UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group

About Us

We are an academic and innovation hub harnessing the potential of psychedelic medicine to provide transformative care to patients, pioneer training in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and conduct high-quality research that advances the field. The UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group explores a new paradigm of treatment for mental illness.

Psychedelic means "mind-manifesting" and these compounds produce a non-ordinary state of consciousness that, when combined with psychotherapy, leads to lasting changes in well-being. A growing body of evidence shows that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is safe and effective for treating certain mental illnesses including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and end-of-life distress. Canada is poised to be a leader in the regulation of psychedelic medicines and the scientists and clinicians in the UHN Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Group are working to usher in a new era of treatment in mental health.

Our Values

Humanity. Our work centres on our patients. With compassion for the human condition, we seek to harness psychedelic medicine to reduce suffering and foster well-being.

Collaboration. We aim to build trusting relationships and partnerships through reciprocity, interdisciplinary scholarship, respect for existing cultures and groups and a commitment to Open Science, a movement to make scientific research and data accessible to all.

Diversity, equity and inclusion. Research and clinical work are shaped by systemic issues, representing an opportunity to include diverse populations, address historical oppression and build equity. We are committed to integrating a spirit of radical inclusion into our work at all levels.

Interconnectedness. We strive to honour the connections and complexities of healing – working to bridge individual healing with collective transformation. We recognize that our individual and collective healing is vital to the healing of our planet.

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