The March meeting was hosted at the home Dr. Matt Holcomb, and our guest speaker was Dr. Mark Skellie. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice with Crescent City Psychological Services, and specializes in psychotherapy and psychological assessment of adults. He received his doctorate from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology in 2010, and is experienced treating a wide range of clinical problems.
Dr. Skellie presented on MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy (MAP). MDMA is one of several “psychedelic” drugs; the name was proposed by a psychiatrist in the 1950s, and means “mind manifesting.” These drugs appear to have unique effects on human consciousness. When used with an intentional mind set and in conjunction with psychotherapy, they can foster profound and lasting changes. When this class of substances was officially outlawed in 1968, the legal use of these substances ended in both research and intervention for mood disorders, anxiety, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), interpersonal challenges, and end of life crises.
However, MDMA has again been approved for study. Dr. Skellie is currently a therapist in an FDA-approved, multi-site, randomized, double-blind study of MAP to treat PTSD. This treatment has been labeled a “breakthrough therapy” by the FDA because it has been shown to be more effective (compared to other psychiatric interventions) for mood disorders, anxiety, and PTSD that do not respond to the most common treatments.
Dr. Skellie discussed the nature of the intervention and why it is thought to work. He also reviewed some of the evidence to date on the efficacy and safety of MAP (learn more). Lori Tipton, a participant in the MAP study who has spoken publicly about her experiences, shared her perspectives as well (learn more). The study is on-going (see below to learn more or refer a client).
Dr. Skellie also discussed an upcoming study utilizing psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. This study is currently recruiting participants. This study is also an FDA-approved study (learn more).
Handouts from Dr. Skellie:
