Everything You Need to Know About Foundations

Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy is a comprehensive, fully online educational program offered in small, supportive cohorts. Spanning 13 months, this program includes recorded expert-led modules, guided peer interactions, and live sessions with specialists. It equips mental health professionals with the essential theoretical knowledge needed to understand, contextualize, and integrate psychedelic-assisted therapy within a clinical framework.

Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy is organized by the OPEN Foundation. 

The OPEN Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit organization (ANBI) and a registered charity with the Dutch tax authorities. Unlike commercial training providers, our mission is not profit-driven. Every educational program we offer is designed to advance the field of psychedelic therapy responsibly, with a focus on accessibility and ethical integrity.

As a small nonprofit, we carefully invest our resources to maintain the quality, safety, and depth of our training. This commitment to ethics and public benefit is what sets OPEN apart from many commercial operators in this field.

Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy is ideal for mental health professionals who want to build a strong theoretical grounding in psychedelic-assisted therapy within a safe, structured, and supportive environment.

This in-depth, fully online program runs over the course of one year in small, interactive cohorts. It combines recorded expert-led modules, guided peer interactions, and live sessions with specialists to create a rich, collaborative learning experience. Accessible from anywhere in the world, it is designed to help you understand, contextualize, and integrate psychedelic-assisted therapy within a clinical framework.

This program is a good fit if you are open-minded, curious, reflective, and committed to professional development and meaningful collaboration with peers.

For those interested in advancing further, successful completion of Foundations also counts as partial accreditation toward ADEPT: Advanced Education in Psychedelic Therapy, offered by the OPEN Foundation. 

Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy is designed as a blended learning experience that combines flexibility with structured engagement. The core components include:

• Pre-recorded video lectures: Expert-led sessions covering key concepts, delivered in an accessible and self-paced format.

• Facilitated tutor groups: Small, peer-oriented discussion groups led by experienced tutors to deepen understanding and foster collaborative learning.

• Live Q&A sessions: Regular interactive calls with faculty, providing opportunities to clarify content, explore case studies, and engage in real-time dialogue.

• Self-study: Guided readings and reflection exercises to reinforce learning and support personal integration of the material.

• Extensive digital library: Ongoing access to a rich archive of relevant recorded content, including talks, panels, and past lectures from leading voices in the field.

This multi-modal structure supports diverse learning styles, allowing participants to engage deeply with both theoretical knowledge and practical perspectives in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

In this program, participants develop a comprehensive understanding of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), spanning its historical, cultural, scientific, ethical, and clinical dimensions. 

Students explore the long and diverse history of human psychedelic use, engage with critical perspectives on colonization and cultural appropriation, and reflect on how to practice with cultural humility and inclusivity. They deepen their knowledge of the neuropharmacology and therapeutic mechanisms of action, focusing on different psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, and LSD. There is a strong emphasis on learning to critically assess scientific research and integrate its insights into clinical care. 

Throughout the educational program, participants build core competencies essential for safe, ethical, and effective PAT, addressing theory, practice, and ethics in a cyclical model that supports personal growth, professional development, and meaningful integration into their therapeutic work.

Our faculty consists of prominent experts in psychedelic-assisted therapy, clinical research, ethics, and education. We have chosen each instructor for their extensive experience, diverse skill sets, and dedication to promoting safe and effective practices. Over the course of their careers, they have demonstrated integrity, professionalism, and deep therapeutic insight. 

You can explore the list of faculty members and their backgrounds [here].

While many existing programs focus exclusively on a single substance, such as psilocybin or ketamine, Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy takes a broader and more integrative approach. Our curriculum engages with the full spectrum of psychedelic compounds and emphasises a trans-drug framework for psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) delivery.

Participants will explore the foundational principles of PAT that apply across substances, with particular attention given to psilocybin, MDMA, (es)ketamine, and LSD. These substances are examined in greater depth through clinical, pharmacological, and therapeutic lenses. Other compounds, including ayahuasca and iboga, are also included to support a more comprehensive understanding of the field.

The full teaching calendar for the November 2025 Foundations cohort is available here. 

This includes all key dates for modules and live sessions, so you can plan your participation with ease. 

No. Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy is conducted entirely online, allowing you to join the program from anywhere in the world without the need to travel.

Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy is delivered entirely in English. 

A high level of English proficiency is essential for fully engaging with the course materials, participating in discussions, and communicating effectively with both peers and instructors.

Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy is delivered through a combination of user-friendly digital platforms to enhance the learning experience:

• Moodle: Our primary learning management system, where participants can access pre-recorded lectures, reading materials, assignments, and other essential content.
• Zoom: Used for all live sessions, including Q&As, guest faculty talks, and tutor group meetings.
• Circle: An online community space designed to foster connection, discussion, and peer support throughout the course.

These platforms work together to create a seamless and engaging learning environment, allowing participants to access course content, connect with peers, and interact with faculty from anywhere in the world.

All recorded lectures are designed to be as accessible and user-friendly as possible. Each video includes:

• English captions to support comprehension and accessibility.
• Full transcripts to read or review content in text form.
• An accessible video player that allows participants to adjust playback speed, skip ahead, or revisit key moments easily.

These features ensure that Foundations students can engage with the material in the way that best suits their learning style and needs.

The OPEN Foundation is committed to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity. 

If you have a specific concern, please get in touch with us at foundations@open-foundation.org, and we will discuss how we can meet your requirements.

Foundations of Psychedelic Therapy tackles cultural appropriation by critically examining the historical and ongoing impacts of colonialism, imperialism, and racism in relation to psychedelic use and research. 

Students will explore how Indigenous knowledge systems have often been marginalized or extracted without consent, and how this history continues to influence contemporary practices in psychedelic therapy. 

Additionally, participants are introduced to decolonial approaches that emphasize cultural humility, reciprocity, and ethical engagement. Instead of romanticizing or merely replicating Indigenous practices, Foundations encourages participants to reflect on their position and consider what psychedelics mean for practitioners from WEIRD countries (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies). 

This foundational approach aims to ensure that the practice of psychedelic therapy is not only clinically sound but also socially and culturally responsible.

Foundations and ADEPT  are complementary programs offered by the OPEN Foundation, each serving a distinct purpose in the professional development of mental health practitioners interested in psychedelic-assisted therapy. 

While Foundations focuses on providing the essential theoretical knowledge, best practices, and evidence-based frameworks, ADEPT builds on top of it by offering advanced clinical skill development and experiential learning.