Psychedelic Group Therapy Is More Powerful Than One on One Sessions

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At this point, we’ve all heard that psychedelic therapy has the potential to enhance mental health outcomes for certain demographics. But, most of the research looks at the effects of these powerful substances in the context of one-on-one therapy. Now, a study exploring the effects of psychedelic group therapy suggests one-on-one sessions may cap the transformative potential of this powerful therapeutic approach.

In Nature Mental Health, a monthly online peer-reviewed journal, researchers reviewed existing evidence and noticed that the current medicalized forms of psychedelic therapy overlook a critical aspect: social and group dimensions. The authors state that working with psychedelics in a group therapy setting — much like in Indigenous ceremonies — could boost their healing effects.

“As things stand, psychedelics are typically delivered in individualized therapeutic settings,” the researchers write. “By contrast, other successful therapies increasingly use group-based delivery to accentuate positive outcomes…”

The authors mention a concept called the “social cure model,” which hinges on the idea that true healing comes from identifying with a group, not just being around others in a shared space. In other words, a sense of belonging gives people social and psychological benefits — such as support, agency, and a deeper sense of meaning — lead to greater mental health outcomes. And yet, there’s hardly any evidence looking at this specific dynamic in psychedelic therapy. The “social cure” model centers on creating a sense of belonging and meaningful group identification, which unlocks access to important psychological and social benefits. 

READ: How Psychedelic Therapy Can Help Us Thrive Beyond Systems of Oppression

“There have been very few (if any) attempts to capitalize on the proven capacity for group life and related identity dynamics to deliver a social cure,” the authors write. “Given the origins of psychedelic use in the practices of diverse cultural groups and Indigenous communities, this is surprising to say the least.”

The report, titled “Social Identity Processes as a Vehicle for Therapeutic Success in Psychedelic Treatment,” also highlights practical reasons for embracing group psychedelic therapy.  There’s an economic incentive, as group therapy lends itself to lowering costs. Group therapy can also reduce the time therapists spend with individual patients. Group sessions also essentially mirror the tried and true Indigenous ceremonial model. 

The researchers highlight several barriers to group psychedelic therapy. Legal restrictions, professional reputation, and the dominant biomedical model favoring one-on-one treatment are a few reasons behind this issue. Additionally, randomized controlled trials, the gold standard in medical research, tend to exclude social context to isolate the effects of a substance, which limits the study of group dynamics in psychedelic therapy, according to the authors. 

READ: Spiritual Health Practitioners Offer Invaluable Expertise to Psychedelic Therapy

Psychedelic group therapy also comes with a host of challenges (like everything in life!). It runs the risk of negative group dynamics, exclusion, bullying, or the abuse of power by a facilitator. Cultural sensitivity is another critical consideration, as group-based psychedelic therapy must be adapted to different social and cultural contexts to avoid perpetuating inequities or misappropriating Indigenous practices.  

Integrating group-based social connections into psychedelic therapy, the authors write, could unlock greater therapeutic potential. In order to prove (or disprove) this, however, more research into the synergies between psychedelics and group therapies is required. 

“Our hope is that the strategies and directions that we have proposed here can pave the way to a more unified, theoretically coherent approach to group-focused psychedelic research and practice,” the researchers say. “This approach should be beneficial not only for researchers and clinicians but also for those who seek therapy to improve their physical and mental health, as well as for their families and wider communities.” 

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