In this article, we explore online psychotherapy training programs that assist mental healthcare providers in getting educated and opportunities to earn certifications psychedelic-assisted therapy. There will be many opportunities for trained therapists in the coming years, which will provide new tools for mental health treatment and new hope to patients suffering from various mental health conditions.
If you’re a therapist and wondering if you can offer psychedelic-assisted therapy to your clients today, the answer is both yes and no. Today, numerous psychedelic psychotherapy training programs, such as MAPS and Psychedelic Support, train mental healthcare providers to become psychedelic-assisted therapists. In the coming years, there will be many opportunities for trained therapists within this field, which will offer new hope for patients suffering from various mental health conditions.
Within this article, we break down:
- Today’s legal landscape for psychedelic-assisted therapy.
- Current and future opportunities available to trained psychedelic-assisted psychotherapists.
- How to begin and further your training as a psychedelic-assisted therapist.
- Specific psychedelic psychotherapy certification training programs to advance your education and scope of practice.
Can I Be a Psychedelic-Assisted Therapist Today?
As early as 2024, the FDA is likely to approve MDMA as a legal clinical treatment for PTSD. This projection is based upon the recently completed Phase 3 clinical trials. Currently, MDMA and psilocybin are the only psychedelic substances to make it this far in the FDA process. The first Phase 3 trial of MDMA generated positive results for patients who have intractable PTSD.
As the clinical trials of MDMA psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy enter their last phase, there will be a need for thousands of trained therapists (and possibly guides) to assist patients in their psychedelic journey of healing.
As the demand increases for therapists trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy, opportunities for those therapists will also increase as will the number of psychedelic psychotherapy training programs. In addition to MDMA, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) will likely become FDA-approved for depression in 2026. In 2018, the FDA granted a Breakthrough Therapy designation for psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and in 2019 for major depressive disorder.
While MDMA and psilocybin hang in the wings awaiting FDA approval, ketamine clinics, treating patients with depression, are legal and fully operational across the United States. In addition to the potential for integration therapy post-administration of ketamine, there is a need for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP).
KAP is a novel approach to psychedelic-assisted therapy that has shown promise for treating major depressive disorder and many other mental health conditions. During KAP, the therapist administers low to moderate doses of ketamine to the patient to lower inhibitions and facilitate deeper psychotherapy.
To summarize, there will be an increasing opportunity for therapists trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy in the coming years. These opportunities will include:
- Psychedelic-assisted therapists in clinical trials
- Psychedelic-assisted therapists in legal US-based clinics administering MDMA & psilocybin (likely 2024 and beyond)
- Psychedelic-assisted therapists administering ketamine
- Psychedelic trained therapists offering harm reduction and integration therapy to clients
Where do I Find a Psychedelic Psychotherapy Training Program to Become Certified?
There are numerous psychedelic certification training programs available for therapists interested in becoming a certified psychedelic-assisted therapist, and likely many more to be offered in the future. The trick is finding a reputable program that will provide you with the necessary tools and adequate training.
The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) started a formal training program called the Certificate in Psychedelic-assisted Therapies and Research. This is a hybrid residential, in-person and online curriculum is a roughly 9-month course.
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) offers the MDMA Therapy Training Program with an invitation to apply. Training is prioritized for licensed providers who will likely qualify for the Expanded Access Program or work within their clinical trials. But with the likely approval of MDMA, many more therapists are now being trained by MAPS and other organizations.
Online Psychedelic Psychotherapy Training: Ongoing Education & Certification
Alternatively, Psychedelic Support offers online training & education for therapists interested in psychedelic-assisted therapy across various psychedelic substances and topics.
For the busy professional, Psychedelic Support offers the ability to learn online and in your own time while receiving high-quality education from respected thought leaders in the field. This allows you to deepen your knowledge with evidence-based learning while earning your continuing education (CE and CME) credits.
By participating in these engaging, self-paced courses and training programs, you will gain the education needed to:
- Answer questions from clients about safety and effectiveness.
- Become familiar with psychedelic therapeutic approaches.
- Understand clinical trial outcomes and best practices.
- Deliver psychedelic-assisted therapies in your practice.
- Earn continuing education credits (CE/CME).
Below is a selection of Psychedelic Support’s online, self-paced courses and partners’ training programs for certifications in psychedelics-assisted therapy:
Certificate Training Program – IPI Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Training
If you are health practitioner ready to get certified to deliver psychedelic medicines, the Integrative Psychiatry Institute offers a year long training program fully online! The IPI training program is taught by a world-class faculty and covers everything you need to get prepared for treating your clients with ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA.
