Affiliation:
1. School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne 3800, Australia
Abstract
Psychedelics have been studied extensively in their broad treatment potential for a variety of mental health disorders. Recently, scholars have turned their attention to the role of psychotherapy in the augmentation, follow-up, and support mechanisms relevant to psychedelic administration. While it is tempting to position psychedelic substances as standalone medicines akin to SSRIs or SNRIs, their unique neurochemical action and potential for psychological transformation calls for a broader examination of the role of counseling and psychotherapy, within the context of a bio-psychosocial model. I outline well-established and emerging therapeutic modalities that are well-placed in complementary and augmented psychedelic treatment. I do so with the intention of opening a broader conversation to those situated in medical and medical-adjacent fields, including psychoanalysts, counselors, support workers, and other allied professionals. Ultimately, practitioners working in medical-aligned fields hold diversly vested interests in understanding the place of psychedelic therapies in mental health, and more attention should be given to a balanced consideration of treatment and support mechanisms.