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There is an extensive history of the presence of Creative Arts Therapists in medical settings. This is particularly true in psychiatric settings. For instance, NYC Health & Hospitals system employs over 150 Creative Arts Therapists working across the entire system, and most recently established an Arts in Medicine Division. This speaks of the natural intersection of the arts in medical settings.

The field of psychedelics is expanding rapidly. Creative Arts Therapists are well positioned to not only support the development of this field, but also to lead the way in which the experience can be facilitated and integrated. Creative Arts Therapists have developed a robust body of knowledge on how to assist clients in processing trauma and life experiences. Arts are already present in the way psychedelic experiences are delivered. The choice of music, the aesthetics of the space for the session, and the use of arts to document and process the experience. The arts have been present all along in the ceremonial use of psychedelics.

In this panel presentation we aim to explore how we can continue developing the already existing relationship between medical research and the arts to support the development of the field of psychedelics. As research protocols are developed to establish the efficacy of these interventions, Creative Arts Therapists can inform and bridge the most effective aesthetic interventions to support not only the client, but the research design, development, delivery and analysis.