The Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy

The Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy, Medical and health, Calgary, AB.

CAN-PACT, which stands for the Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy, is a national initiative funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), and Brain Canada.

🍄 Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is receiving growing attention—but what does it actually involve? Many people assum...
08/26/2026

🍄 Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is receiving growing attention—but what does it actually involve?

Many people assume it’s simply about the medicine. In reality, the medicine is just one part of a much larger therapeutic process.

👉 In this short clip, we introduce the foundations of PAT and why preparation, the therapeutic setting, and integration all play an essential role.

👉 Watch the full 5-minute video on YouTube to learn how the complete process works—from preparation to integration. Link in Bio! Or:
https://youtu.be/TF6232BCMrQ

✨ If you found this helpful, consider sharing it to help others better understand psychedelic-assisted therapy. ✨

Music is one of the most carefully considered elements of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Rather than creating a playlist ...
08/24/2026

Music is one of the most carefully considered elements of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Rather than creating a playlist based solely on personal favourites, therapists often select music that can support different stages of the therapeutic experience.

Research suggests that music used during dosing sessions often shares several characteristics: it is typically instrumental, flows smoothly from one piece to the next, has a slower tempo, evokes emotion without overwhelming the listener, and may incorporate natural sounds or textures. Together, these qualities can help reduce distractions, encourage inward focus, support emotional exploration, and promote a sense of calm and grounding throughout the session.

It’s also important to remember that there is no single “perfect” playlist. Music should be thoughtfully tailored to the individual, their preferences, and the therapeutic goals of the session.

🎵 What qualities do you think would help create a supportive playlist for a psychedelic therapy session?

📚️ Sources
Barrett FS, Robbins H, Smooke D, Brown JL, Griffiths RR. Qualitative and quantitative features of music reported to support peak mystical experiences during psychedelic therapy sessions. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022;13:873455. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873455

Strickland JC, Garcia-Romeu A, Johnson MW. Set and Setting: A Randomized Study of Different Musical Genres in Supporting Psychedelic Therapy. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science. 2021;4(2):472–478. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsptsci.0c00187

🍄 Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is receiving growing attention—but what does it actually involve? Many people assum...
08/19/2026

🍄 Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is receiving growing attention—but what does it actually involve?

Many people assume it’s simply about the medicine. In reality, the medicine is just one part of a much larger therapeutic process.

👉 In this short clip, we introduce the foundations of PAT and why preparation, the therapeutic setting, and integration all play an essential role.

👉 Watch the full video on YouTube to learn how the complete process works—from preparation to integration. Link in Bio! Or:
https://youtu.be/TF6232BCMrQ

✨ If you found this helpful, consider sharing it to help others better understand psychedelic-assisted therapy. ✨

🌿 PACT-FACTS: “M**A Is Just for Raves” M**A is often dismissed as a “party drug” tied only to raves and festivals — but ...
08/14/2026

🌿 PACT-FACTS: “M**A Is Just for Raves”

M**A is often dismissed as a “party drug” tied only to raves and festivals — but research shows this stereotype doesn’t reflect how or why many people actually use it.

✨ What the research shows:
People report using M**A in a range of settings, including private and intentional environments — not only nightlife scenes. Motivations vary widely. While some seek energy or euphoria, others describe intentions related to emotional reflection, connection, or self-insight, which are linked to different experiences and outcomes.

🧠 Intentions (“Mindset”) matters.
Individuals who approached M**A use with reflective or mixed intentions were more likely to report longer-term social and emotional benefits, such as improved empathy and relationships, compared to those using it purely for stimulation.

⚠️ This is not an endorsement of use.
M**A is a controlled substance and is not legal for general use. Legal M**A use occurs only within approved clinical trials or regulated medical pathways, where screening, professional supervision, and safety protocols are in place.

✨ Bottom line:
M**A is not “just for raves,” but it is also not risk-free or appropriate for everyone. Understanding context (“setting”), intention (“set”), and — critically — legal and professional oversight is essential for informed, harm-reduction-focused conversations.

