A 5-Part Training with Self-Paced and In-Person Components to Prepare Therapists for work on Clinical Research Trials
This training consists of 5 parts:
The training is self-paced except where live-online or live in-person sessions are indicated.
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Part 1 provides an overview of the context, history, general principles of 5-MeO-DMT-assisted therapy, and orientation to the ethics of psychedelic-assisted therapy. This session also covers the background section of the manual.
Estimated time: 15 hours
This portion of the training is entirely self-paced. -
Part 2 is specific to the maualized treatment approach we are using in this program of research. It includes a review of the manual and video demonstrations of two full cases.
Estimated time: 15 hours
This portion of the training includes a 90-minute Peer Sharing and Listening Session. -
Part 3 includes further exploration of the ethics of psychedelic-assisted therapy, and a self-reflection and peer discussion group to explore challenges and develop ethical competence.
Estimated time: 5 hours
This portion of the training includes a 90-minute Peer Sharing and Listening Session. -
Part 4 is a live, in-person 3-day training consisting of role plays in which trainees can experience the therapist and participant role and learn from their experiences.
Estimated time: 21 hours
This portion fo the training is conducted live in-person -
Part 5 is a skills assessment conducted by training staff.
Estimated time: 3 hours
This portion of the training is conducted live-online.
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Meet the Instructors
Dr. Elizabeth Nielson
Chief Visionary Officer, Co-Founder and Lead Trainer
Dr. Elizabeth Nielson is a co-founder of Fluence and a psychologist with a focus on developing psychedelic medicines as empirically supported treatments for PTSD, substance use problems, and mood disorders. Dr. Nielson is a Site Co-Principal Investigator and therapist for an FDA approved Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and has served as a therapist on FDA approved clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder, psilocybin-assisted treatment of treatment resistant depression, and earlier phase 2 and 3 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Through Fluence, she provides continuing education and training programs for therapists who wish to engage in integration of psychedelic experiences in clinical settings. Her research includes qualitative and mixed-methods projects designed to further understand the phenomenology and mechanisms of change in psychedelic-assisted therapy, including the experiences of trial participants and of the therapists themselves. Having completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at NYU, she has published and presented on topics of psychedelic therapist training, therapists’ personal experience with psychedelics, and including psychedelic integration in group and individual psychotherapy.
Dr. Ingmar Gorman
Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Lead Trainer
Dr. Ingmar Gorman is a co-founder of Fluence, a psychedelic education company training mental health providers in psychedelic treatments. As a psychologist, he shares his expertise in empirically supported psychedelic treatments with his clients and trainees alike. Dr. Gorman received his clinical training in New York City at the New School for Social Research, Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, Columbia University, and Bellevue Hospital. He completed his NIH postdoctoral fellowship at New York University. He simultaneously served as site co-principal investigator on an FDA approved Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and is currently a study therapist on the same study, as well as another FDA approved clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment resistant depression. Dr. Gorman has published on the topics of classic psychedelics, ketamine, MDMA, and Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration.
Dr. Xiaojue Hu, MD
Assistant Trainer
Dr. Xiaojue Hu is a psychiatrist based in New York City. She’s currently the Co-Investigator and a study therapist on a clinical trial investigating the impact of psilocybin on the treatment of major depression at the New York University School of Medicine. Xiaojue is also in private practice at an integrative mental health clinic, working with pioneering nutritional psychiatrist Drew Ramsey. She is trained in Focusing, a mind-body therapeutic approach, as well as psychedelic integration. Xiaojue is also interested in spirituality, women’s mental health, and cultural psychiatry, having worked as the leading psychiatrist at the Asian Bicultural Clinic at Gouverneur Health, an NYU-affiliated clinic providing care to the underserved. At Fluence, Xiaojue teaches psilocybin-assisted therapy for research therapists and is a Mentor for Certificate Program Trainees.
Dr. Dan Roberts, MD, MSW
Assistant Trainer
Dr. Dan Roberts is psychiatrist based in New York City. He is currently a lead study therapist on a clinical trial investigating the impact of psilocybin on the treatment of major depression at the New York University School of Medicine. Prior to a career transition into medicine and psychiatry, he worked as a clinical social worker, specializing in treating co-occurring disorders both in individual and group psychotherapy. Dan is also interested in meditation and contemplative practices, as well as depth psychology frameworks such as psychoanalysis and Jungian psychology.
Aja Molinar, MA
Diversity Fund Manager and Assistant Trainer
Aja Molinar is a graduate student in psychology at the New School for Social Research, where she is a member of the Psychopathology Lab. Aja is also a member of the Portland Psychedelics Virtual Research Lab led by Dr. Jason Luoma and Dr. Brian Pilecki. She is interested in psychedelic science, in addition to research on boredom and depression. Within the Psychopathology Lab, she is also part of a team designing a protocol to measure clinical outcomes for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Aja has also assisted in writing a peer-reviewed article with Dr. Ingmar Gorman and Dr. Elizabeth Nielson on psychedelic harm reduction and integration.
