Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP)

[Jodistrict]

PSIP stands for Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy. It is a relatively new, body-centered therapeutic modality developed by Saj Razvi, a licensed psychotherapist and researcher, primarily at the Psychedelic Somatic Institute in Colorado.

PSIP believes that much of the root cause of trauma is stored non-cognitively in the autonomic nervous system (the body), rather than primarily in narrative memory or the thinking brain. The therapy uses sub-anesthetic (mild to moderate) doses of cannabis (usually smoked or vaporized) or ketamine to relax the nervous system's defenses, allowing repressed traumatic material to surface spontaneously from the body in the form of physical sensations, emotions, images, or memories — without the client having to "talk about" or cognitively process the trauma in advance.

In his whitepaper, Razvi makes several interesting observations.  He believes that low doses of cannabis can be more effective than higher powered psychedelics, such as psilocybin.  In his protocol, therapeutic guidance is a key feature.   It’s the relational interaction with a therapeutic guide in the psychedelic state which heals. 

This model also shifts the psychedelic session away from the transcendent, mystical, and cosmic to the human and relational.    In order for higher powered psychedelics to be useful, it is first necessary to heal the mind and body with lower powered psychedelics.

“This bypassing of a wounded, underdeveloped ego into mystical states yields experiences that are difficult to integrate into that still unhealed ego. This can lead to peak experiences of liberation, peace, and beauty that are un-integrable into waking consciousness and lead to a need to repeatedly visit transpersonal states.”   - whitepaper  

I am interested in this model, because I have found it to be true with my own experience.   The high powered psychedelics don’t result in long term change, whereas, for me, cannabis is becoming the most useful medicine.

The PSIP Model -  white paper

https://www.psychedelicsomatic.org/white-paper

An excellent introduction on Youtube