📖 Source:
Móró, L., Simonsson, O., & Hendricks, P. S. (2024). Motivations for M**A use and associations with long-term social and emotional outcomes. Scientific Reports, 14, 1355.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51355-6

✨ Follow Along for More PACT-FACTS!

What concerns healthcare providers about psychedelic-assisted therapy? As interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT)...
08/12/2026

What concerns healthcare providers about psychedelic-assisted therapy?

As interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) continues to grow, many healthcare providers recognize its potential while also identifying important challenges that need to be addressed before broader clinical implementation.

In this qualitative study, providers highlighted five key areas of concern:

👉 Safety & potential risks – Developing clear screening criteria, standardized treatment protocols, and evidence-based safety guidelines can help clinicians identify appropriate candidates and manage potential risks.

👉 Need for more clinical evidence – Continued high-quality clinical trials across different patient populations and conditions are needed to strengthen the evidence base and guide best practices.

👉 Regulatory uncertainty – Clear, evidence-informed policies and substance-specific clinical guidelines can help providers understand when and how psychedelic-assisted therapies may be appropriately integrated into care.

👉 Infrastructure & resource limitations – Delivering PAT requires more than the medicine itself. Providers emphasized the need for dedicated clinical spaces, adequate staffing, sufficient funding, and time for preparation and integration sessions.

👉 Provider education & training – Interdisciplinary education and competency-based training can help healthcare providers better understand psychedelic therapies, their risks and benefits, patient selection, and the importance of preparation and integration.

Together, these findings suggest that the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy depends not only on continued research, but also on thoughtful implementation. Addressing these challenges may help support the safe, ethical, and evidence-informed integration of PAT into healthcare.

📖 Source:
Schuman HDM, Mina R, Barkova S, Nguyen T, Deleemans JM, Carlson LE. Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Across Clinical Contexts: “I Can Offer Medical Assistance in Dying, but I Can’t Prescribe Psychedelics.” 2026;15:1-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/27536130261459354

🍄 Psychedelics can be used in different contexts, and those contexts can shape the goals, support, and overall experienc...
08/10/2026

🍄 Psychedelics can be used in different contexts, and those contexts can shape the goals, support, and overall experience.

👉 Clinical psychedelic-assisted therapy is conducted within a healthcare or research setting and is designed with participant safety and therapeutic outcomes in mind. It typically includes medical screening, preparation, support from trained professionals during the dosing session, and follow-up integration to help participants process and apply their experience.

👉 Recreational use, on the other hand, is generally self-directed and may occur in a wide range of settings with different motivations, levels of preparation, and types of support.

Understanding these differences is important when interpreting research findings and discussing the potential role of psychedelics in healthcare. While the same substance may be involved, the surrounding context—including preparation, safety measures, therapeutic support, and integration—is an essential part of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT).

📩 Want more evidence-based resources and updates on psychedelic-assisted cancer therapy? Subscribe to the CAN-PACT newsletter to stay informed about the latest research, network initiatives, educational resources, and upcoming opportunities.

🤔 When does healthy skepticism become a barrier to innovation? For this edition of Publication Discussions, we explore a...
08/03/2026

🤔 When does healthy skepticism become a barrier to innovation?

For this edition of Publication Discussions, we explore a study examining how Canadian healthcare providers view psychedelic-assisted therapies across clinical settings, including oncology and palliative care.

Rather than finding providers who were either “for” or “against” psychedelic-assisted therapies, the researchers found a much more nuanced picture. Most participants expressed cautious optimism—recognizing the therapeutic potential while also raising important questions about safety, evidence, regulation, training, and implementation.

The study also highlights that integrating a new therapy into healthcare depends on much more than clinical evidence alone. Healthcare providers identified practical barriers such as limited clinical guidelines, funding, infrastructure, education, trained providers and regulatory uncertainty, all of which influence whether innovative treatments can become part of routine care.

