About The Course
Explore how psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is moving from research into carefully governed practice. Led by Dr Jonathan Laugharne, this on-demand course examines MDMA and psilocybin, their proposed mechanisms, current evidence, patient selection, Australian regulation, and the preparation, dosing and integration model. It also reviews MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, helping clinicians approach this emerging area of psychiatric care with a balanced understanding of its opportunities, limitations and practical realities in contemporary care.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is suitable for:
- Psychiatrists
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (MHNPs)
- Psychologists
- Mental health professionals
- Clinicians working in or expanding into psychiatry and mental health care
Accreditation Information:
- Psychiatry Accreditation: This course is available for self-accreditation with the RANZCP and other relevant psychiatric and mental health organisations.
- GP Accreditation: This course is available for self-accreditation with RACGP for general practitioners.
- On completion of this course, participants will receive a course completion certificate and 1.5 CPD hours.
What You'll Learn
Dr Laugharne will provide practical guidance on:
- The core principles of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
- MDMA and psilocybin: science, neuroscience and mechanisms
- Research evidence and clinical outcomes
- The legal and regulatory framework in Australia
- Practical insights into real-world treatment delivery
- The patient experience and the experiential dimension of therapy
Course Programme
5 Modules | Evidence-Informed Clinical Update | 1.5 hours total length
- Defining psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and its place in psychiatric care
- Historical and contemporary development of psychedelic therapies
- Classic psychedelics, entactogens and dissociative agents
- The psychedelic experience and its potential therapeutic relevance
- Accessing emotions, memories and beliefs through altered states of consciousness
- Pharmacological differences between MDMA and psilocybin
- MDMA effects on fear processing, social connection and self-compassion
- Psilocybin, 5-HT2A receptor activity and the default mode network
- Neuroplasticity and the therapeutic integration window
- Clinical distinctions and areas of overlap between MDMA and psilocybin
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: research evidence and clinical outcomes
- Psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression
- Treatment response, diagnostic change, functional outcomes and dropout rates
- Translating clinical trial findings into real-world psychiatric practice
- Long-term clinic outcomes and an illustrative patient case
- The TGA Authorised Prescriber pathway for MDMA and psilocybin
- Prescriber, therapist, protocol and facility requirements
- Patient screening, eligibility and previous treatment requirements
- Psychiatric and medical contraindications, including psychosis, mania and cardiovascular risk
- Medication review, clinical risk management and supportive network requirements
- Clinical governance, team communication and practical access considerations
- The three-phase model: preparation, dosing and integration
- Set, setting, therapeutic alliance and the therapist dyad
- Clinical checks, monitoring and safety during the dosing session
- Intentions, grounding, music and non-directive therapeutic support
- Consent, therapeutic touch and support during challenging experiences
- Integration, creative expression and embedding psychological and behavioural change
- An experiential demonstration of the dosing environment
- Clinician Q&A on indications, contraindications, governance and referral pathways
Course Description
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: Principles, Practice and Clinical Realities
This on-demand course, led by Dr Jonathan Laugharne, provides a clinically grounded introduction to psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Designed for psychiatrists, GPs, mental health nurse practitioners, psychologists and other mental health professionals, it examines how MDMA and psilocybin are incorporated into structured psychotherapy, with attention to evidence, safety, patient selection, clinical governance and the boundaries of current practice.
Principles, Neuroscience and Clinical Evidence
The course begins with core principles and the historical development of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy before comparing MDMA and psilocybin. Dr Laugharne explains their differing pharmacology and how they may influence fear processing, emotional access, self-compassion, network connectivity and neuroplasticity. Clinical trial findings and real-world outcomes are considered in relation to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD and psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression, with the latter discussed specifically in treatment-resistant depression. The presentation also distinguishes promising findings from the limitations and complexities of translating research into routine clinical care.
Regulation and Clinical Application
Participants are guided through the Australian framework governing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, including the TGA Authorised Prescriber pathway, HREC-endorsed protocols, therapist and facility requirements, and secure medicine handling. The course also considers previous treatment requirements, medical and psychiatric contraindications, medication review, supportive networks, multidisciplinary communication and the responsibilities carried by the authorised psychiatrist.
