Friday, September 13, 2024 11 am - 1 pm

$75 per person includes 2 hours Continuing Education credit for core hours approved by GPA and related hours for LMFT, LPC and LCSW.

Course Description:
In the emerging and rapidly changing field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), it can be difficult for mental health clinicians to find reputable and current information on the basics of legal, ethical and therapeutically sound practices. This two-hour workshop will focus on providing a generalized overview of the legal landscape of using psychedelics in mental health treatment. It will cover ethical considerations specific to PAP and alternative treatment options when PAP is contra-indicated for clients. The workshop will also include commonly-used PAP practices in relation to set, setting, preparation and integration. Finally, it will help clinicians better understand when and how to refer clients for PAP treatment. 

Presenter Bios:

Angela Schaffner, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with a master’s and doctorate from Ball State University in Muncie, IN. Angela currently sees clients in Atlanta at both Midtown Psychotherapy Associates and The Therapy Collective. Her clinical experience includes providing group, couples, and individual therapy for 20+ years with adolescents and adults, developing a martial arts experiential therapy group, teaching graduate courses at Mercer University and Richmont University, authoring two books (Revealed andGather Us In), and contributing to a resource for creating more trauma-informed environments in faith communities. She has advanced training in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) and accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP).

Catherine Egenes, LMFT holds a Masters of Family Therapy from the Mercer School of Medicine and is a certified Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapist through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute in Boulder, CO. With over 12 years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), Catherine has practiced in a variety of mental health settings and recently founded The Therapy Collective in Atlanta, GA. As part of her private practice, Catherine provides traditional psychotherapy services, somatic breathwork, and Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Catherine also has advanced training in Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy and working with eating disorders. Catherine has been a member of the American (AAMFT) and Georgia (GAMFT) Associations for Marriage and Family Therapy since 2010. 

Kia Silva, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist, founder of Atlanta Prosper Psychological Services LLC, and postdoctoral fellow supervisor at Midtown Psychotherapy Associates. Dr. Silva is an alum of HBCU, Hampton University. She completed her master’s of clinical psychology at the Georgia School of Professional Psychology, and doctorate of psychology at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Her training experiences were varied and included years with the Carl Rogers Institute of Chicago, University of Chicago Medical Center, and Midtown Psychotherapy Associates in Atlanta. Dr. Silva specializes in the administration and supervision of psychological assessment and treating individuals with anxiety, mood, and eating disorders, as well as those navigating difficult life transitions. She has experience working with diverse populations and settings in Connecticut, Chicago, and Atlanta.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will learn about and be equipped to make appropriate referrals for clients who would most likely benefit from mental health services that integrate the use of psychedelics.

2. Participants will be able to name and describe PAP interventions that have been widely adopted and used across therapeutic modalities.

3. Participants will be able to name and describe alternative treatment options for those clients for whom psychedelics may be high risk.

4. Participants will learn how to discern and make ethical choices around the use of psychedelics in mental health settings, including how to establish a 'set' and 'setting' that encourages positive experiences in therapy.