Back to competency map

Competencies by care stage

Preparation

321 competencies mapped to this stage.

Understand

What this stage covers

Building the therapeutic alliance, setting expectations, and readying the participant for the dosing experience.

The shared aim is to build enough understanding, trust, and practical readiness for the participant and care team to enter the medicine session with clear expectations and contingencies.

Locate the stage

Across the care pathway

Six stages form the main pathway. Risk monitoring and cross-phase practice remain continuous lenses rather than moments in that sequence.

  1. 01Screening
  2. 02Preparation
  3. 03Dosing
  4. 04Acute support
  5. 05Integration
  6. 06Follow-up

Orientation snapshot

Frequency describes the current source map; it does not rank professional importance.

Complete stage

Competency index

321 competencies shown.

  1. 01

    Informed consent, decisional capacity, autonomy, and withdrawal rights

    Teaches how to obtain and maintain valid informed consent through clear disclosure, comprehension checks, capacity support, voluntariness, non-coercion, and respect for refusal or withdrawal. The competency also covers consent for screening procedures, recordings, collateral contact, rescue interventions, and documentation of the consent process.

    94 sources
  2. 02

    Preparation and integration support

    Cluster covering 31 related competencies including: Integration support, Integration therapy, Integration coaching.

    110 sources
  3. 03

    Confidentiality, privacy, and research data protection

    Teaches protection of participant identity, sensitive clinical or occupational information, recordings, and research data. The competency covers coded identifiers, restricted access, secure handling, confidentiality safeguards, and privacy-preserving documentation.

    76 sources
  4. 04

    Acute psychological response and emergency management during dosing

    Cluster covering 35 related competencies for monitoring acute psychological effects, recognising and managing distress, crisis containment, emergency escalation, and rescue-medication coordination during psychedelic dosing sessions.

    73 sources
  5. 05

    Adverse event identification, documentation, and reporting

    Teaches how to detect, elicit, document, and report adverse events and serious adverse events across the participant journey. The focus is accurate source documentation, regulatory reporting discipline, follow-up, and preservation of participant safety and trial integrity.

    67 sources
  6. 06

    Suicide and serious psychiatric risk assessment

    Teaches structured assessment of suicidal ideation, intent, psychiatric deterioration, and related high-risk presentations. Learners are trained to use appropriate tools, safety planning, emergency contacts, clinician access, and escalation pathways when risk is identified.

    68 sources
  7. 07

    Screening, eligibility, and readiness assessment

    Teaches how to assess clinical suitability before psychedelic or ketamine treatment, including medical and psychiatric screening, readiness evaluation, contraindication review, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and ongoing eligibility re-checks before dosing.

    86 sources
  8. 08

    Manual fidelity, protocol adherence, and deviation management

    Teaches faithful delivery of manualized treatment and protocol-defined procedures while documenting and managing unavoidable deviations. The competency protects participant welfare, treatment consistency, data integrity, and sponsor oversight.

    61 sources
  9. 09

    Post-dose follow-up, safety monitoring, and retention support

    Teaches ongoing participant contact after dosing to support stability, detect delayed adverse effects, maintain therapeutic containment, and sustain adherence to follow-up visits and outcome assessments.

    60 sources
  10. 10

    Emergency recognition, escalation, and disposition planning

    Teaches recognition of medical or psychiatric emergencies and the steps required to escalate care safely. The competency includes de-escalation, clinical consultation, 911 or emergency department transfer, serious-event escalation, and referral to appropriate higher-level care.

    55 sources
  11. 11

    Discharge readiness, escort safety, and post-session supervision

    Teaches how to determine when a participant is safe to leave after dosing and how to arrange appropriate supervision afterward. The competency covers psychological and physical stability, escort/support-person coordination, discharge restrictions, overnight or post-session support, and follow-up contact when needed.

    44 sources
  12. 12

    Medication, substance-use, washout, and taper management

    Teaches review and management of concomitant medications, restricted therapies, prohibited substances, washout periods, tapering requirements, and abstinence expectations. The competency includes participant counseling, medication reconciliation, sponsor notification, and team coordination when restrictions affect safety or interpretability.

    40 sources
  13. 13

    Manualized psychedelic psychotherapy delivery

    Teaches delivery of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy according to an approved study manual across preparation, dosing, integration, and follow-up. The competency balances standardized structure with non-directive support for the participant’s therapeutic process.

    43 sources
  14. 14

    Study documentation, data integrity, and regulatory recordkeeping

    Teaches accurate study documentation, source-record quality, secure data capture, Good Clinical Practice recordkeeping, IRB and sponsor documentation requirements, monitoring readiness, audit support, accountability, and retention obligations.

    38 sources
  15. 15

    Blinding, allocation concealment, and unblinding control

    Teaches how to preserve blinded trial conduct across participant interactions, outcome collection, staff roles, and session procedures. The competency includes preventing accidental unblinding, minimizing bias, and using emergency unblinding only when clinically necessary.

    37 sources
  16. 16

    Co-therapist and multidisciplinary team coordination

    Teaches coordinated practice across co-therapists, physicians, psychiatrists, study coordinators, principal investigators, and other care-team members. The focus is shared responsibility, clear communication, role clarity, and coordinated observation of participant status.

    36 sources
  17. 17

    Good Clinical Practice and protocol procedure compliance

    Teaches adherence to Good Clinical Practice, assigned study roles, protocol procedures, delegation boundaries, and applicable research regulations. The competency supports consistent execution of approved procedures across sites and participants.

    34 sources
  18. 18

    Study record and trial registration literacy

    Teaches how to understand ClinicalTrials.gov records and related study information, including glossary terms, registration fields, protocol descriptors, and results-reporting elements used to interpret clinical research records.

    34 sources
  19. 19

    Therapeutic alliance building

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Therapeutic alliance building, Therapeutic alliance and rapport building.

    35 sources
  20. 20

    Therapeutic boundaries, professional conduct, and consent for touch

    Teaches how to maintain clear relational and physical boundaries in emotionally vulnerable treatment settings. This includes professional conduct, rapport without overreach, explicit consent for touch, the right to revoke consent, and strict prohibition of sexual or erotic contact.

    32 sources
  21. 21

    Acute psychiatric and behavioral risk monitoring

    Teaches continuous monitoring for distress, confusion, psychotic symptoms, suicidality, agitation, and other acute behavioral risks during and after dosing. The focus is early recognition, documentation, and escalation to clinical support when risk emerges.

    30 sources
  22. 22

    Physical safety monitoring

    Cluster covering 3 related competencies including: Physical safety monitoring, Safety monitoring during dosing sessions, Medical safety monitoring during psilocybin administration.

    29 sources
  23. 23

    Psychological support during altered states

    Provides supportive therapeutic presence while the patient is under the influence of ketamine. Uses calming, noncoercive guidance to help the patient navigate dissociation and emotional material.

    28 sources
  24. 24

    Preparation support

    Cluster covering 11 related competencies including: Preparation support, Psilocybin preparation, Therapeutic preparation.

    31 sources
  25. 25

    Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy preparation and integration

    Teaches structured pre-dose preparation and post-dose integration as the therapeutic frame for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. The therapist supports rapport, intention clarification, meaning-making, emotional processing, and consolidation of insights after dosing.

    26 sources
  26. 26

    Ethical conduct in human-subject research

    Able to practice ethically in a clinical trial environment involving a Schedule-sensitive psychoactive intervention. This includes protecting participants, adhering to protocol, and supporting valid informed participation.

    22 sources
  27. 27

    Comprehensive psychiatric assessment

    Ability to perform or supervise detailed psychiatric evaluation for diagnosis, eligibility, and ongoing monitoring. The therapist/facilitator must understand symptom presentations relevant to MDD, AUD, suicidality, psychosis, and dissociation.

    20 sources
  28. 28

    Risk screening and exclusion judgment

    Know the medical and psychiatric exclusions that protect participants from foreseeable harm. Facilitators must recognize conditions that make MDMA-assisted psychotherapy unsafe or inappropriate.

    20 sources
  29. 29

    Supportive nondirective therapeutic stance

    Cluster covering 6 related competencies including: Therapeutic support during dosing, Nondirective dosing-session presence, Supportive dosing-session facilitation.

    20 sources
  30. 30

    Adverse effects and side-effect management

    Teaches recognition and management of expected and unexpected side effects during psychedelic or ketamine treatment. The competency emphasizes active observation, supportive response, and clinical escalation when symptoms exceed routine tolerability.

    18 sources
  31. 31

    Psilocybin session facilitation

    Cluster covering 9 related competencies including: Psilocybin facilitation, Psilocybin session support, Psilocybin facilitation basics.

    28 sources
  32. 32

    Non-directive facilitation

    Therapists must facilitate rather than control the participant's process, using invitations and timing interventions carefully. They should preserve the participant-led unfolding of experience while knowing when gentle direction or safety-based assertiveness is needed.

    17 sources
  33. 33

    Mindfulness, intention-setting, set and setting, and somatic presence

    Teaches practices that support preparation and therapeutic presence, including mindfulness, intention-setting, body-aware attention, environmental preparation, mindset awareness, and regulation through somatic presence.