Treatment Delivery and Patient Experience
The clinical model of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is explored across preparation, dosing and integration. A practical demonstration illustrates set and setting, clinical checks, the therapist dyad, grounding, music, consent for therapeutic touch and non-directive support during a dosing session. Participants also gain insight into the patient experience and the role of integration in supporting psychological and behavioural change after treatment.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the core principles of this therapeutic approach.
- Compare the pharmacology, neuroscience and therapeutic mechanisms of MDMA and psilocybin.
- Review the evidence for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.
- Summarise the evidence for psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression, particularly treatment-resistant depression.
- Outline the Australian legal and regulatory framework and key patient-selection considerations.
- Describe the preparation, dosing and integration phases, including the experiential dimensions of treatment.
This course provides an evidence-informed overview of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, helping clinicians understand the science, evidence, regulatory safeguards and practical realities of an emerging area of psychiatric care.
Related Courses:
- PTSD and Complex PTSD: Advanced Clinical Training – To build on the trauma-focused learning in this on-demand course, clinicians may find this curriculum valuable for strengthening their understanding of PTSD and C-PTSD diagnosis, neurobiology, clinical staging, comorbidities, and psychological and pharmacological management.
- Intranasal Esketamine in the Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression – Clinicians interested in the treatment-resistant depression component may find this course particularly relevant. It provides a deeper exploration of neurobiological mechanisms, clinical evidence, patient selection, contraindications, administration, monitoring and longer-term treatment planning for esketamine.
- Unlocking the Power of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Insights and Principles in Clinical Practice – To extend the psychotherapy-focused learning in this webinar, clinicians may find this course useful for strengthening their understanding of patient suitability, therapeutic dynamics, treatment risks, supervision and the practical considerations involved in providing psychotherapy.
While our Academy members enjoy exclusive access to a range of courses and webinars (including this course) with their annual membership, we’re pleased to offer you the opportunity to purchase this course individually!
Please click on the respective links to take advantage of this offer.
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy For Psychiatrists
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy For General Practitioners
This on-demand course, Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: Principles, Practice and Clinical Realities with Dr Jonathan Laugharne, is offered in both video and audio formats. Participants receive a completion certificate and 1.5 CPD hours upon completion.
Develop a clinically grounded understanding of MDMA, psilocybin, evidence, regulation and treatment delivery, including psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression, to inform clinical discussions about this emerging field in contemporary psychiatric care.
Course Information
- 1.5 hours
- 1.5 CPD
Inclusions
- Over 1 Hour of Video Learning
- Practical Demonstration of a Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Setting
- Clinician Q&A
- Course Completion Certificate
Material Downloads
- certificate
Instructors
Dr Jonathan Laugharne Guest speaker: Medical Director and Psychiatrist, Empax Centre | Authorised Prescriber of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Dr Jonathan Laugharne is a Psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience in mental health across the UK, USA, and Australia. A Fellow of both the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) and the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, he has a strong clinical and research focus on trauma and post-traumatic stress.
Dr Laugharne has extensive experience in trauma-informed therapies, including EMDR, Trauma-Focused CBT, and Schema Therapy, and is an Authorised Prescriber of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. As Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UWA, he co-led the Post-Traumatic Stress Research Clinic at Fremantle Hospital before co-founding Pax Centre to expand treatment options for individuals affected by trauma.
He is passionate about innovative care and continues to explore new approaches to improve patient outcomes. In recent years, Dr Laugharne has turned his clinical and research focus to psychedelic-assisted therapies and is currently the Medical Director of the Empax Centre clinic group.
Dr. Sanil Rege Host - MBBS, MRCPsych, FRANZCP
With extensive teaching experience through psychiatry education initiatives, Sanil is recognised as a motivational training facilitator and educator who promotes insightful collaboration and discussion
As the Academic Lead of Psych Scene and Chief Editor of Psych Scene Hub, he aspires to make a difference in mental health by empowering Healthcare Professionals to advance their skills and career through the provision of specialised education and training
Sanil is also founder of Vita Healthcare, a private clinic in Mount Eliza specialising in adult mental healthcare, with over 20 years of clinical experience and 13 years of private practice experience treating disorders across the spectrum. He currently works in the community, across in-patient, consultation-liaison and addiction psychiatry spaces.
