Not all psychedelic therapy training is the same.
A comparative overview of leading programmes in Europe and the United States for licensed clinicians who want to choose with clarity and professional discernment.
— WHAT'S INSIDE
What the Guide Covers
The field of psychedelic-assisted therapy is developing across clinical, academic, and regulatory contexts. As training programmes expand, their structures, supervision models, and eligibility requirements continue to vary considerably.
This guide presents a side-by-side overview of 10 established programmes, designed to help experienced clinicians evaluate their options with the same rigour they bring to clinical decision-making.
One dimension that varies most significantly, and matters most for genuine clinical readiness, is whether a programme includes supervised, experiential training. Not every programme can offer it. Legal and regulatory context determines what's possible.
Core clinical competencies relevant to psychedelic-assisted therapy
The role of experiential and supervised learning
The importance of research literacy and ongoing professional development
Ethical and legal considerations across varying regulatory contexts
Questions to consider before pursuing advanced training
The aim is not to prescribe a pathway, but to provide a grounded framework for reflection.
— WHO IT'S FOR
Designed for Clinicians Who Are Serious About This
This is not a guide for the generally curious. It is for licensed mental health professionals who are actively weighing a significant investment of time, resources, and professional direction.
The clinicians best positioned to use this guide are already established in practice, already informed about the field, and are now asking a more precise question: which programme is actually right for where I am and where I want to go?
If you are still building your foundational understanding of psychedelic-assisted therapy, OPEN Foundation's Foundations programme may be the appropriate starting point. Both are covered in this guide.
Licensed Psychotherapists
Clinical Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Medical Doctors in Mental Healthcare
3+ Years Clinical Experience
One programme offers something most cannot.
ADEPT is OPEN Foundation's two-year hybrid training programme for licensed mental health professionals, and one of the only programmes in Europe to include legal, supervised, in-person experiential practicums as part of its curriculum.
Because ADEPT is based in the Netherlands, where psilocybin is legally permitted in structured, supervised contexts, participants engage in three in-person experiential practicums over the course of the programme, integrating self-experience with supervised facilitation practice in a way that classroom learning alone cannot replicate.
212
HOURS OF COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION
13
DAYS OF EXPERIENTIAL PRACTUCMS
150+
HOURS ON-SITE FOR WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS
3 IN-PERSON EXPERIENTIAL PRACTICUMS
YEAR ONE · 3 DAYS
Participants work with psilocybin in a supported group setting, with a focus on embodimentYEAR TWO · 5 DAYS
Participants both receive and offer therapeutic support in an individual setting, under close supervision from seasoned psychedelic therapists.YEAR TWO · 5 DAYS
Participants receive and offer therapeutic support in a group setting, navigating the complexity of group dynamics, boundaries, and shared experience.
OPEN is a public benefit organisation (ANBI) and registered charity with the Dutch tax authorities.
ADEPT is registered with the CRKBO (Centraal Register Kort Beroepsonderwijs), the Dutch registry for recognized providers of short professional education. This registration confirms that the programme meets established quality standards for vocational training and continuing professional development.