    26 sources
  34. 34

    Hallucinogen pharmacology and effects

    Cluster covering 7 related competencies including: Physiologic safety awareness, Hallucinogen pharmacology and effects, Hallucinogen-assisted therapy knowledge.

    16 sources
  35. 35

    Special-interest adverse event vigilance

    The protocol requires active monitoring for psychedelic-specific adverse events such as hallucinations, psychotic symptoms, dissociation, mood alteration, and cognitive disturbance. These require immediate notification and follow-up.

    16 sources
  36. 36

    Ketamine psychotherapy delivery

    Cluster covering 12 related competencies including: KAP psychotherapy delivery, Ketamine and KAP knowledge, Ketamine integration planning.

    24 sources
  37. 37

    Dose escalation decision support

    The therapist/facilitator must support structured dose escalation decisions within the individualized dosing regimen. Decisions depend on both patient-reported peak experience and clinical tolerability/safety judgments.

    15 sources
  38. 38

    Participant education and informed consent communication

    Clinicians and research staff must clearly educate participants about study procedures, risks, side effects, restrictions, and possible benefits, and obtain written informed consent before screening and study participation. Ethical delivery depends on transparent communication and opportunities for questions.

    15 sources
  39. 39

    Continuation, discontinuation, and risk-benefit judgment

    Teaches how clinicians determine whether a participant should proceed, pause, discontinue dosing, or terminate study participation. The competency centers on safety-driven clinical judgment, risk-benefit assessment, and early termination when continuation is no longer appropriate.

    14 sources
  40. 40

    Dissociation and acute neuropsychiatric effect monitoring

    Teaches recognition and documentation of dissociation, psychosis-like symptoms, mania, and other acute neuropsychiatric effects that can occur after ketamine, psychedelic dosing, or related interventions. The focus is monitoring, reporting, and escalation when symptoms become clinically significant.

    14 sources
  41. 41

    Participant safety restriction counseling

    Teaches how to instruct participants on post-dose and study-period restrictions that reduce risk from impaired judgment, unsafe activity, prohibited substances, or behaviors that could confound study outcomes.

    13 sources
  42. 42

    Psychedelic-assisted therapy facilitation

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Psychedelic-assisted therapy facilitation, Group facilitation in a psychedelic setting.

    13 sources
  43. 43

    Cultural humility, Indigenous respect, and equity-oriented care

    Teaches culturally responsive psychedelic care, including humility, anti-bias practice, Indigenous and traditional-use awareness, cultural appropriation concerns, diversity and inclusion, and respectful work with marginalized communities.

    28 sources
  44. 44

    Grounding and regulation techniques

    Therapists must be able to teach and coach grounding practices that help participants regulate during preparation and dosing. These methods are used before medication and during distress.

    12 sources
  45. 45

    Outcome Measure and Assessment Literacy

    Teaches clinicians and research staff to understand the purpose, limits, scoring, interpretation, and clinical meaning of psychological measures and study instruments used to evaluate symptoms, functioning, safety, and treatment outcomes.

    12 sources
  46. 46

    Psychedelic pharmacology and interaction awareness

    Understand the pharmacology and interaction risks of 5-MeO-DMT/BPL-003, including serotonergic and cardiovascular concerns. This knowledge informs safe preparation, exclusion screening, and monitoring.

    12 sources
  47. 47

    Trauma-informed therapeutic presence and somatic support

    Teaches a trauma-informed stance during psychedelic work, including calm presence, non-verbal reassurance, body-aware support, somatic orientation, and containment through difficult experiences while maintaining safety and boundaries.

    12 sources
  48. 48

    Ensure confidentiality and session containment

    Maintain a contained therapeutic environment that protects the patient’s privacy and minimizes unwanted exposure. The session structure emphasizes confidentiality and controlled access to stimulation and outside contact.

    11 sources
  49. 49

    Medical escalation and rescue medication coordination

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Medical escalation and rescue medication use, Medical escalation and rescue medication coordination.

    11 sources
  50. 50

    Therapeutic rapport building

    Cluster covering 4 related competencies including: Therapeutic rapport building, Rapport building and trust development, Therapeutic rapport and trust building.

    11 sources
  51. 51

    Clinical Interviewing and PTSD Assessment

    Teaches structured clinical interviewing and assessment administration for PTSD and related symptom domains, including symptom severity, functional impairment, risk factors, and appropriate use of standardized assessment tools.

    10 sources
  52. 52

    Participant-centered discharge planning and aftercare

    Support decision-making about ongoing treatment after trial completion, particularly for participants who received escitalopram. The clinician helps participants consider whether to continue, taper, or return to usual care.

    10 sources
  53. 53

    Reproductive risk, contraception, and pregnancy monitoring

    Teaches counseling and monitoring around contraception, reproductive restrictions, pregnancy risk, and pregnancy-related discontinuation rules. Learners are trained to explain requirements clearly and respond promptly when pregnancy or reproductive-safety concerns arise.

    10 sources
  54. 54

    Psilocybin psychotherapy framework

    Cluster covering 4 related competencies including: Psychedelic therapy workflow, Psilocybin psychotherapy framework, Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy framework.

    12 sources
  55. 55

    Risk evaluation and safety monitoring

    Teaches continuous evaluation of clinical risk and maintenance of a safe care environment throughout preparation, dosing, and follow-up. Learners monitor risk signals, apply safety procedures, and escalate care when needed.

    12 sources
  56. 56

    Safe Therapeutic Container Creation

    Teaches providers to create and maintain a psychologically and physically safe therapeutic setting through clear structure, preparation, boundaries, attunement, environmental design, and ongoing attention to participant safety.

    11 sources
  57. 57

    Assessment administration and interpretation

    Ability to administer and interpret structured interviews, clinician ratings, and self-report measures used in the study. Therapists contribute to eligibility, safety, and outcome assessment.

    9 sources
  58. 58

    Clinical interviewing and history-taking

    Therapists and study clinicians perform detailed biopsychosocial interviewing during preparation and screening. This supports treatment planning, risk assessment, and therapeutic understanding.

    9 sources
  59. 59

    Management of psychological distress

    Facilitators must be able to contain and support intense psychological distress during the session. The study notes that the experience could be emotionally difficult even when participants felt safe.

    9 sources
  60. 60

    Participant preparation and procedural guidance

    Prepare participants for the dosing session and guide them through standardized procedures. The facilitator should ensure readiness, adherence to study rules, and smooth progression through the session schedule.

    9 sources
  61. 61

    Recognition of contraindications and risk states

    Therapists/facilitators must know the psychiatric and medical conditions that make KPT unsafe or inappropriate. Safe practice depends on excluding high-risk individuals.

    9 sources
  62. 62

    Safety escalation and collaboration

    Knows when to involve physicians, psychologists, and independent safety oversight. Complex psychedelic sessions require clear escalation pathways and team coordination.

    9 sources
  63. 63

    Client preparation and therapeutic set/setting

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Preparation of set and setting, Client preparation and therapeutic set/setting.

    10 sources
  64. 64

    Therapeutic touch judgment

    The training includes appropriate use of therapeutic touch as part of safe delivery. Learners are expected to use touch judiciously and within ethical boundaries.

    10 sources
  65. 65

    Physiologic monitoring during ketamine administration

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Safety monitoring during ketamine dosing, Physiologic monitoring during ketamine administration.

    8 sources
  66. 66

    Practice within evidence limitations and communicate uncertainty

    Therapists should accurately represent the current evidence base and avoid overstating efficacy or durability. The article notes significant short-term benefit but also the need for larger multicenter trials and longer follow-up.

    8 sources
  67. 67

    Psychedelic phenomenology literacy

    Understand the characteristic acute experiential domains elicited by ayahuasca. This includes perceptual, somatic, cognitive, affective, mystical, and temporal-spatial alterations.

    8 sources
  68. 68

    Psychological state assessment

    Administer and interpret psychological and psychometric measures relevant to mood, cravings, expectations, mystical experience, ego dissolution, and functioning. Facilitators must accurately support questionnaire-based assessment across time points.

    8 sources
  69. 69

    Respect for cultural and indigenous context

    The use of ayahuasca requires sensitivity to its traditional indigenous and ceremonial origins. Facilitators should avoid reducing the practice to a purely technical intervention and should respect cultural meaning and ceremonial context.

    8 sources
  70. 70

    Safe treatment-setting facilitation

    Provide a calm and supportive environment during treatment to reduce distress and support tolerance of the experience. The case report notes food, rest, and a quiet place as part of care.

    8 sources
  71. 71

    Setting optimization

    Create an environment that supports safety, comfort, and relaxation during the session. The setting is deliberately structured to reduce anxiety and facilitate a positive experience.

    8 sources
  72. 72

    Training and competency maintenance

    Therapists and study personnel are expected to receive structured training and ongoing supervision. Competence includes both protocol adherence and the ability to work safely and consistently across sites.

    8 sources
  73. 73

    Transference, countertransference, and therapist self-awareness

    Teaches recognition and management of relational dynamics that can intensify in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Learners develop self-awareness around countertransference, projection, attachment, dependency, and other therapeutic-process risks.

