By: Christine Dennstedt
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is currently in its second wave and enjoying a renaissance of sorts. This article describes a narrative therapy–inspired approach to working therapeutically with psychedelics. My intent in writing this paper is to provide a model for how narrative therapy ideas in practice can be applied to the three stages of psychedelic-assisted therapy: preparation, medicine work and integration. In describing this map for practitioners, the rites of passage metaphor, as applied therapeutically by Michael White, is used to outline the phases a person will move through in their psychedelic-assisted therapy journey.
Key words: psychedelic; psilocybin; ketamine; rites of passage; migration of identity; narrative practice; narrative therapy
Dennstedt, C. (2025). Psychedelic-assisted therapy from a narrative therapy perspective: A map for practitioners. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (2), 32–48. https://doi.org/10.4320/NGOQ2236