David Gumpel, MA
Student Support & Technology and Assistant Trainer
David Gumpel is an Integral Master Coach and a qualified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through UMASS medical school. David is the co-founder of Access Mindfulness and a study coordinator for the MAPS sponsored MDMA-Assisted Therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder study in NYC. As a coach, David teaches mindfulness to clients in private practice and to groups in corporate settings. At Fluence, David provides Mentoring and teaches MBSR courses for Certificate Program Participants. Find him online at ebcpathways.com.
Candace Oglesby, LCPC
Assistant Trainer
Candace Oglesby is a licensed professional counselor (LCPC) and board approved supervisor in the state of Maryland. She also holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She is the program director for the Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) program at Gladstone Psychiatry & Wellness, located in Columbia, MD. Candace specializes in working with diverse adult populations, specifically women of color, who present with substance use addiction and trauma like symptoms. Candace is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS). She is a consultant in training for EMDR. Candace also specializes in providing culturally competent/humility care for black and brown clients who have experienced racial trauma.
Candace is also the founder and owner of Jurnee Mental Health Consulting, LLC, a consulting business that provides support to individuals and businesses looking to deepen their understanding of mental health and provides support and resources to marginalized communities. Within her consulting business, she hosts healing circles for black women, which is a safe space for like-minded black women to come together to discuss issues around racial trauma and isolation. Candace is a DEI consultant, research clinical therapist, and featured presenter. The purpose of her work is to help bring awareness to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In addition, Candace is a community ambassador for Black Therapist Rock (BTR) which is a non-profit organization that increases awareness of social and psychological issues impacting vulnerable communities and reducing stigma related to mental health. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. When Candace is not acting as psychotherapist, CEO, board member, and volunteer she is spending time with her partner, family, and friends.
Dr. Jeffrey Guss
Lead Trainer and Psychoanalytic Program Director
Jeffrey Guss, MD, is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and researcher with specializations in psychoanalytic therapy, addictions and psychedelic therapy. He was Co-Principal Investigator and Director of Psychedelic Therapy Training for the NYU School of Medicine’s study on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of cancer related existential distress, and is currently is a study therapist on studies of Psilocybin-Assisted treatment of Major Depressive Disorder and MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. Dr. Guss is interested in the integration of psychedelic therapies with contemporary psychoanalytic theory and has published in Studies in Gender and Sexuality and Psychoanalysis, Culture and Society. He co-authored a paper on the influence of therapists’ first hand experience with psychedelics on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research and is an Instructor and Mentor with the California Institute of Integral Studies’ Center for Psychedelic Therapies. He maintains a private practice in New York City.
Johan Eriksson
Assistant Trainer
Johan Eriksson is a psychologist and therapist on his Sweden’s first clinical trial of psilocybin treatment for depression at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, sponsored by Osmond Labs. He has a background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). He works with clients for psychedelic preparation and integration, as well as general psychotherapy in private practice. In 2016 Johan co-founded the Swedish Network for Psychedelic Science (NPV), and in 2019 he arranged and participated in the first Psychedelics 101 and 102 in Sweden. Johan has also co-author a peer-reviewed paper on ACT and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. His web page is www.psykologiskintegration.se.
Julia King Olivier, MD
Assistant Trainer
Julia King Olivier, MD, is a Swiss trained psychiatrist and psychotherapist for adults, adolescents and children working for over a decade in a private practice in Geneva, Switzerland. She is part of the 2021 Boston Cohort of the CIIS Certificate Program in Psychedelic Therapy and Research and is currently completing part E of the five-part training in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy through the MAPS organization. She is the Founder of the Compassionate Care Center in Geneva, Switzerland, providing psychedelic assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD, depression and existential distress in patients with terminal illness. She is an avid Wim Hof breathwork practitioner and enjoys year round open water swimming with her husband and sons in Lake Geneva.
Haya Al-Hejailan, MSc
Assistant Trainer
Haya is a wellbeing coach, positive psychology practitioner and psychedelic integrationist. She holds a B.A. in psychology from Claremont McKenna College where she focused her senior thesis on the clinical uses of psychedelics. She recently received an MSc in applied positive psychology and coaching psychology from the University of East London, with a dissertation research project exploring the impact of psychedelic use on wellbeing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Haya is co-directing and co-producing The Psychedelic Renaissance Documentary and works as an events planner for The Psychedelic Society UK. She has previously worked as an administrator with Synthesis retreats and was involved with the French psychedelic society. Haya intends to dedicate her career in the field to help bridge the gap between psychedelic science and cultures in the SWANA/MENA region (South West Asia and North Africa/Middle East and North Africa).