    8 sources
  74. 74

    Ethical psychedelic facilitation

    Cluster covering 3 related competencies including: Ethical psychedelic facilitation, Safe, legal psychedelic care facilitation, Ethical decision-making in psychedelic facilitation.

    11 sources
  75. 75

    Management of concomitant medication interactions

    Cluster covering 5 related competencies including: Concomitant medication review, Contraindication and interaction awareness, Contraindications, drug effects, and interactions.

    9 sources
  76. 76

    Crisis and adverse-event response

    The page signals training in managing difficult or high-risk moments, including crisis intervention and trigger management. Learners are expected to respond appropriately when a session becomes destabilizing or unsafe.

    7 sources
  77. 77

    Function effectively as a therapy pair

    Where co-therapy is used, therapists should work cohesively, remain present, and respect participant preferences within the dyad.

    7 sources
  78. 78

    Informed preparation and orientation of the subject

    The therapist is responsible for giving truthful, individualized preparation and reassurance about the experience, including likely sensations, risks of resistance, and expectations for conduct. The preparation aims to reduce fear, improve cooperation, and support voluntary participation.

    7 sources
  79. 79

    Knowledge of MDMA effects and risks

    Facilitators must understand the expected psychological, physiological, and potential adverse effects of MDMA in order to prepare participants, support the session, and detect complications.

    7 sources
  80. 80

    Motivational interviewing and enhancement

    Uses motivational interviewing methods to strengthen intrinsic motivation and commitment to change. Tailors discussions to the participant’s ambivalence, goals, and readiness to change drinking behavior.

    7 sources
  81. 81

    Preparatory psychotherapy competence

    Conduct preparatory sessions that orient the subject, assess readiness, and set expectations for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. These sessions are used to prepare for safety, adherence, and therapeutic engagement.

    7 sources
  82. 82

    Prioritize participant wellbeing over research aims

    Participant safety and wellbeing must take precedence over scientific objectives at all times. Therapists must communicate and operationalize this priority throughout screening, treatment, and follow-up.

    7 sources
  83. 83

    Professional boundaries and recording consent

    Therapists may record sessions only with explicit participant consent and must handle recordings for training and research within protocol limits. Recording is part of the therapeutic and scientific framework, not routine clinical use.

    7 sources
  84. 84

    Therapeutic alliance and supportive presence

    Ability to provide a consistent, supportive therapeutic environment during intensive psychedelic-assisted sessions. The facilitation role depends on maintaining trust and emotional safety.

    7 sources
  85. 85

    Understand dose-response and time course

    The facilitator should know how oral and intravenous dosing relate to onset, duration, and peak effects. This knowledge supports proper session planning, monitoring, and integration timing.

    7 sources
  86. 86

    Controlled-substance handling awareness

    Understands that MDMA is a Schedule 1 investigational product and must be stored, dispensed, and accounted for under regulatory control. Supports compliant handling during the session.

    6 sources
  87. 87

    Cultural and spiritual sensitivity

    Responds respectfully to spiritual, mystical, and value-related themes that may arise during psilocybin sessions and debriefing. Integrates these themes into therapy without imposing interpretations.

    6 sources
  88. 88

    Empathic presence and active listening

    Therapists are expected to provide consistent empathic presence, nonjudgmental attunement, and deep listening throughout the process. This includes validating feelings, listening for deeper meaning, and creating psychological permission for openness.

    6 sources
  89. 89

    Ketamine infusion monitoring

    Cluster covering 5 related competencies including: Cardiac safety monitoring, Ketamine infusion monitoring, Ketamine infusion administration.

    6 sources
  90. 90

    Knowledge of ayahuasca pharmacology and effects

    Understand the basic pharmacology and clinical effects of ayahuasca to inform safe facilitation and interpretation of responses. The source identifies dimethyltryptamine as a 5-HT2A agonist and harmine as a monoamine-oxidase A inhibitor.

    6 sources
  91. 91

    Participant safety planning and support network coordination

    Can identify and involve support persons, attendants, and outside providers to enhance safety. The facilitator must coordinate practical supports while respecting confidentiality and protocol boundaries.

    6 sources
  92. 92

    Practice nondirective, participant-led facilitation

    A core competency is following rather than steering the participant’s process, intervening only in service of the unfolding inner-directed experience.

    6 sources
  93. 93

    Psilocybin psychoeducation

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Psilocybin psychoeducation, Psychedelic psychoeducation and expectation management.

    6 sources
  94. 94

    Respect autonomy and individualized communication preferences

    Adapt language and interpersonal style to the patient’s preferences to promote dignity and comfort. The therapist should also respect the patient’s autonomy within safety limits.

    6 sources
  95. 95

    Therapeutic alliance and trust building

    The therapist must create an atmosphere of confidence and mutual understanding before ketamine administration. This relationship is treated as a key therapeutic factor in the protocol.

    6 sources
  96. 96

    Use clear, participant-centered communication

    Therapists should communicate in language and nonverbal style the participant can readily follow, avoiding overly theoretical or confusing discourse.

    6 sources
  97. 97

    Session facilitation and therapeutic holding

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Session facilitation and therapeutic holding, Session facilitation and support during intense experiences.

    7 sources
  98. 98

    Competence in specialized psychedelic therapy training

    The protocol implies that facilitators should have specific psychiatric, psychotherapeutic, or psycholytic therapy training relevant to altered-state treatment. Specialized experience supports safe and effective delivery of LSD-assisted psychotherapy.

    5 sources
  99. 99

    Expectation and expectancy management

    Understand how treatment expectations can influence treatment response and study interpretation. Facilitation must avoid inadvertently shaping expectations in a biased or misleading way.

    5 sources
  100. 100

    Handle altered, irrational, or hallucinatory narratives without invalidation

    Accept the patient’s experience as meaningful without disputing or forcing interpretation. The therapist supports reflection while avoiding premature conclusions about reality or correctness.

    5 sources
  101. 101

    Informed consent responsibility

    Facilitators are responsible for ensuring that participants have provided informed consent before receiving MDMA-assisted therapy. This reflects an ethical and regulatory duty central to work with investigational treatments.

    5 sources
  102. 102

    Knowledge of PTSD and fear extinction theory

    Understand the clinical and neurobehavioral rationale for PE and exposure-based treatment. The therapist should know how extinction learning is conceptualized in the study model.

    5 sources
  103. 103

    Management of dual relationships and undue influence

    Therapists must protect voluntariness when potential participants are also their patients. Independent evaluation should be used to reduce pressure or perceived coercion in recruitment and consent.

    5 sources
  104. 104

    MDMA administration oversight

    Study clinicians are responsible for administering study drug, ensuring correct dose assignment, and supervising safe oral ingestion during blinded sessions. This includes verifying visit-specific randomization information and ensuring dosing is delivered under the blinded workflow.

    5 sources
  105. 105

    Professional qualifications and experience threshold

    The manual specifies baseline professional requirements for study therapists. These include licensure and substantial clinical experience with psychiatric populations.

    5 sources
  106. 106

    Team communication and escalation pathways

    Coordinate effectively with the study clinician, medical monitor, rater team, and MRI staff. Facilitation is embedded in a broader clinical-research workflow requiring timely communication.

    5 sources
  107. 107

    Understanding of trial procedures and schedule

    Know the sequence, timing, and purpose of screening, preparation, dosing, scanning, follow-up, and unblinding visits. The therapist/facilitator must be able to work within the full protocol structure.

    5 sources
  108. 108

    Virtual care facilitation

    Capacity to conduct assessments and therapy sessions virtually when needed while preserving safety and confidentiality. The study permits telehealth sessions for certain visits and contingencies.

    5 sources
  109. 109

    Working with inner healing intelligence

    The course teaches how to work with the 'Inner Healing Intelligence,' indicating a non-directive or facilitative stance toward client-led healing processes. This is framed as a core therapeutic concept in psychedelic work.

    5 sources
  110. 110

    Professional self-care and burnout prevention

    Teaches sustainable self-care practices for clinicians and facilitators working in emotionally intense settings. The competency supports emotional resilience, ethical boundaries, reflective practice, and burnout prevention.

    10 sources
  111. 111

    Professional Scope and Practice Alignment

    Teaches clinicians to recognise their role boundaries, align services with training, licensure, supervision, and organisational policy, and refer or escalate when participant needs fall outside their scope of competence.

    9 sources
  112. 112

    Safety monitoring and emergency awareness

    The page points to checklists and a guide to basic medical emergencies, indicating that learners should be able to monitor safety and recognize urgent issues. The overall training context also stresses keeping both client and practitioner safe.

    6 sources
  113. 113

    Balance inner focus with communication

    Therapists should support an appropriate rhythm between inward experiential focus and verbal interaction, with either therapist or participant able to initiate shifts.

    4 sources
  114. 114

    Competence in protocol adherence for dosing sessions

    The intervention involved two separate psilocybin dosing sessions 3 weeks apart under a randomized controlled protocol, implying the need for facilitators to reliably support treatment according to a fixed schedule and study procedures.

    4 sources
  115. 115

    Dosage judgment and administration safety

    Competent facilitation requires practical knowledge of dosage ranges, initial dosing, boosters, formulation handling, and administration errors. The handbook stresses both clinical judgment and meticulous procedural care.

