Getting in Touch with Touch: The Importance of Studying Touch in MDMA-Assisted Therapy and the Development of a New Self-Report Measure
This literature review examines the role of therapeutic touch in MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT), addressing concerns about power imbalances and ethical boundaries. It introduces the Touch Outcomes Measurement Inventory (TOMI) to assess client perceptions of touch in MDMA-AT, emphasizing the need for evidence-based and ethical guidelines in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Authors
- Jason Luoma
- Christopher Stauffer
Published
Abstract
Background
MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) is an emerging treatment modality, with recent phase 3 trials indicating its potential for regulatory approval. Central to this therapy is the role of touch, yet its empirical evaluation in MDMA-AT, and psychotherapy in general, remains limited. The use of touch in combination with MDMA raises concerns about power imbalances and ethical boundaries.
Methods
This article reviews existing literature on therapeutic touch and introduces the Touch Outcomes Measurement Inventory (TOMI). The TOMI is developed to assess client perceptions of touch in MDMA-AT, addressing a critical gap in the current research landscape.
Results
The main outcome of this research is the creation of TOMI, a tool aimed at evaluating the impact of touch on clients in MDMA-AT. The review highlights the lack of empirical evidence in this area and the necessity for such a measure.
Discussion
With the increasing likelihood of MDMA-AT becoming a widely used therapy, understanding how therapeutic touch affects clients is imperative. This article emphasizes the need for evidence-based and ethical guidelines for the use of touch in MDMA-AT. The development of TOMI is a step towards achieving this, providing a means for researchers and program evaluators to assess the implications of touch in MDMA-AT and psychedelic-assisted therapy more generally.
Research Summary of 'Getting in Touch with Touch: The Importance of Studying Touch in MDMA-Assisted Therapy and the Development of a New Self-Report Measure'
Introduction
Luoma and colleagues situate their paper within the rapid clinical development of MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT), noting that Phase II and Phase III trials have demonstrated safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy for post-traumatic stress disorder and have explored other indications. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) treatment manual frames therapeutic touch as a central element of MDMA-AT, prescribing careful use, informed consent, and explicit prohibitions on sexualised or therapist-driven touch. At the same time, commentators have raised ethical concerns that touch in the context of MDMA's empathogenic effects could exacerbate power imbalances or enable boundary violations. The paper aims to address a clear gap: there is very little empirical research on touch in psychotherapy generally and none specific to MDMA-AT. To begin filling that gap, the authors review theories and prior literature about therapeutic touch and describe the development of a new self-report instrument, the Touch Outcomes Measurement Inventory (TOMI), intended to capture client perceptions of touch during MDMA-AT sessions. They present the TOMI as a tool to inform protocol development, training, and ethical oversight as MDMA-AT moves towards broader implementation.
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Study Details
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- APA Citation
Luoma, J., Allen, L. R., Gold, V., & Stauffer, C. (2024). Getting in Touch with Touch: The Importance of Studying Touch in MDMA-Assisted Therapy and the Development of a New Self-Report Measure. Psychedelic Medicine, 2(1), 25-32. https://doi.org/10.1089/psymed.2023.0033
References (8)
Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom
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Luoma, J. B., Lear, M. K. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)
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Brennan, W., Jackson, M. A., MacLean, K. A. · Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2021)
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Bershad, A. K., Mayo, L. M., Van Hedger, K. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2019)
Cited By (5)
Papers in Blossom that reference this study
Stellmacher, J., Schmidt, C., Aicher, H. D. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2026)
Ching, T. H. W., Stahnke, B., Shnayder, S. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2025)
Meikle, S., Carter, O., Liknaitzky, P. et al. · Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2025)
Ham, R., Gardner, J., Carter, A. et al. · Brain and Behavior (2025)
Van Dongen, N. N. N., Zijlmans, J., Vermetten, E. et al. · European Journal of Psychotraumatology (2024)
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