Most Of Mental Health Professionals Want Psychedelic Theraphy

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Currently, most psychedelics remain classified as Schedule I substances in the United States under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning they are considered to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. This legal status poses a significant barrier to their use in clinical settings, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

In regions where decriminalization or medical use of psychedelics has gained momentum, such as Oregon and Colorado, psychedelic therapy is slowly becoming more accepted. Oregon, for instance, was the first state to legalize the supervised therapeutic use of psilocybin in 2020. Meanwhile, several cities, including Denver and Oakland, have decriminalized the possession of psilocybin and other entheogenic plants. These local efforts highlight a growing recognition that psychedelics, when used responsibly and within the right context, can provide healing opportunities for individuals who have exhausted traditional treatment methods.

However, mental health professionals have raised concerns about the ethical implications of widespread psychedelic use. They stress the need for stringent training requirements for therapists, particularly because psychedelic experiences can induce profound and sometimes overwhelming emotional responses. In therapeutic contexts, these experiences need to be properly integrated into a patient’s broader psychological framework, requiring both expertise and ethical responsibility.

Scientific Evidence Behind Psychedelic Therapies

The growing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy is not simply a matter of changing societal attitudes—scientific research increasingly supports its efficacy. Some of the most promising results come from studies on psilocybin and MDMA.

1. Psilocybin and Depression: Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, has shown significant potential in treating depression, including treatment-resistant depression. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry demonstrated that two doses of psilocybin, combined with supportive psychotherapy, reduced depressive symptoms in patients for up to a year. Many participants reported a profound sense of emotional clarity and connectedness, which allowed them to process deeply ingrained feelings of sadness and despair.
2. MDMA for PTSD: One of the most well-known psychedelic therapies is MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Clinical trials led by MAPS have shown that MDMA, when administered in a therapeutic setting, helps patients with PTSD by lowering the emotional intensity of traumatic memories, making it easier for them to process these experiences. In Phase 3 trials, over 60% of participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD after just three sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy.
3. Ketamine: Already approved for clinical use as esketamine, ketamine has gained attention for its rapid-acting antidepressant effects. When used in low doses under medical supervision, ketamine can rapidly alleviate symptoms of treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation, providing relief within hours or days, compared to the weeks or months it takes for traditional antidepressants to take effect.