Psilocybin Therapy in Canada
Psilocybin therapy (also called psilocybin assisted therapy, psilocybe therapy, or mushroom therapy) is a form of psychedelic therapy. It combines a powerful psychedelic experience under the influence of psilocybin with traditional talk therapy.
The psychedelic experience—sometimes referred to as the “journey”—may allow a client to access memories, emotions, and insights that would not otherwise be available in a normal state of consciousness.
Here’s everything you need to know about psilocybin therapy in Canada.
What is psilocybin therapy in Canada like?
A course of psilocybin assisted therapy may generally be broken down into four steps:
- Step 1: Education. First, the therapist or guide meets with their client and determines whether they’re a good fit for psilocybe therapy. Then the client and their therapist explore treatment options, and consider the potential benefits and drawbacks
- Step 2: Preparation (part of Integration). Once the client and therapist have agreed on a treatment plan, the client attends one or more therapy sessions to help them prepare for their psilocybin journey. This is the stage for setting goals and expectations, and learning how the experience will fit within the wider context of treatment.
- Step: 3: Facilitation, or the Journey. The client undergoes the psychedelic experience. In some cases, the client may take this step on their own, with a guide or “trip sitter” other than their therapist, then meet with their therapist for the fourth step.
- Step 4: Integration. Possibly the most important step in psilocybin therapy, integration consists of one-on-one work with a therapist or healer to contextualize and interpret the psychedelic experience. The client’s experiences during a psychedelic journey may be confusing or distressing. It’s the therapist’s job to help the client fit these experiences into a larger framework, so difficult experiences become a source of new, actionable insights.
Psilocybe therapy is not a one-size-fits all solution. And it’s just one aspect of a larger modality—psychedelic therapy. For a deeper dive, check out Psychedelics for Therapy 101: What Canadians Need to Know.
Is psilocybin mushrooms therapy the same thing as psilocybin therapy?
For the purposes of this article, psilocybin mushrooms therapy and psilocybin therapy are used interchangeably.
When a therapist facilitates their client’s psychedelic journey, they may provide psilocybin in one of two forms:
- Psilocybin mushrooms: A number of species of mushrooms contain psilocybin. In addition to psilocybin, they may contain psilocin (essentially psilocybin in a different form), plus compounds such as norpsilocin, baeocystin, norbaeocystin, and aeruginascin that may have complementary effects on the psychedelic experience.
The species of mushroom most commonly used for psilocybin therapy in Canada is Psilocybe cubensis. Mushrooms typically come in dry form. They may be eaten whole, on their own; ground into a powder and mixed into drinks or food; made into a tea; or powdered and taken in gel capsules.
- Synthetic psilocybin: In some cases, therapists may provide clients psilocybin in synthetic form as a pill. This pharmaceutical-grade dose contains only psilocybin and none of the additional compounds found in psilocybin-containing mushrooms.
In cases where a client or their therapist or guide obtains psilocybin from underground sources, it almost always takes the form of dried mushrooms.
How does psilocybin assisted therapy help clients?
Like other forms of psychedelic therapy, psilocybin therapy may be used to treat a wide range of conditions. Therapists and researchers are currently exploring:
- Psilocybin therapy for depression
- Psilocybin therapy for anxiety
- Psilocybin therapy for PTSD
- Psilocybin therapy for veterans
- Psilocybin therapy for OCD
- Psilocybin therapy for addiction
- Psilocybin therapy for alcoholism
Beyond the treatment of specific conditions, a client may seek psilocybin mushroom therapy as part of a spiritual practice, or as a means of gaining deeper insights into their life, attitudes, and relationships.
How does psilocybin therapy work?
The integration stage of psilocybin mushrooms therapy helps clients draw insights from their experience, shift perspectives, and progress in their treatment.
But the physical mechanisms of psilocybin, and the changes it may cause in the brain of a client, are still being studied.
Here are some recent papers on psilocybin therapy:
What are the effects of psilocybin therapy?
Psilocybin therapy differs from one client to the next based on the dosage, the therapeutic techniques or frameworks applied, and the conditions being treated.
Psychedelic experiences are highly subjective. One client may undergo a sudden mental or spiritual epiphany under the influence of psilocybin. Another client, with similar symptoms and the same dosage, may find their journey a frightening ordeal.
In either case—”good trip” or “bad trip”—integration therapy is key. Through integration, clients and therapists work together to make sense of the psilocybin experience and use it for healing.