The 200-hour program includes online modules, virtual intensives with expert faculty, online lectures, small group sessions, and an optional experiential training in Boulder, CO. Open to mental health and medical professionals. Earn up to 80 hours of continuing education (CE).
Schedule a Call to learn more about IPI’s Certificate Training Program.
Online Course – Ketamine Assisted Therapy Training for Clinicians
If you’re a mental health provider interested in ketamine, learn the principles and procedures of Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAP). In this 40-hour KAP Training program, you’ll acquire the skills necessary to administer ketamine in combination with psychotherapy in a clinical setting. The curriculum is live taught online by experienced practitioners of ketamine and MDMA protocols. You can also learn more about ketamine in our substance guide.
In Module 1, you will receive an introduction to ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. In Modules 2 – 5, you’ll participate in intermediate workshops on ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. The 40-hour course is live taught by experienced faculty from Polaris Insight Center.
Sign Up for the Ketamine Training Course
Online Workshop – Advanced Topics in Ketamine and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
If you’re a mental health provider, learn the advanced topics related to Ketamine Assisted Therapy, and incorporate the tools and practices offered in this program into your practice. These training modules integrate diverse clinical theories, traditions, and philosophies offering participants an increasing wide-angle lens on the evolving field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
This 2-day workshop builds off the previous training Ketamine Assisted Therapy Training for Clinicians and includes Modules 6 & Module 7 which are advanced workshops taught live online by Polaris Insight Center. But it is not required that you complete any courses before taking this one if you someone understanding of ketamine therapy.
Sign Up for the Advanced Ketamine Training
Online Workshop – Ketamine Rainfall Medical Module
If you’re a mental healthcare provider, this course will help you become well-versed in the medical topics and safety issues around ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. The live online workshop is led by Steve Rosonke MD, an ER physician, and addiction medicine physician. He is joined by Leanne Lopez, BSN, RN who works within an integrative therapy office providing ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
This learning workshop focuses on the medical, pharmacologic, and neuroscience considerations to safely and confidently operate a ketamine clinic performing ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
Sign Up for the the Ketamine Medical Module
Online Course – Ketamine: Therapeutic Applications, Clinical Research, and Neural Mechanisms
If you’re a mental health provider, researcher, or just interested in understanding the science and therapeutic approaches to ketamine, this self-paced course is a great primer. With over 200 publications reviewed and interviews with leading experts, this online course is educational and engaging.
In Module 1, you’ll learn about ketamine pharmacology, its effects, and safety. In Module 2, you’ll learn ketamine clinical applications and therapeutic approaches. Anyone can take this course! Great price too.
To earn CE/CME credits, you’ll choose the Continuing Education (CE/CME) option for:
· 5 hours of continuing education (CE/CME) credits
· CME Certificate (AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™) for doctors, nurses, medical professionals, etc.
· CE Certificate for licensed professionals including psychologists, therapists, social workers, etc.
Sign Up for the Ketamine Therapeutics Applications Course
Online Course – Understanding Psilocybin: Effects, Neurobiology, and Therapeutic Approaches
This course is perfect for health professionals, guides, or researchers interested in gaining insight into the science and therapies behind psilocybin (or magic mushrooms), a plant-based medicine used to treat mental health conditions. You can also learn more about psilocybin in our substance guide.
This online course provides a comprehensive summary of the pharmacology and effects of psilocybin, how it works in the brain, and why people can have mystical experiences and sensory perceptual shifts. Become knowledgeable on clinical protocols, safety and efficacy results, study participant accounts, and potential risks in both medical and non-medical settings. Anyone can take this course!
To earn CME credits, you’ll choose the Continuing Medical Education (CME) option for:
· 9 hours of continuing education (CE/CME) credits
· CE Certificate for licensed professionals including psychologists, therapists, social workers, etc.
· CME Certificate (AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™) for doctors, nurses, medical professionals, etc.
Sign Up for the Psilocybin Course
Online Course – Foundations in MDMA Safety, Therapeutic Applications & Research
This course is perfect for mental health professionals interested in gaining insight into the science and therapies behind MDMA, currently used to clinically treat PTSD and other mood disorders. You can also learn more about MDMA in our substance guide.
This course covers safety and risks of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, in both medical and non-medical settings. Designed by leading MDMA researchers and therapists, you will learn evidence-based information and observations from therapists who administered MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in clinical trials. This self-paced course is available to everyone!
To earn CE/CME credits, you’ll choose the Continuing Education (CE/CME) option for:
· 6 hours of continuing education (CE/CME) credits
· CE Certificate for licensed professionals including psychologists, therapists, social workers, etc.
· CME Certificate (AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™) for doctors, nurses, medical professionals, etc.
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