Evolving Guidelines for the Use of Touch During a Clinical Trial of Group Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy

Introduction

Back and colleagues situate this Technical Report within a context of recent ethical concerns about inappropriate use of touch in psychedelic-assisted therapy and calls from practitioner bodies for clearer guidance. Earlier incidents of boundary violations prompted attention from professional organisations and researchers to issues of consent, autonomy, and risk mitigation, while some experienced psychedelic practitioners and legacy practices (for example Holotropic Breathwork and historic LSD therapy descriptions) argue that carefully used touch can be supportive. The literature, however, lacks empirical guidance about how to use touch safely in contemporary clinical-trial settings, particularly in group retreat formats. This report describes how the study team developed, implemented, and then revised an initial set of touch practice guidelines during a Phase I/II group psilocybin-assisted therapy trial for people with metastatic cancer. The authors present two case events from their third retreat that prompted iteration of the guidelines, the content of the evolved guidelines, and early experience using the revised guidance in a subsequent retreat. Their stated aim is to document empirical cases and team processes to inform further ethical discussion and research on the role of touch in psychedelic therapy.