Podium Presentation - 20 minutes International Positive Psychology Association 8th IPPA World Congress 2023

Beyond Healing: Coaching & Psychedelics? (#117)

Yannick Jacob 1
  1. Interest Group Coaching & Psychedelics, Berlin, Germany

Since the early 2000s research into the therapeutic application of psychedelics have experienced a renaissance (Carhart-Harris et al., 2017). As a treatment for PTSD, psychedelics-assisted therapy has obtained ‘breakthrough therapy designation’ by the American Food and Drug Administration in 2017 (Feduccia et al., 2019). Their therapeutic value has furthermore been demonstrated through remarkable results in the treatment of end of life-anxiety and depression (Gasser et al., 2014; Carhart-Harris et al., 2018; Griffiths et al., 2016; Ross et al., 2016), addiction (Johnson et al., 2016; Krebs & Johansen, 2012) and social anxiety in patients with autism spectrum disorder (Danforth et al., 2018).

Drawing on a meta-analysis of research into the psychological effects of psychedelic substances which focused on positive-psychological themes (Jungaberle et al., 2018), and cross-referencing it with the motivation of clients who seek coaching, it is argued that the potential for coaching-assisted psychedelic experiences to help non-clinical populations increase psychological wellbeing (Ryff & Keyes, 1996) and flourishing (Seligman, 2011) is high.

Considering that a positive psychology mindset entails asking “what is right with people?”, focusing on resources instead of deficiencies, and conducting research in areas beyond healing, fixing and treating disease or disorder, a strong case is made to extend this sort of thinking to the research into psychedelics. Yet little attention has been given to studying the application of psychedelics outside of clinical populations, and no one has published on the potential of coaching to assist the psychedelic experience, and vice versa.

Hence, this presentation will 1) offer a rationale for why the combination of coaching and psychedelics presents a potentially potent development tool, 2) share research data that is beginning to emerge, 3) highlight ethical, epistemological and methodological issues, and 4) call for research into the use of psychedelics, beyond healing, to realise their potential to foster insight, learning, growth and wellbeing, aligned with the spirit of positive psychology.

  1. Jungaberle, H., Thal, S., Zeuch, A., Rougemont-Bücking, A., von Heyden, M., Aicher, H., & Scheidegger, M. (2018). Positive psychology in the investigation of psychedelics and entactogens: A critical review. Neuropharmacology, 142, 179-199. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390818303368
  2. Carhart-Harris, R., Goodwin, G. The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Past, Present, and Future. Neuropsychopharmacol 42, 2105–2113 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.84 (last accessed 18/08/21)
  3. Carhart-Harris, R.L., Bolstridge, M., Day, C.M.J. et al. Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology 235, 399–408 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4771-x
  4. Danforth, A.L., Grob, C.S., Struble, C. et al. Reduction in social anxiety after MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with autistic adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Psychopharmacology 235, 3137–3148 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-018-5010-9
  5. Feduccia, A.A., Jerome, L., Yazar-Klosinski, B., Emerson A., Mithoefer M.C., & Doblin R. (2019). Breakthrough for Trauma Treatment: Safety and Efficacy of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Compared to Paroxetine and Sertraline. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 1-9. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00650
  6. Gasser P, Holstein D, Michel Y, Doblin R, Yazar-Klosinski B, Passie T, Brenneisen R. Safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2014 Jul;202(7):513-20. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000113. PMID: 24594678; PMCID: PMC4086777. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4086777/
  7. Griffiths RR, Johnson MW, Carducci MA, et al. Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2016;30(12):1181-1197. doi:10.1177/0269881116675513
  8. Bogenschutz, M.P., & Johnson, M.W. (2016). Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 64(4), 250-258. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584615000512
  9. Jungaberle, H., Thal, S., Zeuch, A., Rougemont-Bücking, A., von Heyden, M., Aicher, H., & Scheidegger, M. (2018). Positive psychology in the investigation of psychedelics and entactogens: A critical review. Neuropharmacology, 142, 179-199. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390818303368
  10. Krebs TS, Johansen P-Ø. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2012;26(7):994-1002. doi:10.1177/0269881112439253
  11. Mitchell, J.M., Bogenschutz, M., Lilienstein, A. et al. MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nat Med 27, 1025–1033 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01336-3
  12. Ross S, Bossis A, Guss J, et al. Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2016;30(12):1165-1180. doi:10.1177/0269881116675512
  13. Ryff, C., & Keyes, C. (1996). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(4), 719–727.
  14. Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
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