Psychedelic therapy
Explore the potential benefits of psychedelic therapy for mental health. Learn about the process, therapeutic phases, and the comprehensive support we provide to ensure safe and effective treatment.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy
What is psychedelic-assisted therapy?
Separate from the nasal spray treatment, GoodMind also provides psychedelic-assisted therapy for eligible patients. As part of an initial observational study, this is a type of treatment that involves psychotherapy alongside the administration of a psychedelic compound that is prescribed by an authorised psychiatrist in an appropriate medical setting.
The goal of psychedelic-assisted therapy is to help address emotional obstacles and long-term problems expediently by utilizing the psychedelic journey, rather than spending months or years in talk therapy slowly working through them. The psychological support element of the therapy is facilitated by multidisciplinary care teams, including clinical psychologists and psychotherapists.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy Australia
However, only certain psychiatrists, registered under Australian law and given regulatory authorisation, will be able to prescribe the psychedelic medicines.
These psychiatrists will also need permission from a human research ethics committee that ensures the treatment protocol is appropriate for the patient and the required safety measures are in place.
Patients won’t be able to use the medicine without the supervision of their psychiatrist, nor will they be able to take the medicine with them.
What is the treatment process?
Preparatory session
Building mutual trust with the psychotherapist, establishing processes of practical and interpersonal support in preparation for the dosing session
Dosing session
An authorized psychiatrist administers a measured dose of the psychedelic substance in a strictly controlled medical setting to the patient with an eligible mental health condition.
Integration session
In subsequent integration sessions, patients are facilitated by the therapists to explore and interpret the contents of their psychedelic-assisted experiences. This may include identifying insights or interpreting ideas or sensations that arose during the psychedelic session.
Australia is the first country in the world to classify certain psychedelics as medicines
The cost of a psychedelic-assisted therapy program at GoodMind Therapeutics may be approx $25,000 and may include Medicare refundable items, potentially up to $6,000. Some private health insurers may also cover part of the fee based on your policy. Please contact your insurer for more specific information.
Some therapy programs run for a minimum of 12 weeks and include psychotherapy sessions alongside psychedelic dosing sessions (lasting 6-8 hours) and regular psychiatrist reviews. During the psychedelic dosing, participants are supported by two clinicians and are never left alone.
Screening and Assessment Service Fees:
- Nurse practitioner assessment fee is $149, and the fee for the extended psychiatrist’s assessment is $799 . Cancellation fees apply for appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice.
- Patients are eligible for a Medicare rebate for each appointment: approx $44 for nurse practitioner appointments and $205 for psychiatrist appointments.
Frequently asked questions about Psychedelic Therapy
Psychedelic therapy, also known as Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP), is a mental health treatment that utilises intensive psychotherapy alongside the administration of a psychedelic compound. In Australia, there are only two legal compounds, if prescribed by an authorised psychiatrist.
Typically treatment involves three types of sessions: preparation, psychedelic journey or dosing, and integration. Preparatory sessions provide the foundation for the psychedelic dosing sessions, building a therapeutic alliance and establishing rapport between patient and therapists.
The therapy team, often consisting of two practitioners, and the client will spend time in the weeks and days prior to the psychedelic experience exploring the patient’s intention for coming, history, symptoms, what they are hoping to gain from the experience and any questions they might have.
The psychedelic journey or dosing sessions can span 6-8 hours in a treatment room specially prepared for psychedelic therapy. Important elements of the therapy setting include scent (which can act as a trigger for memories of the experience in future), warm, comforting lighting and a specially curated playlist of music that both anchors and spurs on the psychedelic journey. During the experience the client is accompanied by the therapy team who hold a safe, neutral therapeutic space, listening or guiding the client to open to their experience with empathy and openness.
In subsequent integration sessions, the client and therapist team explore the contents of their psychedelic experiences, work with challenging material that may have come up during dosing day, and help to bed down new perspectives gained during the psychedelic experience into daily life. Through identifying insights, new perspectives or sensations that arose during the psychedelic session, clients can begin to translate the experience into meaningful, long-term change.
The non-psychedelic psychotherapy sessions are essential elements of the therapeutic process both in terms of safety and effectiveness of the treatment. There is an emphasis on the potential for emotional and psychological growth throughout the psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted portions of the treatment.
Research into this therapy so far shows promising results for individuals with certain mental health conditions.
Psychedelic, a word meaning mind manifesting, refers to substances that can alter perception, cognition, mood, and behaviours during the time they are active in the body. Like many other psychiatric medications, they are psychoactive, eliciting their action by interacting with the brain and nervous system processes.
Psychedelics commonly engender a mystical experience, which research shows is associated with the enduring psychological benefits of psychedelic therapy. From a biochemical perspective, psychedelics predominantly interact with serotonin receptors and other neurotransmitters (depending on the substance).Through these and other actions psychedelics have also been shown to increase or alter neural connectivity and activity both during and after the dosing session.
In a clinical and supervised setting, psychedelics have a good safety and tolerability profile. There is a negligible risk for toxicity and most psychedelics prescribed appropriately by a qualified psychiatrist aren’t likely to be associated with addictive behaviours. In fact, many are being investigated for their capacity to reduce or eliminate substance abuse.
Along with the perceptual effects observed during dosing sessions, individuals are observed to show transient increases in body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure which are monitored by the therapy team.
However, like all drug treatments, there are possible side effects. Clients are thoroughly screened to ensure the highest possible level of safety throughout any treatment. Individuals who are determined to be at risk of psychosis, who have cardiac issues or conditions related to the liver aren’t usually eligible for psychedelic therapy due to safety concerns. Additionally, some medications are contraindicated with psychedelics. Certain medications may exclude individuals from treatment or they will have to titrate off medications before treatment begins.
As of July 1st, 2023, two psychedelic substances are legal under strict circumstances. One is for the treatment-resistant feelings of despair and hopelessness, and another for symptoms stemming from past trauma. However, not all patients are eligible and require assessment for eligibility. These substances also need to be prescribed by a specially authorised psychiatrist and taken within the confines of an approved treatment program. Other psychedelics remain in Schedule 9 under Australian law, meaning they are classed as having a high risk of misuse and should be available for research purposes only. Schedule 9 places psychedelics within the same classification as drugs with known detrimental health outcomes and addiction risk, such as heroin. Recreational use of psychedelics will remain illegal.
As of July 1st 2023, psychedelic therapy is legal under strictly controlled circumstances for treatment-resistant feelings of despair and hopelessness, or for symptoms stemming from past traumatic events. Psychedelic therapy involving other psychedelic substances may only be legal within the confines of a research study. Additionally, individual requests to access psychedelic therapy may be assessed by the TGA Expanded Access Programme in cases of life-threatening illness, however, this is uncommon.