    4 sources
  116. 116

    Elicit and formulate positive intentions

    Help the patient identify personally meaningful, positive intentions to guide the session and future change. Intentions should be active, concrete, and framed toward desired gains rather than avoidance.

    4 sources
  117. 117

    Empathic presence and listening

    Therapists must listen with nonjudgmental, emotionally attuned presence and convey validation, reassurance, and curiosity. They should be able to stay relaxed yet engaged, including noticing nonverbal cues and responding without prying.

    4 sources
  118. 118

    Evaluate readiness and contraindications for subsequent sessions

    After each MDMA session, therapists must assess whether continuing treatment is safe and clinically appropriate. The participant’s choice is respected unless safety concerns warrant exclusion.

    4 sources
  119. 119

    Group facilitation and relationship management

    When leading group sessions, therapists must manage group size, relational instability, empathic bonds, exclusion dynamics, and mutual support among therapists. The handbook treats group structure as a clinically important variable.

    4 sources
  120. 120

    Identity and values reconstruction

    Facilitators must support the bereaved person in rebuilding identity and future orientation after loss. The protocol uses values clarification to help participants orient life around their own goals and surviving self.

    4 sources
  121. 121

    Informed consent and treatment briefing

    Therapists/facilitators must support ethically valid informed consent by ensuring participants understand the intervention, expectations, risks, and logistics. They also provide anticipatory guidance before ketamine sessions and discharge information after dosing.

    4 sources
  122. 122

    Interdisciplinary coordination across mental health and medical services

    Combined ketamine infusion and PE treatment requires coordination between psychotherapy providers and medical/anesthesia or medication administration staff. Effective collaboration supports timing, safety oversight, and protocol fidelity.

    4 sources
  123. 123

    Knowledge of ayahuasca and traditional Amazonian medicine

    Understands the therapeutic role of ayahuasca as a psychoactive plant brew used ritually in traditional Amazonian medicine. Knowledge of the cultural and medicinal context is necessary to support safe and appropriate facilitation.

    4 sources
  124. 124

    Manage agitation and elopement risk

    Respond to agitation or attempts to leave the room in a way that preserves safety for the patient and others. The therapist should use containment, redirection, and escalation protocols when needed.

    4 sources
  125. 125

    Management of residual symptoms and re-entry

    Therapists must prepare the subject for residual effects after the main session and provide practical safeguards for sleep, transportation, and home support. This includes framing recurrence of symptoms in a non-alarming way.

    4 sources
  126. 126

    Meaning reconstruction therapy delivery

    Therapists must competently deliver the 9-session meaning reconstruction protocol for grief, including its event story, back story, and personal story phases. The work is aimed at helping bereaved participants make sense of the loss, revise attachment-related meanings, and reconstruct identity and future orientation.

    4 sources
  127. 127

    Pre-session dosing behavior instructions

    Teaches clear communication of behavioral requirements before dosing sessions so conditions are standardized and preventable risks are reduced. Staff confirm that participants understand and follow pre-session instructions.

    4 sources
  128. 128

    Protocol adherence and dose conditions

    Follows the study's operational rules for dose timing, progression, and stopping conditions. Reliable execution is necessary for both safety and interpretability of results.

    4 sources
  129. 129

    Psychological flexibility focus

    Understand and apply a therapeutic framework centered on psychological flexibility. The intervention was explicitly described as time-limited and relational, with this focus guiding therapist work.

    4 sources
  130. 130

    Risk and contraindication screening

    Facilitators must know the risks and contraindications associated with ayahuasca use. They should identify medical and psychological factors that make participation unsafe or require extra caution.

    4 sources
  131. 131

    Stress inoculation and breathwork instruction

    At least one therapist must be able to teach stress inoculation methods, especially diaphragmatic breathing, and apply breath-based interventions during sessions. Breath is used both for relaxation and for staying present with difficult experience.

    4 sources
  132. 132

    Supportive-expressive psychedelic psychotherapy

    Therapists must be able to help participants confront, tolerate, and work through intense experiences rather than prematurely suppress them. The method emphasizes support, reassurance, emotional processing, and integration of meaningful material.

    4 sources
  133. 133

    Understanding MDMA effects and non-linear healing

    Therapists must have a thorough understanding of MDMA’s subjective, relational, and physiological effects, including the non-linear way these may support healing. This knowledge is necessary for preparation, in-session decisions, and normalization of participant experiences.

    4 sources
  134. 134

    Work with bodily sensations and somatic process

    Therapists should orient to and explore the participant’s somatic experience, both in experimental and integrative sessions, as a central channel of processing.

    4 sources
  135. 135

    Guided inquiry and reflective language

    Students learn to use language and questions that deepen a client’s inner experience and support healing. This is a practical communication competency for facilitation and integration work.

    5 sources
  136. 136

    Pharmacology, contraindications, and interaction awareness

    Teaches psychoactive substance pharmacology, expected drug effects, contraindications, and relevant drug-interaction risks. The competency supports safer screening, medication review, participant education, and clinical decision-making.

    5 sources
  137. 137

    Alcohol use disorder clinical knowledge

    Have a working understanding of moderate to severe AUD, relapse processes, craving, withdrawal, and common comorbidities. This knowledge is required to deliver the integrated treatment model safely and effectively.

    3 sources
  138. 138

    Assess and engage support systems

    Therapists should understand the participant’s support network and appropriately involve support persons when relevant and desired.

    3 sources
  139. 139

    Assessment-driven therapeutic tailoring

    Uses assessment findings to individualize therapy and medication-session preparation. Adapts the approach based on participant response, goals, and clinical presentation.

    3 sources
  140. 140

    Attendant supervision and role clarity

    Therapists must ensure attendants are appropriately selected and instructed for overnight monitoring. Attendants provide supportive care and observation without taking on psychotherapeutic functions.

    3 sources
  141. 141

    Competence in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training

    Have formal training in MDMA-assisted therapy before treating participants. The protocol notes that study therapists were trained in an MDMA-assisted therapy program from prior clinical-trial experience.

    3 sources
  142. 142

    Conduct qualitative, client-centered inquiry

    Facilitators/research therapists should be able to elicit and understand patients’ subjective experience from a client-centered perspective. The study used semi-structured interviews focused on experience, anxiety, quality of life, and values.

    3 sources
  143. 143

    Controlled inhalation administration

    Can safely administer vaporized GH001 using standardized equipment and procedure. Accurate delivery and participant instruction are essential to reliable dosing.

    3 sources
  144. 144

    Coordinate with outside providers ethically

    Therapists must coordinate with prescribing clinicians and existing psychotherapists when relevant, while respecting consent and confidentiality. Communication should support safety, continuity, and protocol integrity.

    3 sources
  145. 145

    Deliver mindfulness and grounding exercises

    Use brief mindfulness practices and grounding strategies to stabilize attention and reduce distress before and during the session. These techniques help the patient reconnect to present-moment awareness and bodily sensation.

    3 sources
  146. 146

    Experience with altered states of consciousness

    Facilitators are expected to have substantial prior experience supporting altered states of consciousness. This experience supports containment, trust, and skilled response to unusual perceptual and emotional phenomena.

    3 sources
  147. 147

    Focused bodywork competence

    Focused bodywork is an optional advanced intervention used to facilitate release of blocked emotion or somatic tension when spontaneous processing has stalled. Therapists need specific judgment and skill to apply it safely and only when indicated.

    3 sources
  148. 148

    Knowledge of psychedelic session structure

    Facilitators need to understand the full treatment sequence and how each phase contributes to safety and treatment delivery. The intervention depends on correct sequencing and timing.

    3 sources
  149. 149

    Mindfulness instruction

    Facilitator can teach and cue mindfulness practices consistent with the study protocol. Mindfulness is presented as present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness.

    3 sources
  150. 150

    Neutral, unbiased facilitation

    The facilitator must minimize bias in how assessments are administered and in how participant responses are handled. This is important because the trial is open-label and relies heavily on patient-reported outcomes.

    3 sources
  151. 151

    Protection against coercion and dual-role influence

    The protocol explicitly addresses the risk of undue influence when investigators recruit current or former patients, requiring safeguards and ongoing monitoring for coercion.

    3 sources
  152. 152

    Protocol adherence and visit scheduling

    Ability to manage the study schedule, windows, and follow-up procedures accurately. This supports treatment delivery and valid outcome collection.

    3 sources
  153. 153

    Psychoeducation about MDMA effects and session trajectory

    Therapists must understand MDMA’s expected subjective, interpersonal, and physiological effects and prepare participants accordingly. This knowledge supports normalization, reassurance, and effective use of the medicine within therapy.

    3 sources
  154. 154

    Psychological preparation and anxiety reduction

    Facilitators need practical skills in preparing participants emotionally for ketamine administration and reducing distress. The protocol highlights relaxation, breathing, and grounding strategies to reduce anxiety or discomfort associated with the drug experience.

    3 sources
  155. 155

    Research-professional role separation

    Distinguish psychotherapy/facilitation functions from outcome assessment and other research tasks. Separation reduces bias and protects the integrity of blinded assessments.

    3 sources
  156. 156

    Session pacing and timing

    Therapists must pace the day appropriately, from early dosing to flexible termination, avoiding premature ending that could destabilize the subject. The handbook presents timing as an active facilitative skill rather than a logistical detail.

