As Psilocybin Therapy Vancouver has experienced a resurgence, many people are finding themselves looking for ways to harness these experiences for mental health and personal growth. In a safe, supported environment, psilocybin-assisted therapy can release a lifetime of ingrained stress and trauma. The experience can also reveal profound insights into the self and the world around us. With the help of a trained therapist, these experiences can be incredibly meaningful and transformative.

But the number of unregulated guides and therapists who are offering this treatment is alarming to researchers, like Mark Haden, an executive director with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Canada, or Maps. Several dozen of them operate in the Metro Vancouver area alone, Haden says. And he believes some of them are putting the safety of their patients at risk.

Psilocybin Therapy Vancouver: Transformative Mental Health Support

The CBC reported that Buisson signed up for the experimental MDMA sessions in a last-ditch attempt to treat her post-traumatic stress disorder and depression caused by childhood sexual abuse. She says the therapists told her they were helping her find meaning in her life and she was hopeful that the treatment would improve her mental wellness. But, as the podcast Cover Story: Power Trip revealed, she was treated in a way that has left her deeply distressed. The videos show a lot of intimate contact, including physical touching and groping, with therapists Michael Yensen and Erin Boaz reciting chants and breathing exercises.

PATH Therapy has been charged with sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, and drug trafficking offences and have lost their licences to practice. Buisson said she can’t watch the video footage of her psilocybin session because it triggers her PTSD and has made it difficult for her to maintain a relationship with her family and friends.