For CAN-PACT, these findings reinforce that advancing psychedelic-assisted cancer care is about more than generating evidence. It also requires supporting healthcare providers and policymakers with the education, clinical guidance, and systems needed to deliver these therapies safely, ethically, and responsibly.

💬 Final slide question: When does healthy skepticism become a barrier to innovation?

📚 Source: Schuman HDM, Mina R, Barkova S, Nguyen T, Deleemans JM, Carlson LE. Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies Across Clinical Contexts: “I Can Offer Medical Assistance in Dying, but I Can’t Prescribe Psychedelics”. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health. 2026;15. https://doi.org/10.1177/27536130261459354

🎼 🍄 Music is more than just background sound during psychedelic-assisted therapy—it is considered an important part of t...
07/30/2026

🎼 🍄 Music is more than just background sound during psychedelic-assisted therapy—it is considered an important part of the therapeutic experience.

Research suggests that carefully curated playlists can help support different stages of a dosing session by encouraging relaxation, emotional processing, and inward reflection. While there is no single “perfect” playlist, certain genres are commonly incorporated into psychedelic therapy because of their calming, immersive, and emotionally supportive qualities.

The genres featured here have all been used in research or clinical practice to help create a supportive therapeutic environment. Ultimately, the best playlist is one that is thoughtfully curated to meet the individual’s needs, preferences, and the goals of the session.

🎵 What kind of music would you choose to help you feel calm, present, and supported?

References
Strickland JC, Garcia-Romeu A, Johnson MW. Set and Setting: A Randomized Study of Different Musical Genres in Supporting Psychedelic Therapy. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science. 2021;4(2):472–478. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsptsci.0c00187

Barrett FS, Robbins H, Smooke D, Brown JL, Griffiths RR. Qualitative and quantitative features of music reported to support peak mystical experiences during psychedelic therapy sessions. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022;13:873455. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873455

Sleep plays a critical role in mental health—but could it also influence how people respond to psilocybin-assisted thera...
07/27/2026

Sleep plays a critical role in mental health—but could it also influence how people respond to psilocybin-assisted therapy?

This review examined the current evidence on sleep and psilocybin, alongside preliminary data from people who participated in guided psilocybin experiences.

The authors found that:
😴 Sleep disturbances improved following psilocybin use.
📉 Depressive symptoms also improved.
🧠 More severe sleep disturbances at baseline were associated with a lower likelihood of depression remission.

Importantly, the authors emphasize that sleep has received relatively little attention in psychedelic research. While these early findings are promising, more studies are needed to better understand how sleep may influence therapeutic outcomes and whether improving sleep could enhance treatment response.

As psychedelic research continues to evolve, understanding factors that contribute to better outcomes—not just whether a treatment works—may help support more personalized approaches to care.

📖 SOURCE
Reid MJ, Kettner H, Blanken TF, Weiss B, Carhart-Harris R. Preliminary Evidence of Sleep Improvements Following Psilocybin Administration, and their Involvement in Antidepressant Therapeutic Action. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-024-01539-8

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) involves more than the dosing session alone. It is typically delivered in three inter...
07/23/2026

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) involves more than the dosing session alone. It is typically delivered in three interconnected stages, each with its own purpose in supporting the therapeutic process.

🧠 Preparation helps build trust, establish safety, set intentions, and ensure participants understand what to expect.

🍄 Dosing is the medicine session itself, where participants are supported by trained therapists while engaging with their internal experience.

🌱 Integration focuses on reflecting on the experience, exploring its meaning, and identifying ways to apply insights in everyday life.

While specific protocols vary across studies and clinical settings, these three stages form the foundation of most psychedelic-assisted therapy models. Together, they are designed to support safety, therapeutic engagement, and the potential for meaningful, lasting change.

📩 Want more evidence-based resources and updates on psychedelic-assisted cancer therapy? Subscribe to the CAN-PACT newsletter to stay informed about the latest research, network initiatives, educational resources, and upcoming opportunities.

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