and their challenges.

The experiential aspect of psychedelic therapy is unique. Unlike traditional psychiatric medications that work in the background, psychedelic sessions often involve profound subjective experiences.

These might include: Reliving and reprocessing past experiences with […]

How Does Psychedelic Therapy Work?