More and more people from Sabadell, Terrassa and the rest of the Vallès Occidental are looking for information about psychedelic therapy. They have read about the studies with psilocybin or MDMA and want to know whether that exists close to home. The honest answer has two parts: what exactly that therapy is and what is available in Spain today, which is not the same thing.
This article explains both, and also what kind of support you can actually find. It is educational information, not medical advice.
What psychedelic-assisted therapy is
It is a treatment in which a psychedelic substance is administered once or a few times, within a process of psychotherapy and under the supervision of healthcare professionals. It is also known as psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and its abbreviation is PAT.
The central idea is that the substance does not act alone. For a few hours it opens a state in which emotions, memories and ways of seeing oneself become more accessible, and the therapy helps make the most of that opening.
How it works in clinical trials
The model being studied has three phases:
- Preparation. Several sessions without the substance to get to know the therapists, review personal history, work on expectations and fears and clarify the intention.
- Session with the substance. In a prepared room, with two professionals present throughout all the hours of effect, music and an eye mask. The dose is known and the substance is pharmaceutical grade.
- Integration. Follow-up sessions to make sense of what was experienced and carry it into daily life.
Beforehand there is a medical and psychological screening that excludes people for whom the risk is higher.
What is being researched
- Psilocybin for depression, including treatment-resistant depression. The results are summarized in psilocybin and depression: a summary of the clinical studies.
- MDMA for post-traumatic stress.
- Psilocybin and LSD for anxiety associated with serious illness and for some addictions.
The results are promising in several of these fields, with important limitations: sample sizes that are still modest, difficulty maintaining blinding and short follow-up periods.
What is available in Spain
It is worth being clear here, because confusion abounds:
- Therapy with psilocybin, MDMA or LSD is not authorized as a treatment. It is only accessible within approved clinical trials, which are carried out in some hospitals.
- Esketamine, a derivative of ketamine, is authorized for treatment-resistant depression, for hospital use and under restricted conditions.
- Outside these cases, nobody can legally offer therapy with these substances in Spain.
Anyone advertising psychedelic therapy with mushrooms or LSD in Sabadell, Terrassa or any other city, outside a clinical trial, is using the term improperly. The full framework is in the legal status of psychedelics in Spain.
What does exist: preparation, support and integration
The fact that the therapy is not available does not mean there is nothing. There are people who decide on their own to have an experience, and others who have already had one. For them there is substance-free work that is legal and useful:
- Preparation: reviewing motives, risks, expectations and context before deciding.
- Integration: making sense of what you went through afterward and bringing it into daily life.
- Emotional support: a space for conversation and personal work.
This is not psychedelic therapy and it does not treat any health problem. The difference is explained in what emotional support is and how it differs from psychotherapy.
And microdosing?
It is often presented as a gentle version of psychedelic therapy. It is not. Controlled studies have not confirmed the benefits its users describe, and there is no evidence that it treats any health problem. We analyze it in microdosing: what the science says and what is placebo effect.
Who it is not suitable for
Neither the therapy under investigation nor an experience undertaken on your own is for everyone. A personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder, certain heart problems and some medications are grounds for exclusion. They are detailed in who should not take psychedelics and in psychedelics and antidepressants.
How to take a first step wisely
- If you have a mental health problem, start with your GP or a healthcare professional. If you are interested in the research, ask your psychiatrist about open clinical trials.
- If you are considering an experience on your own, get informed before deciding. You can start with the preparation guide and the harm reduction guidelines.
- If you have already had one and do not know what to do with it, read what psychedelic integration is.
- Be wary of anyone who promises healing or includes the substance in the service.
Support in the Vallès Occidental
At RILOFU we support people from Sabadell, Terrassa and the rest of the Vallès Occidental, in person or online. We offer preparation, integration and emotional support. We do not offer psychedelic therapy or healthcare treatment, and we do not sell, supply or provide substances.
The first consultation is free. In it we assess together whether this support is a good fit for you and, if what you need is healthcare, we tell you so. The process is explained in what happens in a support session.