Psychedelic experiences can open profound states of vulnerability, insight, and emotional intensity. While these experiences may hold therapeutic potential, they also require careful preparation, skilled support, and thoughtful integration to unfold safely and yield therapeutic benefit. The potential for therapeutic breakthroughs is matched by the risks of retraumatization. The quality of care offered before, during, and after a session can deeply shape both the immediate experience and its long-term impact.

So what does it mean to provide grounded, compassionate support across the full arc of a psychedelic process? How can therapists and facilitators respond skillfully when difficult emotions, fear, disorientation, or relational dynamics arise during a session? What frameworks help ensure that care remains ethical, attuned, culturally sensitive, and clinically sound?

Supporting psychedelic processes relies on relational maturity, emotional regulation, ethical clarity, and the ability to navigate altered states with responsiveness and care. Without appropriate training and supervision, even experienced practitioners may struggle to recognize when support is needed, how to intervene effectively, or how to help participants integrate challenging experiences afterward.

Safety, Support, and Integration in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

In this free online event, Bill Brennan, PhD, ADEPT faculty member, and Daan Keiman, MA, ADEPT Educational Lead, explore the practical and relational foundations of supporting people through psychedelic-assisted therapy. Drawing from one of the modules of ADEPT, the session examines how therapists and facilitators can create safe, supportive environments that foster trust, regulation, and meaningful integration.

The conversation will explore session dynamics in depth, including how to work with challenging or intense experiences while maintaining a strong ethical container. It will also address culturally sensitive approaches to care, frameworks for effective preparation and aftercare, and the often-overlooked importance of therapist self-care and sustainability in this work.

Join us for a thoughtful and grounded discussion on what it means to support psychedelic experiences responsibly and compassionately, and gain insight into the skills, attitudes, and clinical foundations needed to care for people across every phase of the therapeutic journey.

Training in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy with ADEPT

ADEPT: Advanced Education in Psychedelic Therapy is OPEN Foundation’s comprehensive two-year training programme for licensed mental health professionals. It is designed to develop the clinical judgment, ethical grounding, and relational maturity required to support clients across the full arc of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

In ADEPT, students learn to provide safe, attuned support throughout preparation, dosing sessions, and integration. The programme emphasizes ethical care, trauma-informed practice, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to navigate complex emotional and relational dynamics in non-ordinary states of consciousness.

The training includes five in-person training days and three structured experiential practicums. Through these, participants engage directly with altered states in professionally held settings while developing practical facilitation skills under supervision and mentorship. Over time, students cultivate the confidence, responsiveness, and embodied understanding needed to support psychedelic processes safely, compassionately, and effectively.

Meet the Speakers

Bill Brennan, PhD

Bill Brennan is a psychologist in NYC and a clinical researcher at Cybin Inc., where he co-developed the EMBARK approach to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. He has coauthored treatment manuals for clinical trials, including one on psilocybin for COVID-related depression. His work explores ethics in psychedelic therapy, and he has written and spoken on systemic change in the field. He also studies Somaterapia, a somatic group therapy approach in Brazil, and has a background in community psychology and neuroscience research at NYU, Columbia, and the University of Washington.

Daan Keiman, MA

Daan is a psychedelic and Buddhist chaplain with a private practice, blending contemplative practices, (neuro)anthropology, cognitive science, and existential therapy. With extensive experience as a facilitator and curriculum developer for psychedelic training programs, Daan promotes a multidimensional approach to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and advocates for community-based care models.