PATTERN

Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Training and Education Research Network

A non-profit association
seated in Basel, Switzerland.

Aim

The association aims to promote and support training, education, research and networking in the field of psychedelic-assisted and transpersonal therapy.

Goal

The goal is to promote evidence-based approaches and ethical standards in psychedelic and transpersonal therapy and to ensure responsible and safe handling of psychedelic substances.

Non-profit

The association is politically and confessionally neutral, exclusively non-profit, and pursues neither commercial nor self-help purposes. The organs act on a voluntary basis.

Psychedelic Assisted Therapy

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that involves the controlled use of psychedelic substances to facilitate mental health treatment.

Substances such as psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD are administered in a clinical setting, guided by trained therapists.

The psychedelic experience, combined with therapeutic guidance, aims to promote healing, emotional release, and a shift in perspective, fostering long-term mental health improvements.

This therapy has shown promise in treating conditions like post-traumatic distress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and addiction when conventional treatments are insufficient.

Training and Education

We believe that the success of psychedelic-assisted therapy hinges significantly on the expertise of well-trained therapists.

As integral parts of the therapeutic setting, these professionals must be adept at accompanying clients through altered states of consciousness.

Research

PATTERN is dedicated to advancing research in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). A particularly pressing and often overlooked area of inquiry is the role of self-experience in the training and education of psychedelic therapists.

In many established psychotherapy and somatic therapy training programs, undergoing self-experience in the therapeutic modality is a standard and often mandatory component. However, there remains an ongoing debate as to whether psychedelic therapists should personally undergo substance-induced psychedelic experiences as part of their professional preparation. While this may appear self-evident to some, there is currently a significant gap in empirical research on this subject.

By fostering rigorous scientific inquiry in this area, PATTERN aims to contribute to the development of safe, ethical, and effective training standards for future psychedelic therapists.

Network

Join our network and stay up to date!

Legal status in Switzerland

In Switzerland, psychedelic-assisted therapy is legally permissible under specific conditions. The Federal Act on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (NarcA) regulates the use of narcotics and psychotropic substances, including psychedelics like MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin. While these substances are generally prohibited, the NarcA allows for their restricted medical use, provided certain criteria are met.

To administer psychedelics in a therapeutic setting, therapists must obtain an exemption permit from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). This permit is granted on a case-by-case basis and requires that existing treatments are ineffective and that preliminary scientific evidence suggests the efficacy of the scheduled drug for the particular condition.