Next cohort begins 21 February 2027
Training focuses on evidence-based, standardised approaches to PAT that may be integrated with clinicians’ existing psychotherapeutic experience and clinical practice. The course includes a combination of face-to-face and online learning and self-study. It's delivered over 14 weeks of online learning and a 6-day, full-time, face-to-face residential workshop. The main psychedelic medicines this course focuses on are MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine.
About the Program
Psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) are delivered by treatment teams with three main roles: prescriber, primary therapist and secondary therapist. This course has been developed to address the training needs for the three roles, recognising the desirability of members of PAT teams to understand the entire PAT treatment process and the roles each assumes. The Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy™ course provides appropriately qualified and experienced healthcare professionals with the necessary capabilities, knowledge and skills to safely and successfully facilitate PAT in a clinical environment, in accordance with their role as prescriber, or primary or secondary therapist.
Prescribers: For those who have the necessary qualifications to prescribe psychedelic medicines, this course will equip them with the knowledge and skills to create and document a PAT treatment protocol, and safely prescribe specific psychedelic medicines for specific mental health conditions.
Therapists: The course will prepare appropriately qualified and experienced healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary to safely and effectively support patients undergoing PAT as primary or secondary therapists. Note that the ability to practice as a primary therapist in PAT is also dependent on prior relevant clinical experience in psychotherapy.
Course structure
The course will take place over a period of 4 months with:
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78 hours of face-to-face or webinar-based tuition and practical instruction
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43 hours of additional reading, reflection and self-study expected of participants
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Pre-course reading schedule
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14 online 3 hour sessions: delivered on Sundays, containing lectures with our world class faculty and practical skill development.
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One 6-day Intensive Retreat: with primary focus on practical learning and consolidation of therapeutic skills, working with videos of real sessions, role play, feedback on skills learning and further development guidance. The residential uses breathwork to allow participants to experience an altered state based therapy and apply the clinical skills they have developed during the course.
Assessments: a quiz for each module, a self-reflection task, a written task and a video recorded role-play of a PAT scenario.
Who is it for?
The CPAT™ course aims to build on skills already acquired and used by professionals working in the mental health field. The three main roles in administering PAT are the Prescriber, Primary Therapist and Secondary Therapist.
Note that this is not an entry level course that qualifies an individual to practice psychotherapy. Applicants are expected to already be qualified to practice in the mental healthcare field and have relevant clinical experience.
The CPAT™ course is available to a variety of mental healthcare professionals including:
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Psychiatrists
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Medical Practitioners
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Psychologists
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Registered Psychotherapists and Counsellors
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Nurses
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Social Workers
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Occupational Therapists
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Registered Allied Health Professionals
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Addiction Specialists
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Pharmacists
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Spiritual Carers
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Some Complementary Medicine Practitioners
Other relevant healthcare professionals may be considered.
Admission into the CPAT™ is dependent on several factors including potential role in PAT (prescriber, primary therapist, secondary therapist), professional qualifications, and capacity of the applicant to successfully undertake and complete the CPAT™. Preference will be given to applicants who have clinical experience in mental healthcare. Australian applicants who are registered with AHPRA or a relevant professional association are welcome to apply. Applicants from outside these categories are also encouraged to apply and will be assessed on their qualifications, experience, and commitment to the field.
Certificate in
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies™
The CPAT™ course by Mind Medicine Australia (MMA) is a part online and part face-to-face professional training that provides healthcare and mental health professionals with the knowledge and skills to safely and effectively administer psychedelic-assisted therapies in clinical settings.
Accreditation
Mind Medicine Australia’s Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies™ is accredited by the Australian Medical CPD Standard.
Psychiatrists & other Medical Doctors
CPAT™ is accredited for 113 hours of Educational Activity and 14 hours of Reviewing Performance, under the new CPD Program for Medical Practitioners. It has been peer-reviewed by an independent panel of psychiatrists.
Psychologists & other Healthcare Professionals
CPAT™ is accredited for 127 hours of CPD. It has been peer-reviewed by an independent panel of psychologists.
All our training courses and events may also be used to claim ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points in Australia through your professional colleges or associations. Please check with your professional membership body for the appropriate category and number of points.
