Psychedelic psychotherapy offered in two Montreal hospitals

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, has been authorized for several years by Health Canada to treat mental health disorders in exceptional cases. The University Mental Health Institute of Montreal and the Jewish General Hospital of Montreal now offer this treatment to some of their patients.

At the University Institute of Mental Health of Montreal (IUSMM), a very special room was recently set up. Plants, works of art, soft lighting: this is the new psilocybin therapy room at this hospital.

Psychiatrist André Do works with patients who suffer from very serious depression. In some cases, no treatment is enough to relieve their symptoms.

They failed antidepressants, psychotherapy and also neuromodulation treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroshock and ketamine, he explains. So, we find ourselves with a clientele who has essentially failed all other types of treatments. And psilocybin is quite the latest treatment.

This approach is authorized on a case-by-case basis by Health Canada for this category of patients. It consists of administering a high dose of synthetic psilocybin during a psychotherapy treatment lasting several months. The patient is accompanied by two therapists in this process.

The exciting thing about psychedelics is that it really is the first treatment in decades that has the potential to revolutionize the way we treat depression.

So far, the medical team has treated only one person, but they hope to be able to offer this treatment to around ten patients in the coming year.

Psychologist Vanessa Michaud is one of the therapists who followed this first patient.

Psilocybin allows patients a greater connection with their emotions, unlike antidepressants, which downregulate emotions, she explains.

After several preparation meetings, an entire day is devoted to taking psilocybin, because its effects last several hours.

We really try to create a bubble of protection from the outside world with the patient and to have a non-directive approach, explains the psychologist. So, we are going to invite him to focus on his experience, then to really be more introspective.