Psilocybin therapy: Anecdotal evidence
No single description can capture the experience of undergoing psilocybin therapy.
To get a better sense of what it feels like, and the effects psilocybin therapy may have, it helps to turn to anecdotal evidence:
- Could magic mushrooms be the future of mental health treatment?: CBC profiles the first patient to undergo legal psilocybin therapy in Canada, and touches on legal and access challenges affecting psychedelic therapy in Canada.
- Can Magic Mushrooms Unlock Depression? (TedxOxford): Clinical psychologist Dr. Rosalind Watts conducted studies on psilocybin treatment for depression. In her TEDx talk, she discusses the outcomes for her clients and dives into how it feels to take the journey.
- The Healing Mushrooms: Following three clients in a clinical trial studying the effects of psilocybin on depression, this feature-length documentary offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at psychedelic therapy. In this section of the film, one trial client undergoes psilocybin therapy for major depression and describes his experiences afterwards.
- An inside look at what happens during a psychedelic therapy session in Colorado: This 9NEWS segment talks to therapists providing psilocybin therapy in Colorado, and offers a look at what psilocybin therapy is like for clients.
Psilocybin and antidepressants
There have been few studies done on the risks of combining psilocybin with antidepressants.
Some therapists or guides recommend clients taper off psychopharmaceutical drugs before undergoing the psychedelic journey. That may be due to the dulling effects of some SSRIs and other classes of antidepressants, which can reduce the effects of psilocybin and lead to a less-than-optimal experience.
Before you stop taking any drugs you’ve been prescribed to treat depression—whether by stopping all at once, or by tapering off your dosage—talk to your prescribing doctor.
Quitting antidepressants may cause antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, which has wide ranging negative effects. It might also lead to an increase in depressive symptoms, including suicidal ideation.
Magic mushroom dispensaries in Canada
Magic mushrooms and psilocybin remain illegal in Canada. But in many cities, dispensaries openly offer psilocybin mushrooms for sale.
Recent changes to laws may allow approved users to buy and possess magic mushrooms for therapeutic purposes. Meanwhile, some cities—like Vancouver—have decriminalized possession of certain controlled substances (not including psilocybin, however) for personal use.
This has opened up a legal grey zone, where some people are legally entitled to buy magic mushrooms, but no businesses are legally allowed to sell them.
For a clear parallel it helps to look at cannabis dispensaries in Canada prior to cannabis legalization in 2018. At the time cannabis possession was legal only for medical users. But legal grey areas and limited resources on the part of law enforcement meant that many dispensaries catering to non-medical users were able to open their doors to the public.
Some of those “grey market” dispensaries were raided by law enforcement. Likewise, mushroom dispensaries have faced crackdowns. And as with cannabis prior to its 2018 legalization, psilocybin mushrooms are illegal to possess in any quantity.
If you’re considering buying mushrooms for psilocybin therapy from a dispensary, keep in mind that you can still be charged with possession of controlled substances.
Also keep in mind that mushroom dispensaries are not regulated in any way in their capacity as dispensaries, so there’s no guarantee as to the quality or content of what you buy there.
Before visiting a mushroom dispensary or signing up as a member, research the dispensary, and take time to educate yourself in your legal rights in the event you’re stopped by police.
Where to find psilocybin therapy in Canada
Interested in trying psilocybin therapy in Canada? Before you begin your search for a qualified therapist, healer, or guide, it’s important to understand both the risks and benefits of psychedelic therapy in Canada.
For a start, check out our guide to everything Canadians need to know about psychedelic therapy.
Then visit First Session to find psychedelic therapists in Canada:
The personal video interviews on First Session can help you get a sense of what it would be like to work one-on-one with different therapists—so you can spend less time searching online and more time getting treatment.
Key takeaways:
- On its own, psilocybin is not an effective treatment for mental health challenges. It needs to be combined with one-on-one treatment from a qualified therapist, healer, or guide
- Psilocybin typically comes in the form of dried mushrooms, but may also be provided in a synthesized pill format
- The integration stage of psilocybin therapy is crucial for examining and contextualizing the psychedelic experience
- Psilocybin affects each client differently; it’s impacted by the dosage and the type of treatment being given
- Before embarking on psilocybin therapy, take time to find a therapist who is right for you
Use First Session to find the right therapist for you.
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Bryce Warnes
Bryce Warnes is a freelance content writer. He specializes in actionable advice and guidance for small business owners, including those in the mental health space. He currently writes about therapy practice finance, admin, and marketing for Heard.
