A portfolio of research work including an interpretative phenomenological analysis of MDMA assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.

This portfolio comprises a culmination of research work spanning three years of full- time training on the Practitioner Doctorate course in Psychotherapeutic and Counselling Psychology (PsychD) at the University of Surrey. The research comprises three research reports: a literature review, and two qualitative studies. The literature review explores the psychedelic renaissance, focusing on the resurgence of studies into utility of psychedelic drugs as an adjunct to psychotherapy. The first empirical study is a Thematic Analysis of therapists who have worked with clients when they were under the influence of a psychedelic during a research trial. The study seeks to explore how they experienced the interplay between the drugs and psychotherapeutic practice. The analysis revealed three master themes: i) ‘The Facilitation of Process ii) ‘The Therapeutic Relationship’ iii) ‘The Power of a Transcendental Experience. The second empirical study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) analysis to explore the lived experienced of having MDMA assisted psychotherapy to treat people with a diagnosis of PTSD. Analysis revealed three major themes: i) ‘Existential Freedom’, ii) ‘Beyond the Cartesian Split’, and iii) ‘A Journey Back in Time’