Seeking Therapists or Practitioners to Participate in a Confidential Interview about their Experiences Working with Psilocybin Mushrooms
Recruitment Closed (January 2022)
In 2019, the city of Denver was the first city in the United States to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms. Since then, decriminalization initiatives have taken root in cities across the country, with Oregon voters in 2020 passing an initiative to legalize and regulate this psychoactive fungus. Current medical research is examining psilocybin for the treatment of depression, end of life distress, and addictions. While the policy and regulatory environments surrounding psilocybin mushrooms are quickly evolving to expand access to the public and medical/therapy providers, there exists a long history of “underground” or hidden use among networks of practitioners who have long been operating in gray legal realms.
This research is seeking volunteers who have past or current experience working with psilocybin mushrooms with clients within a therapeutic, healing, personal growth, or spiritual/religious modality. The research aims to advance knowledge around existing safe and effective psilocybin mushroom practices and investigate community needs and preferences regarding regulation.
Who Can Participate?
To be included in this research, you must: 1) be an English-speaking adult over age 18; 2) live and work in Colorado; 3) self-identify as a practitioner of any modality who incorporates/has incorporated psilocybin mushrooms into their practice with clients. “Incorporating psilocybin mushrooms into their practice” is defined as providing support for any phase of another person’s psilocybin mushroom experience, including support with preparing for the experience, being present for the experience, and/or integration following the experience.
What’s Involved?
Participants will be asked to complete one or two 90-minute interviews (average time 90 minutes; max 3 hours) in-person, on the phone, or virtually with a member of the research team. Precautions are taken to protect your identity and confidentiality as a participant in this research. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Colorado State University.
For more information about this research or for details on how your identity will be protected should you participate in this study, please use the encrypted Signal messaging app to contact a member of the study team below. Instructions for downloading Signal can be found here. Once downloaded, interested participants can call or text message the study team member asking for details on the “psilocybin interview study.”
Shannon Hughes, MSW, PhD
904-591-8122
Lucia Terpak, MA
703-517-9507