Psychedelics and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): A Process-Based Approach

This event is for Professional Community member only. For more information about the OPEN membership plans, please see here.

Psychedelics and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): A Process-Based Approach

Jason Luoma, PhD (Psychologist & Scientist)

Monday 15 September, 2025 8PM CEST (6PM GMT, 2PM ET, 11AM PT)

Online via Zoom

Add to Calendar

This workshop explores how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can support clients engaging with psychedelics, whether in legally sanctioned therapy or personal use. ACT is grounded in the cultivation of psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present despite difficult thoughts and feelings while taking meaningful action guided by one’s values. Growing evidence suggests that psychological flexibility is a key mechanism through which psychedelics produce therapeutic effects.

ACT’s core processes—acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values, and committed action—provide a process-based, evidence-informed framework for preparing for, navigating, and integrating psychedelic experiences. ACT has been used as the psychotherapy model in several psychedelic-assisted therapy trials and is one of the most widely applied approaches in harm reduction and integration work.

What you will learn

How psychological flexibility functions as a therapeutic mechanism in psychedelic experiences
Core principles of ACT and how they apply before, during, and after psychedelic sessions
How ACT is currently being used in psychedelic research and therapy settings
Clinical examples and practical strategies will be shared to help therapists apply ACT in this emerging area of practice

Who is this for?

This session is designed for professionals working in or entering the field of psychedelic therapy, including:

Therapists, clinicians, and mental health practitioners interested in evidence-based integration models
Psychedelic therapists and facilitators seeking tools for client preparation and post-session integration
Researchers exploring therapeutic mechanisms and psychotherapeutic frameworks in psychedelic studies
Professionals committed to ethical, flexible, and values-guided approaches to psychedelic care

READY TO ATTEND?

ATTEND FOR FREE AS A MEMBER

Unlock access to this and all exclusive events with leading psychedelic experts and engage in real time through the OPEN Professional Community Membership. Plus, enjoy a community space, a content library, discounts, and more.

ATTEND with donation

You can attend this event through a one-time donation to support our non-profit in organizing high-quality educational events with networking opportunities.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Jason  Luoma, Ph.D. is Director of Research at the Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science (https://www.pipsinstitute.com/) and CEO of Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, & Training Center in Portland, OR, a social enterprise that generates revenue to support research. He is also Associate Scientist at the Oregon Research Institute and affiliate faculty at the Oregon Health Sciences University.

His research focuses on shame, self-stigma, connection, and the application psychedelic assisted therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as an intervention for reducing shame and increasing self-compassion. He is currently principal investigator on a clinical of MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety disorder and an open trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for chronic pelvic pain at the Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science. He is also a co-founder of the Oregon Psilocybin Evaluation Nexus (OPEN), community-wide psychedelic research cooperative that is studying the implementation of supported psilocybin services in Oregon.

He is an internationally recognized trainer in ACT and past president of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. He has over 80 publications including co-authoring two books: Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Values in Therapy. His work on shame and compassion can be read at www.actwithcompassion.com and his training conducted through www.portlandpsychotherapytraining.com.

Professional Member Access

As a member, you can log in below and access this event or click the button at the bottom to go to the community platform.