What is it about?
Psychedelic therapy has shown promise for treating depression, anxiety, and addiction — but researchers still debate how it actually works. This paper suggests that psychedelic therapy may not be a completely new kind of treatment, but rather another way of doing psychotherapy. Drawing on Klaus Grawe’s model of “general change mechanisms,” the authors propose that psychedelic experiences help people heal through the same psychological processes found in all effective therapies: activating personal strengths, building a strong therapeutic relationship, confronting problems, gaining insight, and practicing new ways of coping. By linking psychedelic and psychotherapy research, the paper offers a unified understanding of how meaningful change happens in altered states.
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Why is it important?
As psychedelics move from clinical trials to possible medical use, understanding how they promote psychological change is essential for safe and effective therapy. This work bridges two previously separate fields — psychedelic science and psychotherapy research. Seeing psychedelic therapy through the lens of established psychotherapy theory helps guide therapist training, improve clinical protocols, and prevent the field from “reinventing the wheel.” It also supports a more evidence-based and integrative approach to psychedelic treatment.
Perspectives
I’m very happy that this paper was published in Psychological Review, where it will likely reach many researchers outside the usual “psychedelic bubble” — including experts in psychotherapy, clinical psychology, and related fields. This broader audience is exactly where I hope the discussion will grow
Max Wolff
Zentralinstitut fur Seelische Gesundheit
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Common factors in altered states: Understanding psychedelic therapy through the lens of Grawe’s general change mechanisms., Psychological Review, October 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/rev0000589.
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