    3 sources
  157. 157

    Support peak or mystical-type experiences without imposing them

    Facilitators should be able to contain and make therapeutic use of profound emotional or peak experiences, including ego loosening, awe, reassurance, and feelings of unity or peace. The article suggests these experiences can be highly meaningful and therapeutic, but not all need to meet full mystical criteria.

    3 sources
  158. 158

    Therapeutic rapport and engagement support

    Help patients engage in emotionally intense trauma-focused treatment and reduce dropout risk. The therapist should recognize comorbid depression or anxiety that may interfere with adherence and response.

    3 sources
  159. 159

    Training in PAP and protocol manual adherence

    Therapists must be specifically trained in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and in the study’s manualized procedures. Competence includes familiarity with the therapeutic model and difficult-state management guidance.

    3 sources
  160. 160

    Trauma treatment background

    Therapists need a solid professional background in psychotherapy, especially PTSD treatment. Prior experience with established trauma therapies and related approaches is considered important preparation for this work.

    3 sources
  161. 161

    Use of ACT and adjunctive psychotherapies

    Apply Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as the primary psychotherapeutic framework, while using other modalities as clinically indicated. The protocol also references CBT, psychodynamic approaches, and Internal Family Systems.

    3 sources
  162. 162

    Values clarification and committed action coaching

    Therapists must help participants identify, recover, and translate values into concrete behavior change. The manual treats values work as central to depression recovery and integration.

    3 sources
  163. 163

    Working with family/collateral supports

    The protocol expects involvement of relatives in follow-up, indicating a facilitator competency in engaging collateral supports. This helps verify outcomes and sustain recovery monitoring.

    3 sources
  164. 164

    Harm reduction and risk awareness

    Cluster covering 5 related competencies including: Harm-reduction orientation, Harm reduction and risk awareness, Harm reduction for client support.

    10 sources
  165. 165

    Trauma-informed care

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Trauma-informed care, Trauma-informed psychedelic care.

    10 sources
  166. 166

    Clinical protocol literacy

    Teaches practitioners to read and understand clinical protocols, treatment manuals, and evidence-based psychedelic care procedures. The focus is knowing how protocol requirements shape preparation, dosing, integration, documentation, and safety responsibilities.

    6 sources
  167. 167

    Legal and Regulatory Navigation

    Teaches practitioners to identify and apply relevant legal, regulatory, ethical, and institutional requirements, including documentation, consent, reporting, controlled-substance, and jurisdiction-specific obligations.

    6 sources
  168. 168

    Psychotherapeutic facilitation methods

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Facilitation of psychedelic journeys, Psychotherapeutic facilitation methods.

    6 sources
  169. 169

    Basic life support

    Learners are explicitly offered Basic Life Support training, indicating emergency readiness and medical safety preparation. The page notes DORA-required status, signaling regulatory safety relevance.

    4 sources
  170. 170

    Confidentiality and trust maintenance

    The course explicitly discusses confidentiality, especially in underground practice and with anonymous practitioners. Learners are expected to understand confidentiality as a core part of maintaining safe and effective psychedelic care relationships.

    4 sources
  171. 171

    ACT-based case formulation

    Therapists must understand participant distress through an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy lens and use that formulation throughout preparation, dosing, and integration. They identify psychological inflexibility processes and track movement toward or away from psychological flexibility.

    2 sources
  172. 172

    Acute anxiety and psychosis management

    Responds to distressing anxious or psychotic reactions with verbal de-escalation and, if needed, rescue medications. Escalates intervention in a stepwise manner based on clinical response.

    2 sources
  173. 173

    Appropriate facilitator qualifications

    Lead facilitators were doctoral-level psychologists or physicians with major depressive disorder treatment experience, and co-facilitators had at least a bachelor’s degree in a mental health-related field. The source therefore indicates role-appropriate clinical background and experience requirements.

    2 sources
  174. 174

    Assessment of treatment response

    Track onset, duration, and phases of ibogaine effects as part of clinical monitoring. The manual describes multiple stages of effect and expects the provider to observe them carefully.

    2 sources
  175. 175

    Ayahuasca pharmacology and dosing awareness

    Facilitators need basic knowledge of ayahuasca composition, dosing, and interaction risks to support safe administration. The protocol emphasizes dose calculation, substance composition, and monitoring for contraindications.

    2 sources
  176. 176

    Boundary-respecting physical support

    Use physical contact only when necessary, explicitly permitted, and minimal. The facilitator must respect participant autonomy and avoid any contact that is not justified for safety or grounding.

    2 sources
  177. 177

    Bounded therapeutic scope

    Work within protocol-defined limits of therapist support. The trial excluded participants whose conditions could jeopardize rapport given those limits, underscoring the need for clear boundaries.

    2 sources
  178. 178

    Ceremonial framing and intentional therapeutic setting

    Facilitators require skill in establishing ceremonial and intentional framing around ketamine sessions to support therapeutic depth and coherence. This includes preparing participants for the significance and structure of the experience within the group model.

    2 sources
  179. 179

    Cultural and language competence for participation

    Staff must ensure participants can understand and engage with the protocol in the site’s recognized language and can participate in a way that preserves safety and informed consent. This is part of the practical knowledge needed for ethical facilitation.

    2 sources
  180. 180

    Deliver culturally sensitive care

    Therapists must adapt their practice to diverse cultural and linguistic contexts. Cultural sensitivity is important for trust, communication, and consistency across sites.

    2 sources
  181. 181

    Experience-informed observation and validation

    Ability to attend closely to participant responses during altered states and validate them without pathologizing normal psychedelic phenomena. This supports safety and meaning-making.

    2 sources
  182. 182

    Explain likely effects of MDMA

    Therapists should prepare participants by describing common psychological and physiological effects of MDMA and emphasizing variability of response.

    2 sources
  183. 183

    Informed consent administration

    Therapists/facilitators must ensure participants are properly informed using approved consent materials before participation in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy research.

    2 sources
  184. 184

    Informed consent and experimental-treatment disclosure

    Clearly explain the investigational nature of ibogaine treatment and its known serious risks before treatment begins. Ethical practice requires that patients understand both uncertain benefits and significant safety concerns.

    2 sources
  185. 185

    Integrate support persons appropriately

    Therapists must work thoughtfully with the patient's social support system to enhance safety and continuity of care. This includes selective disclosure, education, involvement in sessions when appropriate, and crisis planning.

    2 sources
  186. 186

    Interprofessional coordination and referral management

    Safe delivery requires coordination among therapists, physicians, nurses, blinded assessors, outside therapists, and emergency services.

    2 sources
  187. 187

    Knowledge of target population risks and context

    Therapists need specific knowledge of methamphetamine use disorder, HIV risk behaviors, and the social context of affected populations to deliver relevant and responsive care. This includes understanding how methamphetamine use intersects with trauma, sexual risk, and HIV prevention or treatment adherence.

    2 sources
  188. 188

    Maintain a post-session safety net

    Therapists must provide continuity, availability, and clear support structures after MDMA sessions to reduce anxiety and manage emerging difficulties. This safety net extends beyond the dosing day.

    2 sources
  189. 189

    Maintain beginner’s mind

    Therapists should cultivate openness about both the participant’s process and their own interpretations. This prevents forcing experience into rigid theoretical frames and supports curiosity and compassion.

    2 sources
  190. 190

    Management of assessment-related distress

    Because interviews and questionnaires may provoke emotional reactions or fatigue, facilitators must respond supportively and mitigate burden. This includes addressing distress during assessments and offering breaks.

    2 sources
  191. 191

    Motivational enhancement for quitting

    Elicit and strengthen motivation to quit smoking and remain abstinent. Facilitators use sessions to explore values, reasons for quitting, and treatment commitment.

    2 sources
  192. 192

    Nausea and vomiting management

    Recognize and respond to gastrointestinal adverse effects that may occur frequently with higher doses. Manage emesis to reduce aspiration risk, dehydration, and treatment disruption.

    2 sources
  193. 193

    Ongoing informed consent

    Treat consent as a continuing process rather than a one-time event. Patients must understand the treatment and retain the ability to revoke consent, with special procedures during the medication session for safety.

    2 sources
  194. 194

    Optional biomarker/genomic research handling

    Understands the optional nature and operational limits of biomarker and pharmacogenomic collection. Ensures consent, timing, fasting guidance, and sample handling requirements are respected.

    2 sources
  195. 195

    Paranoia and psychotomimetic state management

    The therapist must recognize confusion, paranoia, referential thinking, withdrawal, or grandiosity and respond with steady trust, containment, and continued presence. Management skill is particularly important because these reactions may still be workable and may shift with proper handling.

    2 sources
  196. 196

    Preparation for altered-state experience

    A major therapist competency is preparing patients extensively for the ketamine session, including the nature of the special state of consciousness and possible ego dissolution or separation from the body. Preparation is both educational and psychotherapeutic.

    2 sources
  197. 197

    Regulatory information handling

    Responsibility to treat study information in a manner consistent with registration and results-reporting requirements. This includes using official definitions rather than improvising field content.

