Braided Clinic · Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Preparation, supported medicine sessions, and integration, with specialist care throughout.
Careful, structured work over several months. It is not right for everyone, and assessment comes first.
01
Assessment
comes first
Suitability is considered before any treatment pathway.
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy places any medicine within a wider course of clinical care. No treatment is presumed before assessment.
What assessment needs to consider
- Medical and psychological screening is required; this approach is not suitable for everyone
- Some psychiatric, medical, and medicine-related factors may make treatment unsuitable
- The course of care requires preparation, an extended supported session, and follow-up
- Any medicine pathway depends on individual clinical judgement and the legal authority required
- Experiences can be challenging, so preparation and informed consent matter
02
Why context
matters
The experience is shaped by the patient, the relationship, and the setting.
The medicine does not determine the experience on its own. A patient’s expectations, emotional state, relationships, physical setting, and therapeutic support can all influence what happens.
Preparation establishes safety, trust, and a shared understanding of the work. The supported session provides a carefully held setting. Integration creates time to consider what was meaningful, what remains uncertain, and what, if anything, should be carried into everyday life.
Experiences may involve changes in emotion, perception, memory, meaning, or connection. They can also be confusing or difficult. An intense experience is not automatically a helpful one, and insight is not the same as lasting change.
What supports safer care
- Careful screening and preparation
- A trained clinical team and a relationship where the patient can speak openly
- A supported setting with a clear plan for the extended session
- Clear information about the medicine and dose before treatment
- Follow-up and integration after the session
03
The course
of care
Published programmes describe several distinct stages. Each stage has a different clinical purpose.
Step 01
Initial clinical consultation
A clinical conversation considers the person’s situation, previous care, goals, and whether further assessment is appropriate.
Step 02
Screening and assessment
A thorough medical and psychological assessment considers suitability, alternatives, risks, supports, and the person’s preferences.
Step 03
Preparation
Building the therapeutic relationship, understanding the process, and developing resources for the experience ahead.
Step 04
Medicine sessions
An extended supported experience in a carefully prepared clinical setting with the clinical team present.
Step 05
Integration
Making sense of what happened, deciding what is useful, and carrying that into everyday life.
04
Information
and boundaries
The treatment model, medicine-specific evidence, legal authority, and availability are different questions.
Medicine-specific questions have their own page
Some medicines discussed in this field remain unapproved medicines in New Zealand. Research findings, legal authority, individual suitability, medicine supply, and service availability must each be considered separately.
MDMA-assisted therapy and psilocybin-assisted therapy have different evidence, approval, and supply questions. An approval for one medicine, condition, practitioner, or programme does not transfer to another.
Read the MDMA and PTSD evidence and regulatory informationCare is considered one person at a time.