Professional qualifications and experience threshold

The manuals converge on the idea that study therapists need recognised professional standing and relevant clinical experience before taking part in psychedelic-assisted therapy research. Across the extracts, therapists are described as licensed or credentialed practitioners, working within an approved study context, with experience that prepares them to support people in significant psychological distress or psychiatric populations. They also overlap in expecting therapists to operate within clear professional and protocol boundaries. The sources describe responsibility for staying within scope, following the study protocol and related manual materials, and maintaining competence in the clinical setting. In this sense, the manuals frame therapist qualification as more than a title, it includes both formal status and the ability to function safely and appropriately in the trial environment. The main differences are in how specific the threshold is and what kind of experience is emphasised. One source gives a concrete minimum of at least five years treating psychiatric patients, while another speaks more generally about appropriate clinical experience and the ability to support severe distress. The manuals also differ in the kinds of background they value, with one favouring psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural therapy experience, and another highlighting presence, openness, patience, calm reassurance, and familiarity with altered states or related practices.