Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies

Research has shown that psychedelic-assisted therapies can be an effective treatment option for areas such as treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, trauma-related conditions, and end-of-life contexts. While psychedelic experiences themselves can sometimes be profound, the therapeutic process surrounding them — particularly preparation and integration — is often what helps create meaningful, therapeutic and lasting change. This clinic operates in collaboration with several clinics within Sydney in providing psychedelic-assisted therapy treatments, preparation and integration.

Why Preparation?

Preparation helps clarify:

  • Your intentions and expectations

  • Emotional history and psychological vulnerabilities

  • Personal strengths and internal resources

  • Potential risks and contraindications

  • How to approach the experience with stability and care

The preparation process helps build emotional readiness, psychological safety, and internal resources. This may involve clarifying intentions, understanding and exploring trauma patterns, strengthening nervous system regulation, and developing mindfulness skills to help navigate difficult emotions, memories, or altered states of consciousness.

Why Integration?

Integration focuses on helping clients process and make sense of their experiences afterwards, so that insights can be translated into grounded and sustainable changes in daily life, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. Without integration, even powerful experiences may remain confusing, overwhelming, or difficult to apply meaningfully. This process may also involve processing emotional material that surfaced, exploring meaning, or strengthening nervous system regulation.

Approach

This work is informed by the EMBARK model, an evidence-based framework developed from ongoing psychedelic clinical research and trials, that integrate neuroscience, mindfulness and contemplative healing traditions. Particular emphasis is placed on Internal Family Systems (IFS) informed approaches, helping clients relate to their experiences with greater curiosity, compassion, and emotional safety.

The model recognises multiple domains of experience, including:

  • Emotional processing

  • Mindfulness and embodiment

  • Behavioural change

  • Relational patterns

  • Meaning-making and existential exploration

  • Spiritual or transcendent experiences

Refefences - Brennan W, Belser AB. Models of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Contemporary Assessment and an Introduction to EMBARK, a Transdiagnostic, Trans-Drug Model. Front Psychol. 2022 Jun 2;13:866018. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866018. PMID: 35719571; PMCID: PMC9201428. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35719571/