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Individual treatment protocols dominate psychedelic therapy clinical trials, but cost barriers, clinician shortages, and growing demand necessitate innovation. Group therapy—long proven effective in traditional settings—offers a path forward. By serving multiple clients simultaneously, group models can reduce treatment costs and potentially improve outcomes.
At a fundamental level, group therapy encourages universality, where clients realise they are not the only ones struggling. It allows for interpersonal scaffolding, where more experienced or long-term participants informally mentor and assist newcomers or less confident attendees. And–from the psychodynamic perspective–group participants may reenact their existing relational tendencies in the group and use the group as a sandbox for recognizing and changing problematic patterns.
Plus, classic psychedelics like psilocybin have been shown to amplify prosocial behaviors and interpersonal connectedness, creating fertile ground for therapeutic group processes. This may be especially relevant in contrasting the social isolation that often accompanies emotional distress. Trials show group models can improve access to psychedelic therapy and reduce client costs by 35-50% while potentially fostering unique healing mechanisms.
Group settings also have the potential to magnify psychedelics’ inherent complexities. Emotional cascades are a prime example of this, where one participant’s distress can ripple through the group. Participants must be carefully screened for appropriateness and fit, as well as introduced to ongoing groups or brought together in newly-formed groups with attention and care.
As with any group activity, there are potential complications presented by internal dynamics, conflicts and competition. This can be heightened by the introduction of psychedelic compounds and by the very mental health conditions that drove the clients to seek therapy. Leaders require specialized training and support to interrupt and redirect dynamics that are unhelpful or potentially harmful to participants.
The most common forms of group therapy work in the psychedelic field are Ketamine-assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) groups, which often include group ketamine administration sessions, as well as integration-focused group sessions for people who have used psychedelics in non-clinical settings. The Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) model provides a framework of principles for integrating work with psychedelics into group therapy settings and can inform either type of group work.
With a trained therapist’s guidance, group participants can easily grasp and follow the PHRI principles in their conversations with each other. Elaborations can include specific applications to groups of people struggling with similar types of distress, to groups of couples, or to other groups with a shared identity such as veterans or first responders. Whatever your speciality as a therapist, introducing the PHRI model to your group work gives you structure, cohesion, and an established model for supporting growth.
This month join us for our webinar on group therapy with psychedelics and start any of our Professional Certificate programs in June with two of our dedicated trainers who have extensive experience providing group psychedelic therapy.
Thanks,
Elizabeth Nielson, Fluence Founder
Donna Sorgen, LMHC,LPC (she/her) is a psychotherapist with over 25 years experience working with adults, children, adolescents, couples and groups. She is the Director/Owner of the Woodstock Therapy Center, a collective of practitioners providing a variety of services to the community including Ketamine Assistant Psychotherapy (KAP), psychiatric services , psychotherapy and holistic modalities. Donna has spent her career working with diverse clients in multiple settings. Her current private practice includes KAP, Psychotherapy and Psychedelic integration therapy. Donna has completed training in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies(MAPS). She was a sushi chef, caterer and enjoys the outdoors and gardening.
Join experienced clinicians Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD and Jayne Gumpel, LCSW for a dynamic conversation on the evolving role of group work in psychedelic therapy. With a combined background spanning group and individual psychotherapy, ketamine retreats, and psilocybin facilitation, Saundra and Brian bring deep insight into the nuanced interplay between group dynamics and non-ordinary states of consciousness.
Together, they’ll discuss what makes group psychedelic therapy both promising and complex—from preparation to integration. The conversation will touch on differences between ketamine and psilocybin in a group format, as well as the therapeutic, ethical, and logistical considerations of working with groups.
Following the conversation, we’ll open the floor to Q&A so you can speak directly with our moderator, Dan MacCombie.
Date: May 20th, 2025
Time: 12 PM - 1 PM ET
Are you excited to begin your psychedelic therapy journey but not sure where to start? The Fluence team is here to answer your questions.
Join our Open House event, where Jayne Gumpel & Daejah Fontain will showcase our upcoming courses and provide a space for conversation and inquiry.
Learn what the entry course offers practitioners and how it can lead to professional certificates in Psilocybin Facilitation, Ketamine-assisted Psychotherapy and Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration.
Date: May 14th, 2025
Time: 3 PM - 4 PM ET
All certificate programs start with our six-week Essentials of Psychedelic Therapy course, with the June 2025 Essentials course taught by Donna Sorgen, LMHC and Rebecca Kronman, LCSW.
Psilocybin Facilitation
Jun 26, 2025 - Apr 11, 2026
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Jun 26 - Dec 16, 2025
Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration Therapy
Jun 26 - Dec 8, 2025
New Mexico just made psychedelic history.Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed a groundbreaking bill to legalize psilocybin therapy, setting the stage for a state-run medical program to explore its mental health potential.
A first-in-the-nation Arizona study just got the FDA's attention.Researchers are testing a mushroom-inspired compound called “Jedi Mind Fuck” for its potential mental health benefits — and it just cleared a major regulatory hurdle.
A bipartisan push in Congress aims to transform veteran care through psychedelic therapy.The Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act proposes VA-backed clinics to research and deliver treatments like MDMA and psilocybin for PTSD and trauma.
