Course Schedule and Structure

Course Structure

This course incorporates various delivery methods in order to provide you with some key foundational molecular concepts for psychedelic-assisted therapy, using an evidence-based approach and best practices that will promote your learning retention and engagement. We aim to provide you with sufficient opportunities to practice relevant skills that will help you on your journey to becoming a competent provider of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Online Content

This course is entirely asynchronous, and you can complete it whenever is most convenient for you. In total, the whole course should take 8 hours to complete.

Assessments

Throughout the course, there will be various assessments to evaluate your knowledge, skills, and competencies that you have gained from the course. On the upcoming Assessment Overview page, you will learn about the course assessments and what you’ll need to successfully complete them.

Learning Activities

Throughout the course, there will be some opportunities to apply what you learned. In some cases, you will see an invitation to post a response on Flip. Flip is an online discussion tool that allows learners to have asynchronous discussions on a given topic via video or text. There will also be other learning activities scattered throughout the course.

Course Schedule

Before we dive into the course content, take a look at the course schedule to give yourself an idea of what is expected of you each week.

Course Start Date

Instantly

Course End Date

1 Year after your registration date

Final Assignment Submission Date

1 Year after your registration date

Questions?

Have questions? We can help! Please email us at with any questions or concerns, and we'd be happy to assist you.

Topics

  • Defining psychedelics
  • Categories of psychedelics
  • Sacred plant medicines

Learning Outcomes

  • Define psychedelic within the context of the psychedelic journey.
  • Categorize psychedelics according to their shared properties, effects, and primary mechanism of action.
  • List the psychoactive compound in each psychedelic.

Assessments Due

  • This module's Knowledge Check should be completed before the end of the course

Topics

  • Indigenous use of sacred plant medicines
  • Western scientific advances in psychedelic-assisted therapy
  • First and second wave of psychedelic research
  • The impact of the war on drugs

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the impact that The Controlled Drug and Substances Act (Canada) and The Controlled Substances Act (United States) had and continue to have on psychedelic research and drug policy.
  • Describe cultural safety and humility in the context of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
  • Outline key historical events that have contributed to the development of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Assessments Due

  • This module's Knowledge Check should be completed before the end of the course

Topics

  • The proposed structure of psychedelic-asssisted therapy
  • Assessment
  • Preparation and Integration Sessions
  • Medicine Sessions
  • Effects of the medicine
  • The importance of experiential learning
  • Roles involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy

Learning Outcomes

  • Outline the arc of psychedelic-assisted therapy at a high-level.
  • Discuss the need for psychedelic integration therapy.
  • List the key differences between the effects of ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin.
  • Explain how psychedelic-assisted therapy can be mapped onto Kolb’s experiential learning model

Assessments Due

  • This module's Knowledge Check should be completed before the end of the course

Topics

  • Entropic brain theory
  • Neuroplasticity
  • Neurological flexibility
  • Ego dissolution

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the overarching psychobiological mechanisms of action of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
  • Compare the outcomes of psychedelic-assisted therapy and traditional psychopharmacological therapy.

Assessments Due

  • This module's Knowledge Check should be completed before the end of the course

Topics

  • Context: set and setting
  • Ethics in psychedelic-assisted therapy
  • Trauma- and violence-informed care
  • Client safety and harm reduction

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe the potential for risk of using psychedelic medicines inside and outside of a clinical setting.
  • Explain set and setting within the context of psychedelic medicines.
  • Discuss the stigma around psychedelics and its impact on marginalized communities.
  • List strategies for harm reduction in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
  • Discuss important safety measures for psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Assessments Due

  • This module's Knowledge Check should be completed before the end of the course

Topics

  • Systemic inequities faces by:
    • Black and Peoples of Colour
    • Indigenous Peoples
    • People with a disability
    • People who are LGBTQ+
  • Sources of mistrust in healthcare
  • Intersectionality

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe health disparities that exist for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ peoples, and people with a disability
  • Reflect on why learning about systemic inequities is relevant to health professionals
  • Reflect on where you as an individual may be situated on the wheel of power and privelege
  • Explain the importance of intersectionality when discussing systemic inequities and providing equitable healthcare for all.

Assessments Due

  • This module's Knowledge Check should be completed before the end of the course

Topics

  • Unconditional positive regard
  • Phelps' six essential therapist competencies
  • How to become a psychedelic-assisted therapist

Learning Outcomes

  • List Phelps’ 6 essential therapist competencies for psychedelic-assisted therapy and other proposed essential competencies
  • Briefly describe how a health professional can develop their skills to become a psychedelic-assisted therapist

Assessments Due

  • This module's Knowledge Check should be completed before the end of the course