Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: The Next Frontier
- Continuing Education
Engage with the evolving landscape of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy by exploring complex clinical challenges, novel experiences, and emerging best practices at our 5th conference. Gain confidence through case studies, vignettes, and expert guidance designed to support both new and experienced clinicians.
- Live Online or In Person
This course is taught online or in person.
The Conference Center at Waltham Woods: 860 Winter Street, Waltham, MA 02451
This is the standard price, for a full list of profession pricing see below.
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Overview
Clinicians encounter a wide range of complex clinical challenges in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP). While many of these arise in other forms of treatment, longer sessions with dramatically lowered defenses and the frequent arising of transpersonal, spiritual, and other novel experiences require clinicians to broaden their skillsets and relational capacities.
In addition to providing an update to progress in the field, our 5th conference will explore a wide range of these challenges, including potential adverse effects of PAP, how to identify and work with our own metaphysical assumptions, and how to understand and respond to novel experiences.
The program will include multiple case studies and clinical vignettes designed to illuminate the nuances of PAP for both newcomers and veteran therapists alike. If you would like to join the exploration and gain confidence in addressing these and other often neglected facets of the work, please join us in February 2026, either in person or online. We look forward to meeting you or seeing you again!
Learning Objectives
- Articulate the basic structure and core principles of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP).
- List the most commonly used medicines in PAP and their current applications.
- Review the current evidence base for the efficacy of PAP for various conditions.
- Explain how clinicians can improve the patient experience by fully exploring the emotions of grief and awe in PAP sessions.
- Summarize common metaphysical interpretations of the PAP experience, and techniques to respectfully acknowledge these in client sessions.
- Identify opportunities to effectively integrate spiritual, existential, religious, and theological domains in PAP.
- Describe Western vs. Indigenous approaches to understanding and working with non-ordinary states of consciousness.
- List several potential harms that can occur with PAP, and how therapists can minimize them.
- Discuss benefits and challenges of working within a multidisciplinary PAP team.
- Name categories of somatic experiences common in PAP.
- Identify the importance of recognizing clients' intersecting identities in PAP.
- Articulate effective ways that clinicians can address neglected complexities of the clinical encounter in PAP.
Developed and Offered By:
Continuing Education courses are developed by faculty from Harvard Medical School's teaching hospitals and accredited by Harvard Medical School. This course is offered by Cambridge Health Alliance.
Participant Types
Specialty Physicians, Primary Care Physicians, Social workers, Counselors, Psychologists, Nurses, and Others
Schedule
All agenda sessions are in Eastern Time.
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Registration Check-in & Continental Breakfast
8:15-8:50 am
Welcome & Introduction
8:50-9:00 am
Back to Basics: The Method and the Medicines of PAP
9:00-9:45 am
Updates on the Evidence: Clinical Outcomes of PAP
9:45-10:15 am
Panel Discussion/Q&A
10:15-10:45 am
Networking Break
10:45-11:00 am
Neglected Considerations for Set & Settings
11:00-11:30 am
Integrating SERT in Psychedelics Therapy
11:30 am-12:15 pm
Q&A
12:15-12:30 pm
Lunch Break
12:30-1:30 pm
Grief Work and Awe: Expanding Psychedelic Therapy
1:30-2:30 pm
Minding the Body: Somatic Experiences in Psychedelic Therapy
2:30-3:30 pm
Networking Break
3:30-3:45 pm
Respecting the Spiritual Understanding and Framework of your Clients
3:45-4:30 pm
Panel Discussion/Q&A
4:30-5:00 pm
Friday, February 27, 2026
Welcome Day 2
8:40-8:45 am
Integrating Western & Indigenous Perspectives
8:45-9:30 am
Case Vignettes: Ego Dissolution – Western vs. Indigenous Understandings
9:30-10:15 am
Panel Discussion/Q&A
10:15-10:45 am
Networking Break
10:45-11:00 am
Learning from Bad Experiences
11:00-11:45 am
Staying Alert to Potential Harms
11:45 am-12:30 pm
Panel Discussion/Qa&A
12:30-12:45 pm
Lunch Break
12:45-1:45 pm
Addressing Intersecting Identities in PAP
1:45-2:30 pm
Benefits and Challenges of Interdisciplinary KAP
2:30-3:30 pm
Networking Break
3:30-3:45 pm
Case Vignette
3:45-4:15 pm
Wrap-Up Panel Discussion/Q&A
4:15-5:00 pm
Faculty
Harvard Medical School Continuing Education attracts the best and brightest faculty from all around the world. As a student in this course, you’ll have access to outstanding course directors and faculty.
