NEW YORK, June 21, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In recent weeks, headlines about groundbreaking research on psychedelic-assisted therapy have given way to news that more states and jurisdictions are embracing the science and increasing legal access to psychedelics. As substances like ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA continue to grow in legitimacy, they are bringing with them increased demand for integration therapy, as more people seek resources to help them plan, prepare for, and process their psychedelic experiences. As a result, clinicians have a remarkable opportunity to help more clients seeking alternatives to traditional mental health treatment—underscoring the need for a renewed commitment in the field of psychedelic medicine to evidence-based treatments informed by reliable data.
With that objective in mind, Fluence is launching a survey study to learn more about psychedelic integration therapists, their clients, and the mental health outcomes associated with their care. With the support of Osmind, participating clinicians will be able to quickly and easily contribute research that will help shape the future of psychedelic integration therapy.
Integration therapy involves work with clients before, during, and/or after a psychedelic experience. Because patients seek integration care for many different reasons, it can be difficult to standardize treatment protocols. Researchers say the study will give them a better sense of why patients turn to psychedelic integration therapy and how practitioners can best serve their varying needs.
"Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration is addressing a major unmet need in the community, but very little empirical research has been conducted on the subject," says Dr. Ingmar Gorman, Principal Investigator of the study and Fluence co-founder. "Our study collaborating with Osmind will allow us to better understand how psychedelic integration is practiced by therapists and how their clients are affected by this approach.
Surveys will be completed digitally using Osmind's platform, which automatically de-identifies all data and records, ensuring privacy remains protected in accordance with HIPAA. Clinicians and their clients who participate in the study will receive free access to Osmind's research platform in order to track outcomes and improve engagement.
"At Osmind, we have made a pledge to promote research and improve access to innovative mental health treatments," said Dr. Alison McInnes, VP of Medical Affairs at Osmind. "Our software is enabling mental health providers around the country to give the best possible evidence-based care to their patients. We are excited to further enable providers to contribute to research while streamlining their practice."
Recent research and policy changes have brought psychedelics further toward mainstream acceptance, but most psychedelic use still takes place outside of clinical research settings. The study will also seek to gain a better understanding of how psychedelic use in non-medical settings is driving the current demand for integration therapy. After completion, the results of the study will be made available through publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
The study will be the first in a series of collaborative projects in the partnership between Fluence and Osmind, which aims to bring better training and technology to clinicians as psychedelic medicine is integrated into mainstream mental healthcare.
About the Study
Participation in the study is simple and requires only a minor commitment:
For therapists:
- Complete a demographics form and answer questions regarding their practice of psychedelic integration
- Survey takes approximately 5 minutes and only needs to be completed once
- May withdraw from the study at any time
For patients:
- Clinicians ask patients if they're interested in participating
- Patients complete a demographics form and answer questions regarding their experience in psychedelic integration
- Initial survey takes approximately 20 minutes; after each psychotherapy session, patients will be asked to complete an approximately 15-minute survey
- Patients may withdraw from the study at any time
To initiate participation in the study, please register here. Clinicians will be prompted to sign up to attend a live webinar hosted by Fluence and Osmind. The webinars will cover further details on the methods of the research and a tutorial on the Osmind software. The webinars are taking place on:
- Wednesday, September 15 at 9:00 am PT/12:00 pm ET
- Thursday, September 23 at 3:00 pm PT/6:00 pm ET
About Fluence
Fluence is an expertise-driven educational platform that provides professional certification and training in psychedelic therapy and psychedelic integration for psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, and other healthcare practitioners. Fluence's mission is to give healthcare providers the clinical skills and knowledge to provide effective, compassionate, evidence-based psychedelic therapy and integration services to patients through interactive online and in-person training.
About Osmind
Used by hundreds of clinics in 38 states around the country, Osmind is the leading software solution designed for innovative mental health practitioners to track outcomes, streamline workflows, and increase client engagement for evidence-based practices. Osmind's goal is to maximize patient access to innovative mental health treatments by empowering clinicians and researchers with tools to improve outcomes and advance scientific research.
Media Contact
Brad Burge, Fluence, +1 (650) 863-6887, [email protected]
SOURCE Fluence
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