Beyond the Hype: A Therapist’s Orientation to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

Psychedelic assisted therapy is showing up more often in conversations about mental health. Clients are asking about it. Research and media coverage are expanding. Conversations among colleagues are becoming more common.

For many therapists, this raises a practical and important question. How does this work fit within my clinical practice, my professional responsibilities, and my values as a therapist?

This live, interview style webinar offers a grounded conversation for therapists who are beginning to explore that question. The discussion focuses on how to orient to psychedelic assisted therapy in a responsible way, including the ethical, cultural, and clinical considerations that shape this work.

By exploring therapist readiness, cultural humility, the limits of biomedical models, and the difference between powerful experience and meaningful healing, this session supports clinicians in gaining clarity before deciding how or whether to engage more deeply.

 

About the Guest

Sergio Rodriguez-Castillo is a researcher, educator, and clinician whose work examines the cultural, ethical, and transpersonal dimensions of psychedelic-assisted therapy. His perspective brings together clinical psychology, lived experience, and scholarly inquiry — offering a grounded counterbalance to purely biomedical or technique-driven models.

 

What We’ll Explore in This Conversation

This interview-style webinar will explore themes especially relevant to therapists who are new or early in their exploration of PAT:

• Entering the Field Thoughtfully
  • Sergio will share his personal and professional path into this work — including the questions and tensions that shaped his approach.
• Cultural Humility & Clinical Responsibility
  • Why cultural humility matters in psychedelic-assisted therapy, and how therapists can engage with this space without unintentionally misappropriating cultural lineages or traditions.
• Limits of Biomedical Models
  • A discussion on where conventional biomedical frameworks fall short — particularly when they overlook relational, symbolic, and transpersonal aspects of psychedelic experiences.
• Experience vs. Healing
  • Why powerful experiences alone do not equal healing or transformation, and what this distinction means for therapists and training programs.
• Safety, Ethics, and Therapist Readiness
  • What safe and ethical care requires beyond protocols — including therapist self-awareness, scope, and supervision.
• What Responsible PAT Training Should Include
  • Insights from Sergio’s doctoral research and dissertation work exploring what psychedelic-assisted therapy curricula should emphasize to prepare clinicians responsibly.

 

Who This Webinar Is For

This conversation is designed for:

• Therapists curious about psychedelic-assisted therapy
• Clinicians considering PAT training but wanting clarity first
• Mental health professionals navigating client questions about psychedelics
• Practitioners interested in ethical, culturally informed care

 

No prior experience with psychedelics or PAT training is required.