Braxia Scientific Corp announced that it has completed psilocybin-assisted therapy training of the first cohort of 20 therapists from diverse psychiatry and psychotherapy backgrounds.
This program was implemented by the Braxia Institute, the company's training center focused on advancing psychiatric clinical practice and health services of ketamine and psychedelic treatment therapy.
Through this program, therapists will be competent to perform psilocybin-assisted therapy in upcoming clinical trials conducted by Braxia Scientific and its subsidiaries, evaluating the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in depression.
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The company anticipates pending regulatory approval of psilocybin, therapists would also be trained to implement psychedelics in clinical practice.
"Psilocybin-assisted therapy is a rapidly growing and evolving area of interest for medical professionals, clinicians, and patients with multiple mental health conditions, including treatment-resistant depression,” said Roger McIntyre, CEO of Braxia in a statement.
He added: “Combining the effects of psilocybin with the support of psychotherapy from a qualified and trusted therapist allows a patient to process the psilocybin experience with the therapist, providing the basis for a better treatment outcome."
Trainees experienced and learned, through pre-readings, didactic teaching, peer teaching, group discussion, and simulations, which provided important background on the use of psilocybin for treating depression and practical considerations for providing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.
The company added that all the enrolled therapists were also required to complete a practicum component, in which medical professionals gained experience in administering psilocybin-assisted therapy for participants with depression as part of an upcoming Health Canada-approved clinical trial.
Participants in the Braxia Institute training program came from diverse therapy backgrounds. This co-creation is also a parallel process with the therapy itself, as psilocybin-assisted therapy relies on a personal journey with minimal top-down direction from the therapist.
McIntyre said: "We are encouraged to see the growing number of clinical studies focused on demonstrating that psilocybin, and potentially other psychedelics, may be safe and effective in treating people with mental health conditions, and we are focused on providing healthcare professionals with the training, competencies and practical experience to address the need for safe, legal and affordable access to high-quality psilocybin-assisted therapy as regulatory approval is sought for these innovative treatments."
Through this program, the Toronto-based medical research company is working to develop, train, and support qualified, independent medical physicians, psychologists, and psychotherapists skilled in best practices to implement safe and effective psilocybin-assisted therapy for patients with depression.
Braxia is a medical research company with clinics that provide innovative ketamine treatments for persons with depression and related disorders. The company is focused on reducing the illness burden of brain-based mental disorders such as major depressive disorder among others.
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