New e-course from Psychedelic.Support provides an evidence-based resource for clinicians, healthcare workers, and anyone seeking to understand risks, contraindications, and best practices for safe psychedelic experiences
Today, psychedelic education platform Psychedelic.Support announced the launch of its free e-course, Riding the Wave: Principles of Psychedelic Harm Reduction. The course provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of psychedelic harm reduction, the risks of using psychedelics, and how both users and mental health professionals can best prepare for psychedelic experiences.
Clinical trials are advancing rapidly into the therapeutic uses of psychedelics to treat a variety of mental illnesses, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and substance use disorders; and psychedelic decriminalization initiatives are advancing around the U.S. At the same time, media hype is increasing around microdosing, psilocybin mushroom retreats, and ayahuasca ceremonies. As a result, the need for evidence-based education on how to make the most of psychedelic experiences, and how to reduce their risks, is more pressing than ever before.
“As psychedelics gain in popularity, both in and beyond therapeutic settings, users and health professionals alike need a better understanding of how to ensure that their experiences are as safe as possible,” says Dr. Allison Feduccia, co-founder and CEO of Psychedelic.Support. “Using psychedelics is not without risks, but if people are equipped with science-backed information they will be better informed to make safer decisions. We hope this course makes these best practices more widely accessible to meet the pace of this rapidly evolving field.”
Created by Psychedelic.Support in collaboration with NEST Harm Reduction and Project New Day, the course brings together information and resources presented by leading harm reduction experts, therapists, and researchers. After completing the course, students will be able to:
- Describe the principles of psychedelic harm reduction
- Understand the potential adverse consequences of psychedelic use, and how risks vary across settings and individuals
- Specify contraindications for each drug class, and identify common harms associated with altered states
- Discuss harm reduction strategies, including how preparation and integration can help mitigate risks
- Explain how clinicians can talk to clients about harm reduction within legal frameworks
“Riding the Wave: Principles of Psychedelic Harm Reduction” is just one of the self-paced e-courses offered by Psychedelic.Support, which include:
- Exploring Psychedelics: Discovery, Research, & Effects (free introductory course)
- Foundations in MDMA: Safety, Therapeutic Applications & Research
- Understanding Psilocybin: Effects, Neurobiology, and Therapeutic Approaches
- MDMA and Psilocybin: Therapeutic Approaches, Safety, and Mechanisms
Psychedelic.Support also provides leading-edge workshops to help practitioners advance their skills in the field of psychedelic medicine, including Building a Psychedelic Medicine Clinic (in collaboration with PRATI) and Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Training for Clinicians (in collaboration with Polaris Insight Center).
About Psychedelic.Support
Psychedelic.Support offers a directory of licensed health professionals and community groups that provide mental health services (online and in-person) related to psychedelic medicine and integration. Psychedelic.Support advances psychedelic knowledge and practical skills through its education platform, featuring courses, workshops, and trainings taught by leading psychedelic researchers and practitioners.
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