Psychedelic Assisted EMDR Therapy Go With That Magazine® Issue
We invited several authors to write about the intersection of EMDR therapy and psychedelics in the Fall 2025 Go With That Magazine® issue. Katja Cahoon’s article is highlighted here. EMDRIA members can access all other articles and issues at the Go With That Magazine® homepage.
EMDR and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A Match Made in Heaven?
“Boosted by books such as Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind (2019), podcast hosts and celebrities sharing their experiences, and politicians from both sides of the aisle advocating for greater access, psychedelic therapy is growing in popularity.
Currently, the only legal psychedelic in the United States (and many other countries) is ketamine. A growing number of for-profit and nonprofit organizations are conducting research into MDMA, psilocybin, 5-MeO-DMT, and other psychedelics.
Those psychedelics are also being used therapeutically and ceremonially in so-called underground settings. For instance, MDMA being used to treat PTSD is underground therapy (unless conducted within a research trial). Traveling to South America to participate in a shaman-led ingestion of ayahuasca represents ceremonial use. Recreational use might occur in settings such as music festivals or parties.
You might be wondering: Why does this concern me? Even if you have no interest in becoming trained in ketamine or other psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, you might increasingly encounter clients who are interested in these modalities, are seeking legal options, or have participated in underground therapy. Your clients may ask for guidance or bring experiences from their psychedelic journeys—both beneficial and challenging— for reprocessing.
Moreover, the United States and many other countries continue to face a mental health crisis. For example, considering PTSD, nonresponse rates are high (25–50 percent) (Davis et al., 2021), and approved therapeutic approaches and psychopharmacology often fall short (Fremont et al., 2023). Clearly, more options are needed, and psychedelics show promise (Davis et al., 2021).
While reporting on psychedelic therapy has been largely positive, critical concerns have emerged. For instance, the death of actor Matthew Perry, which involved ketamine, has raised questions (Kellermann, 2023; Hunt, 2024). Additional concerns include enduring adverse experiences (Evans et al., 2023), reports of sexual abuse in research and other settings (Cahoon, 2022), and more.
Work also remains to be done to make psychedelic therapy more inclusive and accessible, particularly for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, (LGBTQIA+), and other marginalized clients. The 1970s War on Drugs disproportionately impacted people of color, perpetuating stigma. People of color are underrepresented in psychedelic research. Coupled with the high cost of psychedelic therapy, accessibility can be particularly challenging (Rojas, 2024). BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ therapists are already underrepresented, a problem even more pronounced in psychedelic therapy. Research by Rojas (2024) highlights that “whiteness in the room” can be problematic. However, openness to discussions about race, racism, social justice, and related topics can help BIPOC and other clients feel more seen, safe, and included.
This article provides general information about psychedelic therapy, its benefits, and risks. It aims to demonstrate that EMDR can help clients prepare for and process experiences from non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC). As a result, clinicians who are not trained in psychedelic therapy will be better equipped to have informed discussions with their clients.”
This issue also includes the following articles:
- Holding the Infant and the Infinite: Interweaving Attachment-Informed and Transpersonal Frameworks into Psychedelic-Assisted EMDR Therapy – by Jocelyn Rose and Katharine Brayne
- Fixing “Bad Trips”? Exploring EMDR as a Psychedelic Safety Net – by Hannah Raine-Smith
- Top 10 Things EMDR Therapists Need to Know When Working with EMDR and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy – by Janet Bayramyan
- Ethical Considerations for Combining Low Dose Psychedelics and EMDR – by Gail Neves
- Community Voices: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
- Counselor’s Corner: Resources for Emotion in the Body
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Additional Resources
If you are a therapist interested in the EMDR training:
- Learn more about EMDR therapy at the EMDRIA™ Library
- Learn more about EMDR Training
- Search for an EMDR Training Provider
- Check out our EMDR Training FAQ
If you are EMDR trained:
- Check out the EMDRIA™ Let’s Talk EMDR Podcast
- Check out the EMDRIA™ Focal Point Blog
- Learn more about EMDRIA™ membership
- Search for EMDR Continuing Education opportunities
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