University of Chicago professor Kevin Barrett, LCSW and Willow & Leaf founder Jordan Dobrowski, LCSW, CPATP will present on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy at the Crown School of Social Work.

After a two-decade moratorium on psychedelic research in the United States, new studies on psychedelic assisted psychotherapy have shown promising results in the treatment of psychiatric disorders and the betterment of well people. In the past three years, numerous cities have voted to decriminalize some psychedelics, and the state of Oregon is working on a legal framework for psilocybin therapy centers which will open in 2023.

Psychedelic use is becoming more common and many of our clients have had or will have a psychedelic experience. Whether or not one has interest in the potential use of these medications as a catalyst for the psychotherapy process, being familiar with and having a framework for psychedelic experience will help us make meaning of these experiences with our clients.

This workshop will briefly cover the history of the use of psychedelics in mental health treatment, some psychological and neuroscientific theories around how these treatments work, and a look at what mental health professionals need to know about the current research. In the afternoon, we will take a more focused look at Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, which is currently the only legal psychedelic treatment available in Illinois.

At the conclusion of this workshop participants will be able to:

1. Describe psychedelic assisted psychotherapy in contrast to other psychopharmacological treatments.
2. Describe the history of psychedelic use in mental health treatment.
3. Explain how psychedelics are currently being used in research studies to treat various mental health disorders.
4. Compare multiple theories of therapeutic action in psychedelic research.
5. Understand current models of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

The Professional Development Program at The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice is a licensed State of Illinois provider of continuing education (CE) for social workers, clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors. License numbers: 159.000140; 168.000115; 268.000004.

It is recommended that professionals review rules for their licensing board prior to registering to ensure that the content meets their renewal, and/or reciprocity, requirements.