Proposal for an Integrated Model for Psychedelic Psychotherapy Training
This presentation will offer descriptions of two of works-in-progress.
As two Phase II studies on cancer related existential distress approach publication, and Phase III studies enter the development phase, refinement of the education process for therapists is underway. Drs. Guss and Nielson will present highlights of a proposed training manual for therapists who will be working the Phase III studies currently in the earliest stages of formulation. This manual is based on Dr. Guss’ experience in training therapists for the recently completed NYU Phase II.
Dr. Nielson will describe an emerging research initiative that corrects the current paucity of data on the subjective experiences of study therapists who have worked in psilocybin studies. This study looks both at the ways that therapists integrate their prior training as clinicians with psychedelic contexts of treatment and inquiries into psychological variables that the therapists have observed in study participants.
Biography
Elizabeth Nielson, PhD, CASAC, is a clinical psychologist and researcher with a specialization in addiction psychology and qualitative research. She is the Principal Investigator of an ongoing qualitative interview study of modern psychedelic therapists’ training experiences and is presently developing a second qualitative interview study to learn about patients’ experiences in the phase 2 trial of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol dependence at NYU. Dr. Nielson has also been involved with the later phase 2 trial.
Dr. Nielson is interested in substance abuse counselor education and barriers to the use empirically supported treatments for addictive disorders. She currently teaches substance abuse counselor preparation courses at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. She is also interested in mindfulness meditation and teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention.