Buddhism and Psychedelic Therapy | Winter 2023

Faculty

Course Description

Learning Objectives

• Assess their own competency with various mindfulness techniques.
• Describe a range of meditation techniques and how these support the growth of core competencies as a psychedelic therapist.
• Prepare a set of techniques to suggest to clients and explain why they may be of benefit for moving through the psychedelic experience.
• Compare modern mindfulness and Buddhism and demonstrate a basic understanding of key distinctions and similarities.
• Discuss ways that Buddhism and therapy converge and diverge on core goals and methods.
• Critique the notion that Buddhism and psychedelics are compatible, understanding important potential clashes and synergies.
• Explain why self-compassion and compassion practices are helpful both to clients and therapists.
• Describe best practices developed in research on trauma-sensitive mindfulness, self-compassion training programs, and difficult or “dark night” experiences in meditation and understand how these connect to challenging psychedelic experiences.
• Discuss how psychedelics and Buddhism have both been decontextualized from cultures they’ve traditionally been embedded in and demonstrate an understanding of the risks and opportunities that this decontextualization presents.
• Create a plan for continued study and practice of secular and or Buddhist practices for themselves.
• Prepare themselves for the rigors of sitting for a client by selecting techniques for their own embodied study of various meditation techniques.
• Select practices that are appropriate for preparing a client based on that client’s goals, intentions, and worldview.

Perks

• Registration includes access to our online classroom, course handouts, and private course discussion board. All attendees may opt to be added to our professional community email list of about 1,000 professionals who have completed this (or similar) courses with us.