Alberta psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy framework

Domain VII · Transpersonal, psychedelic & altered states · 2022 · Alberta, Canada

What it is

This is a provincial regulatory framework, not a therapy model. It does not prescribe a psychotherapy method. It sets who may provide psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric disorders in Alberta, under what licence, oversight and safety conditions, and how incidents and complaints are…

Format

• Client pathway (phase / goal / format / criterion to move on)
• Referral. Goal: the right clients enter through a physician. Format: in the CPSA draft, referral by the client's most responsible physician, who must not be affiliated with the facility, with a documented attestation that a psychiatric support programme has assessed the client for support before…

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• The framework has two layers: the service (licence, facility, staffing) and the client pathway (referral, assessment, consent, preparation, drug session, integration, follow-up). The government Standards and the CPSA accreditation standards set requirements but do not fix session counts.
• Licence. The provider applies to Alberta Mental Health and Addiction using the licensing form. The ministry can amend, suspend or cancel a licence, and decisions can be appealed to the Appeals Secretariat. Required policies cover safety and security, staff qualifications and training, records, and facilities.
• Accreditation. The facility registers with CPSA and must be assessed and accredited before it provides PAPT.

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Pre-screening and initial assessment. Goal: decide eligibility and exclude unsafe candidates. Format: a pre-screening form, inclusion and exclusion criteria with absolute and relative rejection criteria, then a full documented initial assessment; virtual assessment is allowed only under its own…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• clients who are reluctant to complain about staff they depend on.
• distress or a slide into unregulated use if access is refused (see 4.17).
• vague or magical goals. Working when: the plan names concrete targets and follow-up points.
• support people who are unsafe or controlling. Working when: a named, willing person is in place.
• staff imposing a spiritual interpretation. Working when: the client feels their framework is respected.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.