The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is launching a new online speaker series focused on psychedelic-assisted therapy. The program will explore the use of substances such as psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine to treat mental health conditions including depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The series begins in January 2026 and features five monthly 90-minute webinars. Participants can earn up to 7.5 continuing education credits. Designed for mental health professionals, the sessions will cover topics including Indigenous perspectives on psychedelic use, legal considerations, and harm-reduction strategies.
The series is offered through the Brown School’s Professional Development program in collaboration with the workforce development unit sponsored by the Center for Holistic Interdisciplinary Research in Psychedelics, or CHIRP. The center brings together WashU researchers and clinicians to study the medical potential of psychedelic substances.
Interest in psychedelic therapies have grown as federal research restrictions that began in the 1970s have eased. A recent free webinar hosted by the Brown School attracted 360 participants, underscoring the demand for education and training in the field.
The series opens Jan. 13 with Andrew Penn, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing. Penn’s presentation, “Psychedelics in Mental Health Treatment: Hope or Hype?” will review the history of psychedelic research, how the drugs work and evidence surrounding their use alongside psychotherapy.
Each session runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. CST. A discounted registration for all five webinars in the series is available for $150 through Jan. 6. After that date, individual sessions are $35. Discounted rates on individual workshops in the series will be available to WashU students, faculty, staff, field instructors and alumni. For more information or to register, visit the Brown School professional development webpage.
Upcoming Sessions:
Jan. 13 — Psychedelics in Mental Health Treatment: Hope or Hype?
Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP
Session overview: An evidence-based look at psychedelic medicines, their therapeutic potential and the challenges they pose, including historical context, mechanisms of action and research to date.
Bio: Penn is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and clinical professor at UCSF’s School of Nursing. He practices at the San Francisco Veterans Administration, providing psychiatric care to veterans. His clinical and research work focuses on psychopharmacology and psychedelic-assisted therapies for mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression. He co-founded OPENurses, an organization promoting nurses’ roles in psychedelic research.
Feb. 10 — Indigenous Perspectives on Psychedelics
Christine Rodriguez, DPN, APRN, FNP-BC, MDiv, MA, FNYAM, FAAN
Session overview: This session gently unsettles pharmacological reductionism by honoring the sentience of plant relatives and the vitality of animist worldviews present within Indigenous epistemologies. We will also consider the enduring influence of colonial legacies, highlighting how contemporary patterns of bioprospecting and commodification reflect these historical continuities.
Bio: Rodriguez is associate dean of nursing impact and an assistant professor at Yale School of Nursing. Her clinical and academic background spans 2SLGBTQIA+ health care, racial equity, spirituality and medical cannabis.
March 3 — Understanding the Legal and Regulatory Landscape of Psychedelics in the U.S.
Sean T. McAllister, JD
Session overview: Explore the complex legal and regulatory environment surrounding psychedelics in the United States. Topics will include federal status, FDA clinical trial pathways, state-regulated programs, decriminalization efforts, religious use protections, and essential considerations for licensed professionals.
Bio: McAllister is an attorney specializing in regulatory, health care and religious-freedom issues related to psychedelic medicines. He has advised clinicians on ketamine-assisted therapy, helped draft Colorado’s Proposition 122, and serves in advisory roles for several psychedelic organizations.
April 7 — Rewiring Resilience: Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Dual-Diagnosis Trauma and Addiction
Chantelle Thomas, PhD
Session overview: Explore the latest research on ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) for individuals with co-occurring trauma and substance use disorders. The session will cover ketamine’s pharmacology, its role in enhancing neuroplasticity, and clinical strategies, such as dosage considerations, facilitation methods and integration techniques.
Bio: Thomas is a clinical psychologist specializing in addiction, trauma and health psychology. Since 2013, she has contributed to psychedelic research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has served as a therapist, consultant and educator for MAPS’ Phase 3 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
May 12 — Supporting Clients in Psychedelic Use: A Harm-Reduction Framework
Session overview: As interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies continues to grow, clinicians and community practitioners are increasingly called to navigate a landscape that is both promising and complex. Harm reduction offers a pragmatic, compassionate, and evidence-informed approach to supporting individuals who use psychedelic substances—whether in clinical settings, research trials, or community and ceremonial contexts.