    2 sources
  198. 198

    Research visit scheduling and follow-up coordination

    Coordinate multi-visit assessment timelines around the psilocybin session. Follow-up data collection is essential for longitudinal outcomes and requires careful scheduling.

    2 sources
  199. 199

    Respiratory monitoring

    Facilitators must watch for slowed breathing, sleep apnea-related hypoxia, disordered breathing, and oxygen desaturation. Oxygenation needs ongoing assessment during the acute and post-acute periods.

    2 sources
  200. 200

    Retention and engagement skills

    Given the risk of high attrition, facilitators need strong engagement and follow-up skills. The protocol explicitly notes the importance of respecting time commitments, tracking procedures, and strong interpersonal skills of study personnel.

    2 sources
  201. 201

    Risk-benefit judgment

    Balances potential symptom relief against known and emerging safety risks in participants with opioid dependence. Makes conservative decisions when cardiac or adverse-effect concerns outweigh anticipated benefit.

    2 sources
  202. 202

    Safety oversight and independent review

    Clinical investigators must work within independent safety monitoring structures and avoid conflicts in oversight roles. Therapists/facilitators in research settings should support scheduled review of participant safety outcomes.

    2 sources
  203. 203

    Short-duration session management

    The facilitator should be able to manage a brief but intense treatment window. The source suggests a shorter-acting psychedelic may enable rapid onset of response and reduce burden compared with longer-acting agents.

    2 sources
  204. 204

    Social support assessment and guidance

    Therapists must assess the participant’s social support network and help plan appropriate use of supportive relationships during treatment. They should guide participants about the potential benefits and risks of sharing their experiences with others.

    2 sources
  205. 205

    Therapist availability and time commitment

    Therapists must be prepared for an extensive and sometimes unpredictable commitment of time and support. Ethical delivery includes reliable availability beyond scheduled sessions when participants need additional help.

    2 sources
  206. 206

    Therapist self-regulation

    The curriculum explicitly includes therapist self-regulation as a therapeutic skill. This suggests learners are expected to maintain steadiness and presence while supporting clients in altered states.

    2 sources
  207. 207

    Treatment-condition matching and support

    Deliver comparable behavioral support across psilocybin and NRT conditions while respecting protocol differences. Facilitators must maintain treatment fidelity and avoid bias toward one arm.

    2 sources
  208. 208

    Use of observation and assessment tools

    The therapist should assess both the immediate experience and longer-term change, using structured observation, self-report, and reports from others where possible. The handbook treats evaluation as difficult but necessary for understanding therapeutic effects.

    2 sources
  209. 209

    Work collaboratively in therapist dyads and supervised teams

    Psilocybin sessions are conducted with two trained therapists, and therapists-in-training may support sessions under supervision. Effective dyad work and supervised learning are central to the model.

    2 sources
  210. 210

    Work with psychodynamic material

    Therapists need knowledge of psychodynamic processes likely to arise under LSD, including emergence of previously excluded material, abreaction, catharsis, and memory-rich reliving of past experiences. The discussion explicitly identifies these as mechanisms relevant to treatment.

    2 sources
  211. 211

    Psychedelic research literacy and evidence appraisal

    Teaches how to interpret the psychedelic clinical evidence base, compare strength of evidence across indications, understand mechanism theories, and critically appraise research claims. The competency supports evidence-informed practice rather than relying on general field narratives.

    17 sources
  212. 212

    Experiential Learning and Reflective Practice

    Teaches practitioners to use experiential exercises, embodied awareness, supervision, and structured self-reflection to examine their own reactions, assumptions, limits, and relational patterns in clinical work.

    5 sources
  213. 213

    Preparation and therapeutic alliance

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Preparation and therapeutic alliance, Preparation and therapeutic alliance building.

    5 sources
  214. 214

    Psychedelic harm reduction and integration fundamentals

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy, Psychedelic harm reduction and integration fundamentals.

    4 sources
  215. 215

    Trauma-informed practice

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Trauma-informed practice, Trauma-informed clinical practice.

    4 sources
  216. 216

    Use of adjunctive therapeutic modalities

    Advanced trainings mention topics like IFS, art therapy, breathwork, and integration, implying learners can deepen their practice with complementary methods. These are presented as continuing development topics rather than core prerequisites.

    3 sources
  217. 217

    Alliance repair and rupture management

    Detect and address strains in the therapeutic relationship over the course of treatment. The discussion recommends frequent assessment and repair of alliance ruptures.

    1 source
  218. 218

    Assess and prepare social support

    Therapists should evaluate the participant’s support network and help plan how supports can assist between sessions. They must also guide participants about the benefits and risks of disclosing their experiences to others.

    1 source
  219. 219

    Assessment of psychological readiness and vulnerability

    Before administration, facilitators should assess readiness and factors that could increase the chance of a difficult session. The source highlights that preoccupation, rigidity, low trust, and poor support can worsen experiences.

    1 source
  220. 220

    Assessment of therapeutic alliance

    Understand how therapeutic alliance is measured and interpreted in psychedelic-assisted therapy research. The study used the WAI-SR with goal, task, and bond subscales.

    1 source
  221. 221

    Authenticity and trustworthiness

    Facilitators should present as authentic, relatable, and trustworthy, and be open to participant questions and feedback. Establishing a credible and safe relational basis is part of responsible practice.

    1 source
  222. 222

    Awareness of interaction and formulation cautions

    The therapist/facilitator must understand potential drug-interaction concerns and formulation-related differences that could alter tolerability or safety. The source mentions caution with antiemetics and alternative preparations.

    1 source
  223. 223

    Boundary management in a dual-role therapeutic model

    Navigate the combination of psychedelic support and AUD therapy while preserving clear therapeutic boundaries. The facilitator must deliver supportive care without role confusion or undue influence.

    1 source
  224. 224

    CBT expertise for mood disorders

    Clinicians must have working expertise in evidence-based CBT for depression and related mood conditions, including the ability to deliver core CBT components across preparation, post-session integration, and relapse prevention phases. The protocol assumes competence in standard CBT delivery as the psychosocial backbone of treatment.

    1 source
  225. 225

    Clinical documentation and coordination

    Some listed programs explicitly teach clinical documentation and related practice management skills. This suggests learners may be expected to document care, coordinate treatment processes, and work within structured clinical workflows.

    1 source
  226. 226

    Cognitive-behavioral smoking cessation counseling

    Deliver structured CBT-based smoking cessation support throughout the trial. Facilitators teach practical self-management strategies before and after the target quit date.

    1 source
  227. 227

    Collaboration with medical and nursing staff

    Ketamine-assisted treatment in this protocol is multidisciplinary, so facilitators must work closely with study doctors and nurses. This includes coordinating preparation, understanding monitoring responsibilities, and escalating concerns appropriately.

    1 source
  228. 228

    Collaboratively address trauma material

    Therapists should obtain agreement that trauma may be gently brought up if not spontaneously addressed, while preserving participant choice and collaborative exploration.

    1 source
  229. 229

    Community network and sustainability building

    Responsible practitioners cultivate relationships with other practitioners and community networks to support sustainable care. They help build systems that expand access while preserving integrity and safety.

    1 source
  230. 230

    Competence with open-label continuation procedures

    Understand the transition from blinded randomized treatment to open-label MDMA-assisted therapy for eligible participants. This includes separate consent, revised scheduling, and altered assessment timing.

    1 source
  231. 231

    Cultivate beginner’s mind

    Therapists should encourage participants to set aside rigid expectations and remain open to whatever arises during experimental sessions.

    1 source
  232. 232

    Cultural and values-sensitive therapy

    Explores participant values, including spiritual values, in a respectful way that supports behavior change. Integrates meaning-making without imposing therapist beliefs.

    1 source
  233. 233

    Cultural humility and adaptation of ACT language

    Adapt therapy language and mindfulness practices to fit participants' cultural, spiritual, and social contexts. The manual emphasizes that ACT concepts may need careful framing to avoid invalidation or misunderstanding.

    1 source
  234. 234

    Elicit expectations, fears, and concerns

    Therapists should proactively explore participants’ hopes, fears, concerns, and expectations about treatment and address them responsively.

    1 source
  235. 235

    Emergency response readiness

    Be prepared to recognize medical deterioration and summon emergency help immediately. The manual states that providers who cannot call for emergency assistance should not provide ibogaine therapy.

    1 source
  236. 236

    Ethical data handling

    Responsibility to use study information appropriately and in accordance with registry expectations. This includes respecting the limits of what can be inferred from the record text alone.

    1 source
  237. 237

    Ethical handling of participant communication about future research

    Manage optional future-contact procedures ethically and separately from current study participation. Participants may choose whether to authorize future contact without affecting present enrollment decisions.

    1 source
  238. 238

    Ethical honesty and transparency in management

    The handbook emphasizes straightforward, honest dealing with subjects, especially when they feel suspicious, followed, or influenced. Trust is built by avoiding manipulation, deception, or concealed motives.

    1 source
  239. 239

    Ethical purpose and intention setting

    Organizers should clarify the purpose of the session and the ethical means of achieving it. They should also encourage participants to prepare an intention in an ethical and responsible way.

