Touched by Psychedelic Therapy: Training to Offer Ethical Touch and Somatic Interventions
Helena Aicher, PhD (ADEPT Lead Facilitator)
Pat Song, PhD (ADEPT Trainer)
Daan Keiman, MA (ADEPT Educational Lead)
Thursday, 23 April 2026, 8PM CEST (6PM GMT, 2PM ET, 11AM PT)
Free, Online via Zoom
In psychedelic-assisted therapy, touch is one of the most sensitive and complex elements of the therapeutic process. While non-ordinary states can heighten emotional openness, bodily awareness, and relational depth, they can also engender deep vulnerability, induce regression, and amplify transferences. In this context, touch is never neutral. It can support grounding, safety, and repair, or it can create confusion and cause boundary violations and harm if not approached with clarity and skill.
So how can aspiring psychedelic-assisted therapists understand when touch may be supportive, and when it may interfere? What ethical frameworks and clinical judgment are required to navigate this terrain responsibly? And how can practitioners work with the body in ways that respect autonomy, consent, and the integrity of the therapeutic relationship?
Working with touch in psychedelic-assisted therapy requires specific training and a deep understanding of power dynamics, attachment, trauma, and somatic processes. Without this foundation, even well-intentioned interventions can have unintended consequences.
Touch in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
In this free online event, ADEPT Lead Facilitator Helena Aicher, ADEPT Trainer Pat Song, and ADEPT Educational Lead Daan Keiman explore the role of touch in psychedelic-assisted therapy and the considerations it demands. Drawing on clinical, somatic, and ethical perspectives, they examine how touch can be used responsibly in therapeutic contexts and identify its risks.
The conversation moves beyond simplistic debates of “allowed vs. not allowed” to engage with the nuances: differentiating types of touch, understanding when touch may support regulation or integration, and recognizing when it may disrupt the therapeutic process. They will also address questions of consent, cultural context, professional boundaries, and the importance of clear frameworks in both clinical and non-clinical settings.
Join us for a thoughtful and grounded discussion on one of the most debated topics in psychedelic therapy, and gain a clearer understanding of what it means to work with touch safely, ethically, and effectively.
Training to Work with Touch in ADEPT
ADEPT: Advanced Education in Psychedelic Therapy is the 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, working with touch is approached with care, nuance, and responsibility. It is treated as a relational and ethical dimension of therapeutic work that must be understood in context. So students learn to navigate boundaries, assess appropriateness, and integrate somatic awareness into their practice without compromising safety or professionalism.
The programme includes five in-person training days and three structured experiential practicums. Through these, participants engage directly with non-ordinary states of consciousness in professionally held settings, developing an embodied understanding of vulnerability, regulation, and relational dynamics. Over time, they step into facilitation roles, supported by supervision and mentorship, ensuring that any engagement with touch remains clinically grounded and ethically sound.
Get Your ADEPT Perks
As a thank-you for joining the event, you can waive the registration fee (€80) when you sign up for the next ADEPT cohort starting in September 2026!
Plus, if you enroll and sign your ADEPT student contract before April 1st will receive a complimentary Regular ticket to ICPR, the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research.
Sign Up for Free
Use the form below in order to attend the event.
Meet the Speakers
Helena Aicher, PhD
Clinical psychologist and postdoctoral researcher at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zürich. She is involved in multiple trials with DMT, harmine, and 5MeO-DMT. She also works as a psychotherapist, including the limited medical use of psychedelics. Helena bridges science and practice, contributing to the development and implementation of psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is also affiliated with the University of Basel and the Swiss Medical Association for Psychedelic Therapy (SÄPT).
Pat song, PhD
Pat Song is a clinical psychologist with a PhD from the University of Massachusetts-Boston and an M.Ed. in counseling psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has over 25 years of professional experience in a range of settings, including a Harvard cocaine addiction treatment research project, clinical training at a Harvard Medical School public health teaching hospital, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Dr. Song is an active member of the Asian Psychedelic Collective. She has a private psychotherapy practice in Montpelier, Vermont, and provides education about psychedelic-assisted therapy and working with erotic transference and countertransference across the US. She is currently conducting research interviews with practitioners and participants about their experiences of erotic feelings in psychedelic settings.
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.
