Sexual Abuse in Psychedelic Therapy: Important Steps Being Taken to Support Survivors

Content Warning: This article discusses psychedelic therapy abuse 

Violence is a phenomenon that impacts all of us, whether we know it or not—as victims, perpetrators, bystanders, saviors, allies, or—often—some combination. 

An especially egregious form of harm happens when a practitioner who is supposed to be caring for someone and helping them heal, instead, causes them more trauma. While statistics on psychedelic practitioner harm are unknown as of the time of this publication, an estimated 7 to 12 percent of therapists have engaged in a sexual relationship with a client. Since this statistic comes from self-report surveys, psychologists Judith Alpert and Arlene Steinberg suggest that the true prevalence of therapist sexual boundary violations is probably much higher. The trauma of sexual violation, emotional harm, and/or financial abuse can be compounded even more in a psychedelic context.

To believe that psychedelic communities are immune to such violations, or that psychedelic practitioners will not violate the people who come to them for help, is a denial of history and a dangerous spiritual bypass. Indeed, the psychedelic renaissance is unfolding in the same waters we swim in every day—patriarchy, rape culture, white supremacy, queerphobia, ableism, colonial domination, and the carceral state. 

Sex with a client is never consensual. A psychedelic therapist, guide, or shaman should not initiate or engage sexually with a client or ceremony participant. Unfortunately, stories of such violations are frighteningly common in our communities.

Laura Mae Northrup, LMFT, defines sexual abuse as a form of spiritual abuse, making it a complex wound to treat and heal from. This is ever more complex when it happens at the hands of a person who was supposed to be taking care of you. 

While sexual abuse is particularly damaging, not all harm in psychedelic therapy or ceremony is sexual. Emotional abuse and physical harm are more common than you may think. This is another extremely painful and traumatizing experience for someone who was looking for healing to have to go through. 

There are a variety of approaches and interventions needed to end this cycle of abuse and harm that many of our communities are embedded in. A number of people have been working to bring attention to the issue of abuse and assault in the psychedelic community for years, and we are grateful to all of those efforts, seen and unseen. In 2021, we decided to formalize a support network for individuals who have been harmed in the context of psychedelic therapy or ceremony. This article is a reflection on what we did and what we learned through this process.

Survivor support is just one approach to addressing harm in psychedelic ceremony/ therapy.

Survivor support is just one approach to addressing harm in psychedelic ceremony/ therapy. We invite folks to mobilize themselves and their communities in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and compassion to prevent violence, promote best practices and accountability for psychedelic practitioners, support survivors of harm, address harm after it has happened, and help people who have caused harm if they demonstrate a genuine desire to repair.

Psychedelic Survivors

Psychedelic Survivors was formed in October 2021 as a peer support group for anyone who has been harmed by a psychedelic therapist, ceremony leader or guide. In recent years, a number of abuses in psychedelic communities have come to light, including prominent public awareness campaigns by Oriana Mayorga, Meaghan Buisson, and Will Hall. Inspired by these efforts, and the work of numerous anonymous survivors, we created a platform of mutual aid. We hoped to create an online safe space where survivors of psychedelic therapy/ ceremony abuse and harm could come together to share with one another about their journeys. 

As we considered how to best develop the Psychedelic Survivors platform to empower and assist survivors, we were inspired by the work of Tarana Burke (originator of #metoo), who suggests a 3-step plan for responding to sexual violence in our communities: 

Create publicly available resources for survivors of sexual violence and their alliesOrganize survivor leadership-training programs to teach trainees to start their own survivor-support programsProliferate healing circles for community processing of sexual abuse and assault

We are hoping to emulate this wise and practical model, and we invite others to do the same in their own communities.

In October 2021, we began our work by focusing on the first step. Our colleague, Eileen Hall, created a website with a collection of web-based resources. Soon, the website will grow to include a blog section where survivors can post their writing, poetry, and art. 

As we dreamt about how this project might materialize, we held a community circle where allies and interested parties could attend and share what they felt would be important for Psychedelic Survivors to take into account. We assimilated this feedback, as well as the feedback from the survivors who had already contacted us and/ or attended the first, preliminary support circle. After that, it was clear to us that our efforts would be best utilized by focusing on supporting survivors directly, while also remaining open to more occasional feedback, suggestions, and help from the allies in the larger community.

Soon after we launched the website, we began hosting monthly peer-led circles to learn what the survivors who had approached our group needed. We have listened and will continue to listen and support them.

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