Contents
Substance-assisted therapy has regained a prominent position in scientific research and discussion in recent years. In the public debate, it is mostly researchers from the academic field who comment on it. The focus is and remains on research.
For understandable reasons, practitioners still largely remain underground and thus unheard. Their wealth of experience has therefore not yet found its way into public discourse or research, and thus, paradoxically, not into the public discussion about the design of therapy settings. Exceptions are the few who are or were permitted to practice this form of therapy with special permits.
The conference aims to focus on practical aspects of therapy with psychedelics. It is dedicated to a central theme in the practice of substance-assisted therapy. Very different approaches are represented with regard to the role of support. Some who feel more committed to therapeutic distance have developed from more psychoanalytic roots and are favored by those who view research settings, where few interventions are permitted, as therapy settings. Others come from the background of Holotropic Breathwork®, developed by Stanislav Grof, which limits the role of the support to that of the “facilitator.” Still others consider therapeutic work with therapeutic interventions helpful not only in the preparation and follow-up, but also during substance use sessions. They view the role of the facilitator as that of a more or less active therapist. Those who pursue this approach have a clear understanding of the specific nature of therapeutic interventions in substance use sessions and where and how they differ from interventions in other therapies. These specific characteristics have often developed from practice and represent a significant body of knowledge, which the conference aims to make accessible.
Program
The conference will see presentations by experienced practitioners including partly demonstrations of their work. In addition to the presentations, an intensive exchange between the speakers and the participants is planned. This will provide concrete answers to specific questions and potentially even lead to controversial discussions. The conference is intended as a complement to training programs that primarily impart academic knowledge. The decades of practical experience of the practitioners enriches and complements the theory and academic research, opening up their practical application.
Speakers
Sonia Gomes, creator of Soma Embodiment®
Manuela Mischke-Reeds, Hakomi practitinoer, author of Embodied Psychedelic Therapy (published October 2025)
Friederike Meckel Fischer (invited)
Manuel Aicher, President of the Institute for Substance Assisted Therapy
Organizational Details
The conference will be held in English.
Conference fee: €200, €150 for registration by January 28, 2026, €120 for supporting members of the Istitute for Substance Assisted Therapy, and €100 for students.
Registration by April 25, 2026.
Speakers and further details will follow.