Psychedelic Therapy – A Consensus-Based Framework for Education

Ivar W. Goksøyr, co-founder of Psykologvirke, psychologist and researcher at Innovative Treatment Research, Østfold Hospital, has contributed as co-author to a recently published peer-reviewed article on training requirements in psychedelic therapy:"A model training curriculum for psychedelic, psycholytic, and entactogen-assisted psychotherapy"The article is published in the renowned journal Journal of Psychopharmacology:

Passie, T., Loizaga-Velder, A., Danforth, A., Goksøyr, IW, et al., (2025). A model training curriculum for psychedelic, psycholytic, and entactogen-assisted psychotherapy. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 0(0).
DOI: 10.1177/02698811241282759

This publication presents an international consensus on a framework for training therapists in psychedelic, psycholytic and MDMA-assisted therapy. It has been developed by clinicians, researchers and educators from Europe and North America. Psikologvirke is proud and grateful to have been invited to participate in this important work. 

Special thanks go to first author Torsten Passie and all the other talented co-authors who have contributed.

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Psychedelic Therapy: Why This Is Important

As psychedelic therapy is now available as a treatment in several countries – including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Israel, Canada, and a handful of US states – the need for qualified healthcare professionals with solid training in these methods is increasing. The article offers a flexible and research-based training course that can be adapted to different cultures and clinical settings.

Psychedelic therapy – Three forms of therapy are covered in the model:

🔹 Psycholytic therapy – low-dose sessions integrated into long-term psychotherapy
🔹 Psychedelic therapy – high-dose sessions aimed at deep, often transformation-focused experiences, with thorough preparation and integration.
🔹 MDMA-assisted therapy – moderate doses of MDMA as an integral part of structured therapy courses.

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Main components of traininggsmodel

📘 Theoretical part: Ethics, pharmacology, trauma-informed practice, cultural understanding, clinical models
🎓 Experience-based part: Observation, guided practice and (voluntary, but recommended) personal experience with altered states of consciousness

The model emphasizes inner grounding, personal integrity, and clinical skill as a foundation for addressing the complex and powerful field of psychedelic therapy.

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How Psykologvirke contributes to psychotherapeutic treatment with Psilocybin, Ketamine and MDMA

At Psykologvirke, we are actively involved in realizing the vision outlined in this article through several concrete measures:

🔹 We offer an online training course in MDMA-assisted therapy focused on video excerpts of a real therapy process
🔹 We participate as educators in MAPS' official training program in MDMA-assisted therapy
🔹 We are developing a research study on MDMA-assisted therapy as an integral part of a development program for therapists – focusing on both personal and professional growth
🔹 We offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy as part of our clinical work

🔹 We are involved in building a professional and academic environment for psychedelic therapy in Norway. We are assisting in the development of a curriculum in psychedelic science at the University of Innlandet.
🔹 We give lectures and teach nationally and internationally about psychedelic therapy, including ketamine-assisted therapy and MDMA-assisted therapy.

🔹 We have recorded a podcast with Bessel van der Kolk on MDMA-assisted therapy which has tens of thousands of plays.

In addition, we have monthly, consciousness-changing breathwork for our staff group and an offer of breathwork in combination with group conversations for our clients.

We believe in a responsible and ethically grounded development of this field – with integrity, professionalism and respect for the therapeutic depth this work can provide. The fact that psychedelic therapy can reach deeper into the psyche, faster is both the talent and the projection of the modality.

For us, it is crucial to contribute to more knowledge about how such treatment can be offered in a safe and effective way. And to reduce the distance between the research front and clinical practice – so that all those who are still stuck in suffering can have new chances for recovery.

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A relevant contribution to the field psychedelic-assisted therapy

This publication marks a step in the professionalization of psychedelic therapy. It is an honor to be part of the journey – both through this work and through what we do every day in clinic, research, and teaching.

The primary source for the article can be found here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811241282759