Association President: Psychedelics Emerging, but Obstacles to Mainstream Model Remain

The inaugural Sana Symposium, a 3-day virtual event on the successful practice of psychedelic therapies that will bring together practitioners in psychiatry, psychotherapy, and addiction treatment, kicks off on Friday, September 17, 2021 with the first session beginning at 9:50 AM.

The meeting will include a pair of presentations from Lynn Marie Morski, MD, JD, the president of the Psychedelic Medicine Association:

• Your Questions Answered: Legal and Ethical Considerations for Administering Psychedelic Therapy
• Incorporating Psychedelic Therapies into the Mainstream Medical Model

Dr. Morski will also be participating in a small-group Table Talk session on how to discuss psychedelics with patients.

Ahead of the Sana Symposium, Psych Congress Network caught up with Dr. Morski for some quick thoughts on some of the topics she’ll be covering this weekend.

Question: What do you consider to be the biggest obstacles to psychedelics being incorporated into the mainstream medical model currently?

Answer: The biggest challenges include a lack of provider knowledge about psychedelic therapies and comfort in discussing those modalities with patients, as well as a lack of accessibility as insurance currently does not cover most psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Q: As these challenges are addressed, where do you see the greatest potential for psychedelic therapies to start being incorporated within mental healthcare and primary care in the coming years?

A: I see the initial potential in primary care providers being able to refer patients to psychedelic-assisted therapists for mental health conditions like PTSD and depression, but in the coming years, I look forward to the physical health applications of psychedelics that are currently being investigated, such as for stroke recovery and other neurologic conditions.

Q: What are the next steps for getting psychedelic therapies incorporated into more areas of the mainstream medical model?

A: The Psychedelic Medicine Association is focused on what I think is the next step, which is to educate healthcare providers on these important medicines. But also as important is that standards need to be developed for psychedelic therapists and facilitators so that referring clinicians can feel secure in knowing they are sending patients to qualified practitioners.

Registration for the conference and more information about pricing and agenda details are available at sanasymposium.com.