Member-only story
Preventing Sexual Abuse in Psychedelic Therapy
A recent paper has highlighted how psychedelic therapy should move forward in the wake of previous sexual abuse cases.
Clinical trials of psychedelic therapy are hugely promising in the battle against mental health issues. However, recent research has highlighted that there are a myriad of ethical issues associated with the therapeutic use of psychedelics.
One of the most focal, and potentially rife, issues identified in a study published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology involves sexual abuse between psychedelic therapists and clients. The researchers of this paper hope to illuminate ways in which these cases can be prevented as psychedelic therapy moves into the mainstream.
Vulnerability and Power
Psychedelic therapy itself, whether that be MDMA-assisted or psilocybin-assisted, leads us into sketchy ethical territory. There is a huge imbalance of power between therapist and client during psychedelic sessions; patients already have existing mental health issues, which is coupled with the often incapacitating effects of a high dose of a psychedelic.
This has led to some psychedelic therapists exploiting their patients’ vulnerability. There have been reports of…
