How to explore therapeutic use of MDMA/psychedelics (Toronto)

October 12, 2023 7:11 PM

I'm curious about exploring the use of MDMA and/or psychedelics for therapy. I'm in Toronto. What options could I look into?

Some background: I've had some trouble with anxiety/depression in the past at times, but mental health right now is pretty a-okay. I've done lots of traditional therapy, CBT, mindfulness etc. I've done psychedlics a few times, long ago (very positive experiences), never MDMA

I'm looking more for growth/flourishing/learning than treatment of a any particular malady or disorder.

posted by PersonPerson to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

It’s pretty easy to get psilocybin rather than MDMA if you’re open to an alternative psychedelic. This site has been helpful to me in learning about integration after dosing, and they have weekly online meetings that are very supportive for people who aren’t too experienced with psychedelics. You need to pay for membership, but I have found it worthwhile.
posted by waving at 10:40 PM on October 12, 2023

MDMA-assisted therapy is usually for people with specific diagnoses, not a general treatment. Here is the website for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - Public Benefit Corporation: https://mapsbcorp.com/
posted by wicked_sassy at 8:16 AM on October 13, 2023

I can't tell from your post if you're including psilocybin as a psychedelic. If you are, and you're looking for a structured approach that's ideal for beginners, I would recommend looking into popular methods like the Fadiman Protocol (brief summary: wait two days between each microdose, and microdose over a period of 1-2 months) or the Paul Stamets "stack," where you combine your microdose with niacin (B3) and the non-psychedelic mushroom Lion's Mane (readily available from most vitamin and supplement shops).

I have done the Fadiman Protocol a few times over the past two years, and it's been a huge help as far as making me more open minded and accepting. Since you've already done a lot of therapy and meditation, it sounds like you're probably in the right headspace (and have the appropriate foundation) to try microdosing.

I also recommend checking out the microdosing subreddit. It's a good resource where you can speak with folks who have meaningful experience and knowledge with microdosing not only psilocybin, but also MDMA and other psychedelics.
posted by nightrecordings at 11:00 AM on October 13, 2023