MAPS and International Alliance of Psychedelic Therapy Practitioners Announce Partnership to Advance Training for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

• Collaboration will increase access to practitioner education in the United States and internationally
• Partnership brings experienced psychedelic-assisted therapy practitioners together to guide the next generation of training and professional standards
• Effort supports the long-term development of an evidence-informed, ethical, and sustainable psychedelic-assisted therapy workforce
  
  

WASHINGTON, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) announced a new strategic partnership with the International Alliance of Psychedelic Therapy Practitioners (Psychedelic Therapy Alliance), a professional association formed in 2023 for practitioners offering psychedelic-assisted therapy in legal settings.

MAPS and the Psychedelic Therapy Alliance will work together to strengthen professional education, support the development of clinical and ethical standards, and build the infrastructure needed for that growth, rooted in public benefit and patient wellbeing. The collaboration will support access to psychedelic-assisted therapy training in the United States and internationally while stewarding the inner-directed therapeutic approach, a modality developed in and studied through decades of MAPS-initiated, donor-funded research and refined through the Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials conducted by Resilient Pharmaceuticals (formerly known as MAPS PBC and Lykos Therapeutics).

MAPS and the Psychedelic Therapy Alliance are structuring the effort to prioritize practitioner skill development through comprehensive training, extensive clinical consultation, and continuing education, making quality of care for patients the guiding standard. That nonprofit foundation is also central to how the organizations plan to expand access: The training will draw on the values and priorities that guide MAPS' extensive scholarship and sponsored-attendance programs, built to reach practitioners who serve people in the communities where the need is greatest, rather than concentrating access among those who can already afford it.

"For decades, therapists took profound risks when they supported psychedelic-assisted therapy, even in clinical trials. Today, we are welcoming a rush of practitioners looking for their role in the field.. What matters now is whether we can preserve what we've learned, strengthen professional standards, and create pathways for practitioners to learn from one another. The Psychedelic Therapy Alliance brings together many of the clinicians and educators who helped shape this therapeutic lineage from its earliest stages through today. By partnering with these experts to hold this training program in nonprofit hands, MAPS is investing in the people, relationships, and professional infrastructure that will help ensure psychedelic-assisted therapy develops with integrity, accountability, and deep care for decades to come."
—Betty Aldworth, Co-Executive Director, MAPS

For four decades, MAPS has fostered the development, study, and refinement of psychedelic-assisted therapy alongside thousands of participants, researchers, therapists, and community members. As the field evolves, one of MAPS' central responsibilities is to ensure the knowledge gained through that work continues to evolve alongside the rapidly growing understanding of mental health conditions and their treatments.

The Psychedelic Therapy Alliance's founding members include many of the world's leading experts in the inner-directed therapy model used in those clinical trials, including original developers and stewards of the approach, such as Annie and Michael Mithoefer, Bruce Poulter, Marcela Ot'alora G, Keren Tzarfaty, Ido Siemion, Ingrid Pacey, and others. Together, these leaders represent decades of accumulated clinical knowledge, training, expertise, and patient care experience. The organization draws on that experience to provide community, connection, training, continuing education, and professional resources for practitioners advancing safe, ethical, and evidence-informed psychedelic-assisted therapy. The Alliance will begin accepting new members this month.

"Increasing access to these training initiatives and putting emerging providers in direct contact with the clinicians who developed the inner-directed therapy model is how we make sure mentorship isn't limited in scope. This partnership creates opportunities for culturally adaptive programs to emerge and will empower practitioners all around the world to reflect on how the inner-directed therapy model may be applied in their communities. That kind of access is what a responsible, sustainable psychedelic-assisted therapy workforce actually requires."
— Angelica Garcia, Professional Education Manager, MAPS

Ensuring that practitioners receive high-quality education, mentorship, and ethical guidance is critical to the responsible development of the field, but expanding access is just one half of building a sustainable workforce. As more practitioners enter the field, sustaining that growth also depends on the professional infrastructure to support it.

“As psychedelic-assisted therapy grows, our field needs what every mature healthcare profession relies on: a strong professional community grounded in shared standards, ethical practice, and nonprofit values. Alliance members helped develop and deliver the therapeutic approaches used in landmark clinical trials, and we recognize both the opportunity and responsibility that come with carrying this work forward. Our partnership with MAPS helps ensure that future training, mentorship, and professional development are informed by decades of clinical practice, research, and patient care, while continuing to evolve alongside the needs of the field.”
— Sara Gael, MA, LPC, Interim Executive Director, International Alliance of Psychedelic Therapy Practitioners

The partnership comes at a pivotal moment for psychedelic medicine. As policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and communities continue to define how psychedelic therapies can be responsibly integrated into healthcare systems, MAPS and the Psychedelic Therapy Alliance share a commitment to advancing rigorous training, ethical practice, and evidence-informed standards that support both practitioners and the people they serve. Together, the organizations aim to build the professional infrastructure necessary for the long-term development of psychedelic-assisted therapy and support its continued evolution as an evidence-informed clinical modality in a way that is values-first and built to reach the communities who need it most.

ABOUT MAPS
Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful use of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS previously sponsored the most advanced psychedelic-assisted therapy research in the world and continues to support psychedelic and marijuana research with a focus on the people and places most impacted by trauma. MAPS incubated Resilient Pharmaceuticals (formerly Lykos Therapeutics and the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation), and The Zendo Project, a leader in psychedelic harm reduction. Since MAPS was founded, philanthropic donors and grantors have given more than $150 million to advance psychedelic research, change drug policy, and shape culture.

About the International Alliance of Psychedelic Therapy Practitioners
The International Alliance of Psychedelic Therapy Practitioners, known informally as the Psychedelic Therapy Alliance, is a newly formed professional organization for practitioners who offer psychedelic-assisted therapy in legal settings. The organization provides community, connection, and resources for members; advocates for the responsible use of psychedelic-assisted therapy as the field evolves; sets clinical and ethical standards for the field; and offers training and continuing education to practitioners.

Media Contact:
media@maps.org