Sana Symposium Recap: New Treatment Potential and Future Possibilities of Psychedelics

This weekend’s 3-day Inaugural Sana Symposium guided virtual attendees through the preparation, journey, and integration of psychedelic therapies. The goal of this year’s symposium was to “discover new treatment potential and find hope in the future possibilities of care.”

The sessions kicked off with a brief history of psychedelics presented by Sana Symposium co-chairs Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP, University of California School of Nursing, San Francisco, California, and Charles L Raison, MD, University of Wisconsin-Madison. They led attendees through history starting with a review of indigenous origins of psychedelic use up to the current research into ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin.

Attendees watched experts discuss the clinical implications of the current and future landscape of psychedelics in mental health treatment. Below are some highlights from each day of the symposium.

Day 1: Preparation

• Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, head of Psychedelic Research, Center for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, England, explained that the “pivotal mental state,” is made possible by the hyperplasticity of the brain. This is where one pivots from “wellness” or to “illness” when undergoing adaptive pressure or in a psychedelic state. Read more about that session here.

Day 2: Journey

• Rosalind Watts, PhD, Clinical Director, Synthesis Institute, London, England, discussed the therapeutic relationship in psilocybin treatment for depression. She focused on 5 the lessons learned through her experiences in the field regarding this treatment that apply to clinicians in the field.
  1. “Connectedness is key”

  2. “It’s not a brain reset”

  3. “Beautiful, boring boundaries”
  4. “Psychedelics can have side effects”

  5. “We need to create the container”

Read more about the session here.

Day 3: Integration

• Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, explored the current intersection between mental health and psychedelics as it pertains to clinician and patient interactions. She also reviewed the options and resources clinicians can utilize to be prepared and best address continuing care with patients. Read more about the session here.

To round out the weekend, Penn and Raison reflected on lessons learned, the next steps in psychotherapy, and how the topics discussed this weekend will impact clinical practice. The pair discussed the emerging tensions between the different perspective on psychedelic use and ways clinicians can prepare for the appropriate use of psychedelic medicine.

Sana Symposium will be taking place again online October 13-15, 2022. To stay up to date on next year’s virtual meeting check sanasymposium.com for the latest updates.

More news and insights from this weekend can be found on an ongoing basis in the Sana Symposium newsroom.