The PATA Model for Psilocybin Therapy

The PATA Model is a consumer focused example that demonstrates how Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMHPs) can be legally involved in consumers' Psilocybin Assisted Therapy (PAT) experience to achieve the best mental health outcomes, regardless of where they live. Psychedelic practitioners (PP) in our model are defined as non-LMHP professionals whose focus is to be with you during psilocybin administration.

Background

The public is becoming increasingly interested in how psilocybin can be used in their mental health journey. Psilocybin-assisted therapy is also known as mushroom therapy or psilocybin therapy. However, because psilocybin is still illegal and the structure of PAT has only recently been defined through clinical trials, we have created a model to show consumers, their care team, and LMHPs how PAT can currently be used.

Clinical trial models are designed to research and identify specific outcomes and often use processes that cannot be duplicated outside of the trial. The results of most PAT clinical trials show consumers involving LMHPs in their preparation, day-of experience, and post-integration experience, and the results that come from that structure may have greater results than consumers who do not include LMHPs. 

However, due to ethical licensing limitations, people solely licensed as LMHPs may not be able to participate in an experience directly. Outside of clinical studies, psilocybin remains federally illegal regardless of local or state decriminalization laws.

The Model

PAT can be divided into five primary areas:

1. Educating yourself about an experience
2. Preparing for the experience
3. Identifying the Set & Setting
4. The Experience 
5. Integration (& potential repeating of the experience)

LMHPs can be involved in all aspects except #4 - The Experience.

For optimal safety and outcomes consumers can utilize a type of PP in the day-of experience. 

Types of Consumers and Need for LMHPs

We have identified key types of consumers and related the increasing need of including LMHPs to achieving the optimal mental health results. Intention refers to what a consumer’s primary objectives or goals are when using psilocybin.

Type of consumer and intent of psilocybin use:

1. No/low Intention consumer- experienced user focusing on recreational use for personal development
2. Intentional consumer- using psilocybin to address specific issues and those unfamiliar with psilocybin.  Intentional consumers may or may not involve LMHPs. Common groups include:
   1. Spiritual growth
   2. Addressing specific mental health issues, symptoms, or diagnoses
   3. New consumers- Unsure what they want or what to get out of using psilocybin
   4. Combination of above
3. Therapeutic users - using psilocybin with LMHPs to overcome a diagnosis and end-of-life users addressing a terminal illness

This graphic demonstrates how the need for LMHPs to be involved increases with the consumer’s intention of psilocybin use. This increase also correlates to the increased need for a sitter. For those who fall further to the right on the PAT scale, integration with an experienced mental health professional may provide the best opportunity to use the learning enhancement window that psilocybin seems to create, while also being the best way to ensure the most ethical, trained, comprehensive, and even financially affordable support. 

Conclusion

We encourage all consumers and their care team to understand how and when LMHPs can be included in their PAT session(s) and how that decision may impact expected mental health outcomes. While LMHPs may not directly participate in the experience itself, various types of psychedelic practitioners are available to assist.