{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T21:28:39Z","timestamp":1791494919745,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,29]],"date-time":"2024-08-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1724889600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000024","name":"Canadian Institutes of Health Research","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["164674"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["164674"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000024","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004489","name":"Mitacs","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["IT34808"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IT34808"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004489","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Numinus Wellness Inc."}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This study explores therapists\u2019 perspectives on experiential learning, competencies, and training in ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT), a form of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). We aim to understand how therapists\u2019 personal psychedelic experiences influence their self-perceived competency and therapeutic relationships regarding KAT.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Licensed therapists from Numinus Wellness clinics in Canada and the USA who were trained in KAT were invited to participate in the study. Participation included a 60\u201390-minute semi-structured interview conducted remotely via secure videoconferencing. The interviews focused on the professional and personal impacts of providing KAT, its mechanisms, and the role of therapists\u2019 personal psychedelic experiences in delivering KAT. Data analysis utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and a mix of deductive and inductive coding with Nvivo software.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Eight therapists (62.5% female, 37.5% male) were interviewed. All had formal training in KAT, with many also trained in other forms of PAT. All respondents endorsed the value of personal psychedelic experience for deepening understanding of clients\u2019 experiences and strengthening the therapeutic alliance. They all also expressed a desire for formal experiential training in KAT, which they viewed as a missing element in their training. Additional themes identified included the importance of relational safety and the therapeutic container, KAT\u2019s impact on professional development, competency, and purpose, and navigating risks and challenges in KAT, particularly with complex trauma clients.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Our findings highlight the need for enhanced therapist training and evidence-based standardization of PAT programs that incorporate experiential learning. Such training has the potential to optimize safety and therapeutic outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0306381","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,29]],"date-time":"2024-08-29T19:12:52Z","timestamp":1724958772000},"page":"e0306381","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["\u201cThis is you teaching you:\u201d Exploring providers\u2019 perspectives on experiential learning and enhancing patient safety and outcomes in ketamine-assisted therapy"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0405-0470","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Elena","family":"Argento","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1764-0384","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Tashia","family":"Petker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jayesh","family":"Vig","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-3120-8941","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Cosette","family":"Robertson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexandria","family":"Jaeger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Candace","family":"Necyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Thielking","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zach","family":"Walsh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0306381.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2018.00733","article-title":"Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: A paradigm shift in psychiatric research and development","volume":"9","author":"EE Schenberg","year":"2018","journal-title":"Frontiers in Pharmacology"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0306381.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1111\/acps.13249","article-title":"Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern-era clinical studies.","volume":"143","author":"KAA Andersen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Psychiatr Scand"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0306381.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1556\/2054.2019.015","article-title":"The psychedelic renaissance and the limitations of a White-dominant medical framework: A call for indigenous and ethnic minority inclusion","volume":"4","author":"JR George","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Psychedelic Studies"},{"key":"pone.0306381.ref004","first-page":"612","article-title":"Ketamine: 50 years of modulating the mind","volume":"10","author":"L Li","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front Hum Neurosci"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0306381.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"344","DOI":"10.1016\/S0033-3182(73)71306-2","article-title":"The use of ketamine in psychiatry.","volume":"14","author":"E Khorramzadeh","year":"1973","journal-title":"Psychosomatics"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0306381.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"774","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuron.2019.02.005","article-title":"Ketamine: A paradigm shift for depression research and treatment","volume":"101","author":"JH Krystal","year":"2019","journal-title":"Neuron"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0306381.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e19","DOI":"10.1192\/bjo.2021.1061","article-title":"Ketamine for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders: comprehensive systematic review.","volume":"8","author":"Z Walsh","year":"2021","journal-title":"BJPsych Open."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0306381.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.4103\/0253-7176.127258","article-title":"Acute antidepressant effects of intramuscular versus intravenous ketamine","volume":"36","author":"H Chilukuri","year":"2014","journal-title":"Indian journal of psychological medicine"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0306381.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"682","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2015.10.032","article-title":"Meta-analysis of short-and mid-term efficacy of ketamine in unipolar and bipolar depression.","volume":"230","author":"B Romeo","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psychiatry research"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0306381.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"450","DOI":"10.1177\/0022167817711304","article-title":"Developing guidelines and competencies for the training of psychedelic therapists","volume":"57","author":"J. 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