    1 source
  240. 240

    Ethical risk communication

    Communicates the experimental and unregulated nature of ibogaine treatment honestly. The source highlights an ibogaine subculture offering unregulated preparations, which creates an ethical duty to disclose uncertainty and risks.

    1 source
  241. 241

    Ethical use of psychoactive substances in therapy

    Responsibility to use LSD only within an ethically justified, clinically supervised framework. The source does not specify safeguards, but the therapeutic use of a potent psychoactive substance requires careful ethical oversight.

    1 source
  242. 242

    Ethical use of trial information

    Uses publicly available trial information responsibly and within its intended scope. Respects that registry content is not a substitute for clinical judgment, consent procedures, or study-specific training.

    1 source
  243. 243

    Existential psychotherapy orientation

    The therapist needs knowledge of existentially oriented psychotherapy and how to apply it in addiction treatment. The protocol explicitly frames KPT around meaning, values, self-concept, and life purpose.

    1 source
  244. 244

    Goal alignment

    Help participants form and revise therapeutic goals in a way that stays aligned with the intervention. Goals are one of the core dimensions of working alliance measured in the trial.

    1 source
  245. 245

    Inform participants of new safety-relevant findings

    Investigators have a continuing duty to inform participants about new findings regarding LSD or LSD-assisted therapy that emerge during the study. This reflects an ongoing consent responsibility rather than a one-time disclosure.

    1 source
  246. 246

    Informed consent and ethical use in uncertain evidence

    Use ibogaine only after a careful discussion of uncertain efficacy, limited research, and known risks. Ethical practice requires transparent communication about the experimental nature of treatment and the absence of robust clinical standards.

    1 source
  247. 247

    Informed consent boundary awareness

    Study personnel involved with participants must understand informed consent responsibilities and boundaries. Consent is an ongoing process, and appropriately trained staff without an existing clinical relationship obtain consent, not the PI.

    1 source
  248. 248

    Intoxication assessment before preparation

    Determine whether a patient is intoxicated enough to impair participation in preparation sessions. This requires clinical judgment focused on comprehension and therapeutic alliance.

    1 source
  249. 249

    Knowledge of risks and benefits of MDMA-assisted therapy

    Clinicians need working knowledge of the potential risks and benefits of MDMA-assisted therapy as the research is designed to explore both. This knowledge supports informed consent, clinical judgment, and participant monitoring.

    1 source
  250. 250

    Legal awareness

    Those organizing sessions should understand the legal implications of ayahuasca in their jurisdiction. This helps them manage accountability and reduce legal risk.

    1 source
  251. 251

    Management of prolonged acute sessions

    Plans and maintains support for sessions that may last many hours. Duration of effects can be substantial and requires sustained facilitator availability and structured observation.

    1 source
  252. 252

    Managing short-duration high-intensity sessions

    5-MeO-DMT produces a very short but intense experience, which changes facilitation demands. Facilitators must be prepared for rapid transitions into and out of the altered state.

    1 source
  253. 253

    Monitoring depressive aftermath and unmet integration

    The therapist should watch for depression after the experience, particularly when insights are not translated into action. Continued support is presented as a way to reduce this risk and restore constructive orientation.

    1 source
  254. 254

    Participant preparation for medication adherence

    Prepare participants to correctly use nicotine replacement therapy when assigned to the control arm. Facilitators must provide education, dosing instructions, and side-effect guidance.

    1 source
  255. 255

    Preparation for ketamine sessions

    Therapists must prepare participants psychologically and practically for ketamine dosing through rapport-building, psychoeducation, expectation-setting, and intention development. Preparation is emphasized because of trauma burden, psychiatric comorbidity, and instability in the target population.

    1 source
  256. 256

    Professional training in human subjects research

    Expectation that study personnel are trained in research ethics and responsible conduct of research. This underpins appropriate consent, confidentiality, and participant safety practices.

    1 source
  257. 257

    Provide protocol-consistent patient education and informed framing

    Clinicians should present the intervention accurately as ketamine- or midazolam-augmented PE within a research protocol, with clear explanation of purpose and expectations. Ethical practice includes avoiding overstatement of benefit and framing treatment as investigational augmentation of an established therapy.

    1 source
  258. 258

    Regulatory compliance orientation

    The facilitator should operate within the administrative and regulatory framework governing clinical trial documentation. This involves respecting the rules that apply to study record managers and submitted information.

    1 source
  259. 259

    Relapse-prevention support

    Help patients navigate craving, relapse risk, and post-treatment vulnerability. The manual notes that fear of relapse is more realistic than fear of withdrawal after ibogaine.

    1 source
  260. 260

    Relational field attunement

    Attend closely to the therapeutic relationship as an active part of the healing process. IMAP treats the relational field as a primary site where trauma, repair, trust, and connection unfold.

    1 source
  261. 261

    Risk awareness for classic serotonergic psychedelics

    Understands that mescaline is a classic serotonergic psychedelic with substantial acute psychoactive effects. Uses this knowledge to prepare for altered perception and prolonged subjective responses.

    1 source
  262. 262

    Risk education and expectation setting

    Can explain common, psychological, and severe risks of KAP in understandable terms. Sets realistic expectations that outcomes may vary and are not guaranteed.

    1 source
  263. 263

    Route-specific administration awareness

    Facilitators need working knowledge of administration routes because onset, duration, intensity, and tolerability vary substantially. This informs preparation, monitoring, and participant education.

    1 source
  264. 264

    Set shaping and mindset influence

    The facilitator influences the participant’s mindset through tone, language, responsiveness, and overall presence. They should intentionally support a conducive mental set from first contact through post-session care.

    1 source
  265. 265

    Subject education and rule setting

    Explain study rules, session expectations, and restrictions clearly to the subject. Education supports adherence, safety, and informed participation.

    1 source
  266. 266

    Support for repeated-session care planning

    Because the protocol compares single versus repeated KPT, therapists must be able to prepare patients for sequential sessions and maintain continuity across a month-spaced treatment course. This includes pre-session counseling and repeated integration work.

    1 source
  267. 267

    Support relationship and support-system integration

    Therapists must help participants navigate interpersonal shifts, disclosure decisions, and support-system responses during healing. They should anticipate misunderstanding, family-system changes, and new relational capacities.

    1 source
  268. 268

    Task instruction and coaching

    Prepare participants to complete emotional processing tasks and questionnaires accurately. Staff must teach task procedures and ensure participants understand expectations before scanning and follow-up assessments.

    1 source
  269. 269

    Task-focused collaboration

    Support clear agreement on what the participant and facilitator are doing together in the therapy process. In this study, task alliance showed particularly robust associations with outcomes.

    1 source
  270. 270

    Therapist qualification and prior KAP experience

    Therapists should meet formal licensure requirements and have specific prior training and experience in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Competence is not generic psychotherapy alone but includes psychedelic/ketamine-specific preparation and familiarity with the study population.

    1 source
  271. 271

    Trauma-informed, non-threatening interviewing

    Use a caring, natural, and non-threatening interview style to assess psychiatric and psychological domains. The protocol emphasizes normalization, reduction of guilt, symptom exaggeration techniques, and a logical flow that facilitates rapport.

    1 source
  272. 272

    Understanding of study schedule and visit procedures

    Facilitators must know the study timeline to conduct therapy and safety checks at the correct times. They should understand which visits are in person, virtual, or questionnaire-only and what assessments occur at each stage.

    1 source
  273. 273

    Use of cognitive and behavioral assessment domains

    Understand the domains assessed in the Storyline psychiatric and neurological interviews and use this knowledge to support accurate administration and interpretation of study tasks. Domains include cognition, mood, homeostasis, social support, and psychosis/suicidality screening.

    1 source
  274. 274

    Use of discussion to consolidate insight

    Once stabilization is achieved, the therapist should help the subject translate diffuse feeling states into articulated ideas without imposing doctrinal answers. Discussion is used to deepen learning, interpersonal understanding, and future application.

    1 source
  275. 275

    Use self-directed enquiry

    Help participants direct attention to their own present-moment internal experience and explore it from multiple perspectives. This is practiced in preparation and used to support participants if challenging material emerges during dosing.

    1 source
  276. 276

    Validate affirming experiences as healing

    Therapists should validate positive, affirming, and resourcing experiences as meaningful components of healing, growth, and meaning-making.

    1 source
  277. 277

    Validate difficult experiences as healing

    Therapists should frame difficult emotions, challenging material, and distressing experiences as potentially meaningful parts of healing rather than signs of failure.

    1 source
  278. 278

    Veteran-sensitive clinical care

    Deliver care tailored to US military veterans with severe PTSD. The population context implies the need for appropriate rapport, sensitivity, and understanding of veteran experiences.

    1 source
  279. 279

    Case-based practice, peer consultation, and professional learning community

    Teaches applied competence through role play, case discussion, peer consultation, seminars, mentorship, and learning-community structures. The emphasis is translating theory into practice, receiving feedback, and developing reflective clinical judgment with peers.

    12 sources
  280. 280

    Psychedelic therapy foundation

    Cluster covering 7 related competencies including: Psychedelic therapy foundation, Psychedelic therapy foundations, Psychedelic practice fundamentals.

    9 sources
  281. 281

    Ethics and ethical practice

    Cluster covering 4 related competencies including: Ethical practice, Ethics in psychedelic care, Ethics and ethical practice.