Course Directors
Ronald D. Siegel
PsyD | Course Director
- Faculty, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance
- Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, Part-time Harvard Medical School
- Faculty, Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy
James Hopper
PhD | Course Director
- Consultant, Outpatient Addictions Service, Cambridge Health Alliance
- Teaching Associate in Psychiatry, Part-time Harvard Medical School
- Therapist and Sub-Investigator, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
Laura Warren
MD | Course Director
- Psychiatry Faculty Member, Cambridge Health Alliance
- Senior faculty at CHA’s Center for Mindfulness and Compassion; Lecturer on Psychiatry, Part-time, Harvard Medical School
- Member, Board of Advisors, Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy
Monnica Williams
PhD | Course Director
- Canada Research Chair for Mental Health Disparities, Director of the Laboratory for Culture and Mental Health Disparities
- Associate Professor, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Canada
- Clinical Director, Behavioral Wellness Clinic, LLC
Karen Kuc
MPH | Course Director
- Director, Continuing Education in Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance
- Associate in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Marni Chanoff, MD
Founder and CEO, Joy In Health
Terence Ching, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Instructor, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
Rheinila Fernandes, MD
Psychiatrist in Private Practice, Embodied Mind Medicine
Daniel Grossman, PhD
Fifth-year doctoral candidate in Medical/Clinical Psychology, University of Alabama Birmingham
Daan Keiman, MA
Educational Lead ADEPT, Open Foundation; Psychedelic and Buddhist Chaplain, Heart-Head Healing
Roman Palitsky, MDiv, PhD
Director of Research Projects for Emory Spiritual Health
Research Psychologist, Emory University School of Medicine
Sergio Perez Rosal, MD
Adjunct Professor, Psychedelics and Consciousness Studies, University of Ottawa
Research Associate, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines
Anne Vallely, PhD
Associate Professor, Classics and Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa
Founding Member, Academy of Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies
Member of the Board, Learning Committee, LIFE Research Institute; Member of the Board, Mahatma Gandhi Peace Council of Ottawa
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Course Fees
Fee Disclaimer
You may register through our secure online environment and will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of your payment. Prices include CME credit, electronic syllabus. At the end of the registration process, a $10 non-refundable processing fee will be added to your registration.
Accreditation
The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 13.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
For the purpose of recertification, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board and American Nurses Credentialing Center accept 13.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ issued by organizations accredited by the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education). We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) states that 7.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are acceptable for continuing medical education requirements for recertification. We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.
Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 13.25 continuing education credits.
Please note: For psychologists, social workers, marriage/family therapists and counselors, this course has been approved for a set amount of credits and CHA is not able to issue CE certificates for partial credit. Participants must be present and sign in on both days to claim a certificate. For any questions regarding CE credit, please email cme@challiance.org.
Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5444. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This course meets the requirements for 13.25 continuing education hours, and is also applicable for Commonwealth of Massachusetts Counseling/Allied Mental Health accreditation for 13.25 credits.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has an agreement of mutual recognition of continuing medical education (CME) credit with the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS). Additional information regarding this agreement may be found on the European Union of Medical Specialties website.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society or college as accredited group learning activities.
Application for social work continuing education credits has been submitted to NASW-MA. Please contact us at cme@challiance.org for the status of social work CE accreditation. NY Social Workers: Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an Approved Provider #0038 of continuing education for licensed social workers. This course offers 13.25 contact hours.