Lectures and seminars MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD: Initial evidence for a breakthrough treatment
Early studies have demonstrated that MDMA-assisted therapy may be an effective treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. With larger Phase 3 clinical trials currently underway, this groundbreaking therapy has the potential to revolutionize the way PTSD is treated and the lives of those who suffer from it.
This talk gives an overview of the Multidisciplinary-Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) program of PTSD research, describes and illustrates the therapeutic approach, and outlines how therapists are trained to provide this therapy. Future directions and challenges for the implementation of this treatment will be discussed. This talk will be followed by a Q&A with the presenter.

Dr. Elizabeth Nielson is a psychologist with a focus on developing psychedelic medicines as empirically supported treatments for PTSD, substance use problems, and mood disorders. Dr. Nielson is a therapist on FDA approved clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder, MDMA-assisted treatment PTSD, and psilocybin-assisted treatment of treatment resistant depression. As a co-founder of Fluence, she provides continuing education and training programs for therapists who wish to engage in integration of psychedelic experiences in clinical settings. Her program of research includes qualitative and mixed-methods projects designed to further understand the phenomenology and mechanisms of change in psychedelic-assisted therapy, including the experiences of trial participants and of the therapists themselves. Having completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at NYU, she has published and presented on topics of psychedelic therapist training, therapists’ personal experience with psychedelics, and including psychedelic integration in group and individual psychotherapy.