    7 sources
  282. 282

    Neurobiology of non-ordinary states

    Teaches the neurobiological basis of psychedelic and non-ordinary states, including default mode, salience, fear, and related brain-network models. The competency links altered-state phenomenology with therapeutic mechanisms and clinical implications.

    6 sources
  283. 283

    Professional application and practice development

    Teaches practitioners how to translate psychedelic-informed training into professional practice, including applied skill development, scope awareness, practice-building considerations, and integration of competencies into real clinical or wellness settings.

    4 sources
  284. 284

    Complex-case support and ethics-based clinical judgment

    Teaches work with clinically complex contexts such as trauma, palliative care, and other nuanced presentations where ethical judgment, scope discipline, careful assessment, and individualized support are required.

    3 sources
  285. 285

    Legal access pathways and care-team coordination

    Teaches how participants move through lawful access routes and coordinated care pathways. The competency covers referral navigation, team handoffs, and the practical steps needed to connect eligible participants with appropriate treatment or study settings.

    3 sources
  286. 286

    Psilocybin prescribing fundamentals

    Cluster covering 2 related competencies including: Psilocybin prescribing fundamentals, Prescribing fundamentals for psychedelic treatment.

    3 sources
  287. 287

    Active guiding and purposeful intervention

    The course also teaches a more active guiding style, especially through Ralph Metzner’s approach, where guides may introduce focused inquiries, somatic practices, or other interventions. Learners are shown how interventions can shape the trajectory of a session when used skillfully.

    2 sources
  288. 288

    Apprenticeship and mentor shadowing

    The program includes supervised apprenticeship hours with pre-approved mentors. Learners are expected to observe, assist, and translate training into supervised practice.

    2 sources
  289. 289

    Assessment and intake

    The curriculum includes practical assessment work and use of intake templates and assessment forms. Students learn to evaluate client fit and tailor support based on client goals and needs.

    2 sources
  290. 290

    Clinical trial training and feedback use

    The page highlights best-in-class clinical training for drug trials and AI-supported evaluation. Learners are expected to refine skills quickly and receive targeted feedback in training or evaluation contexts.

    2 sources
  291. 291

    Collaborative work with adjunctive clients

    Learners are taught how to work with clients who already have an outside therapist and to coordinate closely with existing treatment. The course also mentions treatment flow for groups and couples.

    2 sources
  292. 292

    Collaborative-care role awareness

    The program emphasizes that it prepares people for therapeutic and facilitative roles within a collaborative care framework, not independent medical practice. Learners are expected to understand role boundaries, especially around prescribing and administration.

    2 sources
  293. 293

    Compound comparison for therapeutic use

    The course teaches learners to distinguish between classic psychedelics and emerging therapies within therapeutic applications. This is a foundational comparative literacy competency rather than a protocol-specific skill.

    2 sources
  294. 294

    Contemplative practice support

    Contemplative practice is included as a core domain, suggesting learners are exposed to practices that support presence, reflection, and self-regulation in facilitation work. This likely supports both practitioner preparation and client-facing care.

    2 sources
  295. 295

    Coordination and documentation using checklists and manuals

    The page repeatedly points learners to manuals, checklists, PDFs, and reference materials, indicating a practical emphasis on coordination and structured preparation. This suggests learners should be able to organize session materials and support process consistency.

    2 sources
  296. 296

    Debriefing and reflective practice

    The practicum includes retreat team debriefs, supervisor meetings, and assessment presentations. This signals an expectation that learners can reflect on practice, receive feedback, and integrate learning.

    2 sources
  297. 297

    Ethical and equitable practice

    Learners are expected to follow the North Star Ethics Pledge and practice non-discrimination, equity, and inclusion. Ethical responsibility is positioned as a core professional competency.

    2 sources
  298. 298

    Human-centred, experiential facilitation

    The overall program emphasizes experiential, relational, and community-grounded learning, including retreat and practicum components. Learners are expected to develop a grounded facilitation presence in addition to theory.

    2 sources
  299. 299

    Leadership and coaching presence in expanded states

    Faculty and program structure emphasize leadership, coaching presence, and personal transformation as part of practitioner development. Students are expected to become more skillful in guiding high-achieving and growth-oriented clients.

    2 sources
  300. 300

    Mentorship and professional development

    Each trainee works with a mentor, and mentoring includes professional development discussions, role plays, and networking. This indicates structured support for building practice readiness and professional identity.

    2 sources
  301. 301

    Microdosing and macrodosing protocol design

    Learners are taught to design custom protocols for both microdosing and macrodosing based on client goals. The page also references microdosing formulas and practical application of timing and dosage nuances.

    2 sources
  302. 302

    Observing and holding space without reacting

    Learners are expected to develop the ability to witness clients and processes calmly, without overreacting or trying to control the experience. The course explicitly frames this as foundational to practitioner development.

    2 sources
  303. 303

    Peer consultation and collaborative learning

    Vital emphasizes study groups, peer interaction, and faculty-led sessions. Learners are expected to collaborate with others, receive feedback, and improve their practice through community learning.

    2 sources
  304. 304

    Personal growth work and self-exploration

    Students are expected to complete personal growth work outside the program, including therapy, guided entheogenic work, or meditation retreats. This signals the importance of self-awareness and personal preparation for facilitation work.

    2 sources
  305. 305

    Professional identity and licensing readiness

    The page repeatedly frames the program as preparing learners for licensure and professional practice in Oregon. Learners are expected to understand practice context, licensure requirements, and professional transitions.

    2 sources
  306. 306

    Safety-oriented documentation and templates

    Trainees receive templates such as consent and intake forms, informational documents, and guidelines, which implies competence in using standardized practice materials. The page also signals procedural support for safe and organized care delivery.

    2 sources
  307. 307

    Safety, ethics, and responsibility in expanded states work

    The course explicitly states that facilitators are guided in safety, ethics, and responsibility. Learners are expected to recognize and manage the unique risks of working with altered states.

    2 sources
  308. 308

    Space preparation and ceremonial setup

    Practicum hours may include operational tasks like preparing rooms, setting up altars, and arranging ceremonial spaces. These are treated as part of hands-on professional competence.

    2 sources
  309. 309

    Structured PAP process navigation

    The course teaches the overall PAP workflow from screening through follow-up. Learners are expected to understand and explain each phase of treatment in a structured way.

    2 sources
  310. 310

    Supervised experiential practice

    A defining feature of the training is hands-on experiential practice in both non-substance and substance-based modalities under supervision. Learners practice patient and therapist roles, facilitating and undergoing sessions in a structured learning context.

    2 sources
  311. 311

    Supervised practicum and feedback integration

    Students complete 50 supervised practicum hours and receive expert feedback while working with real clients. This is intended to translate theory into competent applied practice.

    2 sources
  312. 312

    Supporting diverse spiritual and community contexts

    The program states it prepares facilitators to address the needs of clients, patients, or community members from diverse faith traditions and communities of origin. Learners are expected to adapt facilitation to varied settings and worldviews.

    2 sources
  313. 313

    Sustainable practice development and prescriber coordination

    The course teaches practical steps to launch and sustain a KAP practice, including forging relationships with prescribers and identifying suitable practicum sites. This is framed as part of professional development and business planning.

    2 sources
  314. 314

    Therapeutic technique enhancement

    Vital says learners will expand their skills and enhance therapeutic techniques. This suggests training in improving how they support clients in psychedelic-related therapeutic work.

    2 sources
  315. 315

    Tracking nervous systems and consent dynamics

    The Colorado practicum site explicitly teaches relational competence, including tracking nervous systems, power, and consent dynamics moment by moment. This is presented as a core facilitation capability.

    2 sources
  316. 316

    Use of complementary support methods

    Students explore how psychedelics can be integrated with supportive methods such as breathwork, meditation, cold therapy, and neurofeedback. The course emphasizes a holistic toolkit rather than a single-method approach.

    2 sources
  317. 317

    Use structured preparedness frameworks

    The course is positioned as a preparedness-oriented training with self-directed preparation plus live facilitated learning. Learners are expected to internalize a framework for managing challenging or crisis moments with confidence and care.

    2 sources
  318. 318

    Bilingual and bicultural engagement

    The page explicitly signals the value of bilingual and bicultural heritage as a foundation for practice. This points to competence in communicating and relating across language and cultural context.

    1 source
  319. 319

    Hybrid in-person and virtual session support

    The course teaches students to guide both in-person and online sessions, including the technical skills needed for virtual facilitation. It explicitly notes that online training includes learning tech skills to become a confident virtual guide.

    1 source
  320. 320

    Therapeutic support in patient care settings

    The page highlights extensive patient care experience and a background in holistic counseling psychology, suggesting practical competence in supporting participants in clinical or care environments. This is more general care-setting competence than protocol-specific technique.

    1 source
  321. 321

    General psychedelic-assisted practice skills

    Catch-all cluster covering 189 general competencies for psychedelic-assisted clinical practice that did not group into a more specific category — including miscellaneous facilitation, monitoring, ethics, safety, regulatory awareness, group support, and program-specific skills not captured by dedicated clusters elsewhere.

    98 sources