“The CPAT™ course covers all didactic material relevant to ‘psychedelic therapy’ delivered by international and Australian experts. The ‘retreat’, led by experienced facilitators, is the peak and heart of the course, giving trainees a deep, natural, transpersonal, drug-free experience of mimicking the psychedelic state.”
Dr Stephen Proud, Psychiatrist, WA
"CPAT™ provided an intersection of evidence-based information and experiential learning. I was invited to explore the edges of my personal growth in terms of openness to interdisciplinary practice and openness to other perspectives both medical and spiritual. I have made friends and formed professional connections."
Megan Smoak, Psychologist, TAS
“In my 30 years of work as a psychologist, I have never attended such an engaging and informative course of this calibre. The lecturers are world class experts in the field providing not just theories but also practical teachings along with experiential training. This course broadens my mind and also my heart.”
Maurizio Romano, Psychotherapist
Core Course Content Includes
The online teaching component covers the topics here and much more across the 14 weeks. This is followed by the 6-day residential.
Our residentials are set at the beautiful Yarra Valley Estate in Victoria's renowned Yarra Valley. This venue offers a peaceful natural setting that supports the depth of learning, reflection, and connection that sits at the heart of this program. Surrounded by the landscapes of the Yarra Valley, the estate provides an ideal environment for participants to immerse themselves fully in the training experience while connecting with a community dedicated to advancing safe, evidence-based breakthrough therapies.
History of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Key Concepts of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Essentials of Pharmacology & the REBUS Theory
You, the Therapist
Ethics, Diversity & Touch
Screening and Preparation
Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy
MDMA-Assisted Therapy
The Faculty
Dr Gita Vaid
(Course Director)
Dr Maria-Elena Lukeides
(Australian Course Director)
Dr Stephen Proud
(Australian Course Director)
Prof David Nutt
Dr Bessel van der Kolk
Dr Rick Doblin
Dr Ravid Erritzøe
Dr Lauren Macdonald
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Dr James Fadiman
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Dr Eli Kotler
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Dr Gabor Maté CM
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Dr Peter Levine
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Rabbi Tirzah Firestone
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Dr William (Bill) Richards
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Dr Richard Schwartz
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Dr Philip Wolfson
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Licia Sky
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Bianca King
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Dr Julia King Olivier
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Dr Charles Nichols
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Jeff Leifer
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Sara Reed
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Dr Dave Rabin
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Dr Janelle Trees
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Namae Ntumae
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Dr Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner
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Ivar Goksøyr
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Dr Joe Tafur
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Jimena Doval Clarke
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Francoise Bourzat
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Trudi Hayes
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Tania de Jong AM
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Peter Hunt AM
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Scott Edwards
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Emma Park
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Apply for an Upcoming Intake
$10, 950 AUD (by instalments) or $9,950 (upfront payment)
A $250 AUD application fee is required upon applying. Financial assistance is available to those who are unable to afford the full fee. Apply for assistance directly here.
2027 Cohort 1: February 21 – June 20
First residential: May 31st – June 5th
Second residential: June 8th – June 13th
2027 Cohort 2: July 25 – November 21
First residential: November 4th – November 9th
Second residential: November 12th – November 17th
All residentials are held in Victoria at the Yarra Valley Estate. First residential is recommended for those in NSW, ACT, QLD and NZ, while the second residential is recommended for those in VIC, TAS, SA, WA and NT.
Mind Medicine Australia
Mind Medicine Australia is a registered charity working to alleviate the suffering and suicides caused by mental illness by expanding treatment options through the safe, clinical use of psychedelic-assisted therapies to treat depression, trauma, addictions and other intractable conditions. MMA’s wholly clinical focus includes building a national ecosystem encompassing professional development for health practitioners through the world-leading Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (CPAT)™, patient access pathways, medicine supplies, regulatory and research advancements, clinical rollouts and widespread awareness and education. MMA made global history through their successful rescheduling applications for psilocybin and MDMA making Australia the first nation in the world to reschedule these medicines for clinical use in 2023.
Drug Science
Drug Science is the only completely independent, science-led drugs charity in the UK, uniquely bringing together leading drug experts from a wide range of specialisms to carry out ground-breaking research into drug harms and effects.
Drug Science works to provide an evidence base free from political or commercial influence, creating the foundation for sensible and effective drug laws, and equipping the public, media and policymakers with the knowledge and resources to enact positive change.
