Psychedelic Practitioner Training
An intensive 14-week professional programme for healthcare professionals, psychotherapists, counsellors and experienced practitioners preparing to work responsibly with psychedelic-assisted approaches.
Next cohort begins 11 January, 2027
Delivered online between January and April 2027, the programme combines scientific and clinical foundations with sustained small-group learning, practical skills development and teaching shaped for the evolving cultural, professional and regulatory context of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The course has been developed in partnership with PsyTrain, Drug Science and Māori partners in Aotearoa. It brings together PsyEdu’s established practitioner-training model with international expertise and locally grounded perspectives.
From foundational knowledge to practical delivery
Psychedelic-assisted therapies are developing rapidly. Safe and responsible practice requires considerably more than learning a treatment protocol over a few days.
This programme offers an extended learning journey in which participants can acquire knowledge, reflect on its implications, discuss complex questions with peers and experienced practitioners, and begin translating theory into ethically and culturally responsive practice.
The programme progresses from history, pharmacology and the clinical evidence into the practical realities of screening, preparation, therapeutic support, boundaries, challenging experiences, integration, service design and professional practice.
Particular attention is given to the distinctive cultural and healthcare landscape of Aotearoa, including Indigenous perspectives, mushrooms of Aotearoa and the emerging regulatory environment for psychedelic-assisted therapies in New Zealand.
Who is this programme for
Psychedelic Practitioner Training is intended for a multidisciplinary professional cohort, including:
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doctors, nurses and other registered healthcare professional
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psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors
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allied health and complementary healthcare practitioners
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experienced psychedelic practitioners seeking to deepen and formalise their knowledge
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professionals preparing to contribute to psychedelic-assisted services, research or education
Applications will be considered individually to ensure that participants have an appropriate professional background, scope of practice and readiness for the programme.
Completion of the course does not in itself confer authority to prescribe or administer psychedelic medicines. It provides relevant professional education for those wishing to understand and prepare for work within New Zealand’s emerging legal and clinical landscape.
A rich and sustained learning experience
The programme incorporates approximately 150 hours of professional learning across three interconnected elements.
Self-directed study
Participants work through ten core topics, each containing:
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an expert recorded presentation
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carefully selected reading and viewing
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structured reflective practice
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self-assessment activities
Additional learning is organised around five themes that recur throughout the programme, connecting the individual topics with broader questions of ethics, safety, cultural responsiveness, self-awareness and professional development.
Live online teaching
Live teaching provides regular opportunities to explore the material with faculty, tutors and fellow participants. It includes:
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weekly two-hour facilitated Learning Pods
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one-hour tutorials approximately every other week
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three-hour Saturday-morning Intensive Sessions approximately every two weeks
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dedicated pastoral support and professional-development supervision
Learning Pods provide a consistent small group in which participants can discuss each topic, work through cases and ethical dilemmas, develop practical skills and relate the teaching to their own professional context.
The fortnightly Intensives bring the wider cohort together for expert teaching, discussion, experiential and reflective learning, and engagement with both international and New Zealand-based contributors.
Wider and interdisciplinary perspectives
The core curriculum is complemented by teaching on:
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trauma and psychedelic-assisted therapy
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philosophy of mind and non-materialist perspectives
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microdosing and psychedelic use outside clinical settings
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psychedelics in recreational, contemplative and natural settings
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music within psychedelic-assisted therapy
Professional development and assessment
Throughout the programme, participants will develop a Professional Practice and Development Portfolio. This includes reflecting on their existing strengths, identifying areas for development and creating a realistic plan for their next professional steps.
Participants will receive guidance through facilitated reflection, SWOT analysis, SMART planning and pastoral or supervisory conversations.
Successful completion of the learning requirements and assessment leads to the award of a certificate in Psychedelic Practitioner Training.
Course Outline
History and Culture, including mushrooms of Aotearoa
Historical, cultural and Indigenous perspectives on psychedelic use, from traditional practices to the modern psychedelic renaissance, including the ecology and cultural context of psychoactive fungi in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Psychological Models
The pharmacology of psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine; the neuroscience of altered states; and contemporary psychological and neurobiological models of psychedelic action.
Indications and Evidence
The current evidence for psychedelic-assisted approaches across mental-health and other clinical indications, including the strengths and limitations of existing research and important emerging areas.
Screening and Preparation
Participant assessment, contraindications, risk factors, informed consent, expectation-setting and preparation for safer and potentially beneficial psychedelic experiences.
The Psychedelic Experience
The phenomenology of psychedelic states, including common experiences, therapeutic processes, mystical and transpersonal phenomena, and the personal, relational and contextual factors that can influence outcomes.
Boundaries, Consent and Touch
Ethical practice, professional boundaries, consent, the use of touch, power dynamics and safeguarding within psychedelic care.
Challenging Experiences and Adverse Events
The recognition, prevention and management of difficult psychedelic experiences, psychological crises and adverse events, including emergency considerations and post-session support.
Integration
Supporting people to make meaning from psychedelic experiences and translate insights into sustainable psychological, behavioural, relational and practical change.
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Models and Delivery
Contemporary models of psychedelic-assisted therapy, therapeutic approaches, practitioner and facilitator roles, and the practical realities of delivering psychedelic care.
Clinic Design and New Zealand Regulation
The legal, regulatory, operational, ethical and governance considerations involved in establishing and delivering psychedelic-assisted services within New Zealand’s evolving healthcare landscape.
The Faculty
Prof David Nutt
Prof Suresh Muthukumaraswamy
Dr Lauren Macdonald
Prof David Luke
Dr James Simonsson
Dr Bianca Sebben
Musheerah Nuha
Stuart McDonald
Sam Lasham
Jem Stone
Shaun Te Rire McNeil
Sahra Kress
James Bunn
Adam Waugh
Join the First Cohort
$6300 (NZD) + $250 non-refundable enrolment fee
Save $300 (NZD) on the standard course fee if you are among the first 10 applicants to complete enrolment before October 23rd. To qualify, you must be accepted onto the programme and pay the $250 (NZD) enrolment fee and $2,000 (NZD) deposit before the deadline. The Early Bird rate is based on the date you complete enrolment, not the date you submit your application. The application, interview, references and payment process can take up to 10 days, so we strongly recommend applying well before the deadline.
We recognise that the cost of professional education can be a significant barrier. A limited number of bursaries will be available for: practitioners on lower incomes, Māori, Pacific peoples and members of other marginalised or under-represented communities, LGBTQ+ practitioners and others whose perspectives are under-represented within healthcare and psychedelic practice, and practitioners who can demonstrate an established commitment to serving marginalised, deprived or underserved communities
Applicants will be invited to provide relevant information as part of a confidential bursary application. Availability is limited, and support will be allocated according to financial need, representation and likely community benefit.
PsyEdu
PsyEdu is one of the UK’s leading Psychedelic Educational organisations, and it is our vision to be the national centre of excellence.
PsyEdu is made up of a broad spectrum of health professionals all involved in the psychedelic renaissance, and run the UK’s only Professional Certificate in Psychedelic Practice programme. It brings in leading lights from other institutions, most notably, several experts from Imperial, the de-facto leader in clinical research in the UK.
PsyTrain NZ
The Psychedelic Training Centre NZ was established to ensure that professionals across Aotearoa have access to world-class, industry-leading psychedelic training. It is the first New Zealand-based organisation dedicated to equipping Kiwis with the knowledge and skills needed to work in psychedelic medicine.
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.
