Australian Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Practitioners
Position StatementWhere AMAPP stands, on the record.
The comprehensive position statement explains the background and supporting science behind AMAPP's position on psychedelic-assisted therapy in Australia: the regulatory environment, the current status of clinical research, the risks and realities of underground use, safe and sustainable working conditions for practitioners, and clear standards in training and education.
Comprehensive edition 2025 · 26 pages · a living document
The positions, article by article.
The full document runs to eleven sections, argued with citations throughout. These are the commitments at its core, drawn directly from the text.
Clinical application, held to evidence
AMAPP supports the clinical application and development of a wide variety of psychedelic substances, provided they are accompanied by strong clinical research supporting their efficacy.
Therapy is fundamental
The therapeutic component of psychedelic-assisted therapy is fundamental to its effectiveness, and many of the skills it demands extend beyond standard clinical training. AMAPP emphasises specialised training and ongoing professional development so clinicians can work safely and effectively in this novel therapeutic context.
Multidisciplinary by design
Current TGA requirements mandate the presence of a clinical psychologist for all psychedelic medicine applications. AMAPP advocates for a broader approach: the inclusion of a diverse range of AHPRA-registered professionals and psychotherapists. The statement argues that restricting this role to clinical psychologists is unnecessary, inconsistent with clinical trial practice worldwide, and may prove too costly.
Within Australian law
MDMA and psilocybin remain Schedule 9 substances that can be reclassified to Schedule 8 for the treatment of certain mental health conditions. Use outside approved therapeutic settings remains strictly prohibited. AMAPP and its members will not provide psychedelic substances in any context that breaks Australian law, and under AMAPP's Code of Conduct members agree not to provide underground psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Harm reduction first
AMAPP is committed to a harm reduction framework and fosters open, non-judgmental conversations to support informed decision-making in clinical, community, and First Nations cultural contexts. On decriminalisation, the statement is plain: AMAPP recognises the broader societal discussion and supports the efforts of other peak bodies, while leaving strategic drug policy advocacy to organisations better equipped for that work.
Cultural integrity, clearly bounded
The statement maintains a clear distinction between traditional practices and modern psychedelic-assisted therapy. AMAPP strongly opposes the uncritical incorporation of traditional rituals into clinical work, warning that cultural commodification and patient harm can follow, and advocates a learning attitude defined by respect and reciprocity toward holders of traditional knowledge.
A workforce treated as specialists
AMAPP advocates for PAT practitioners, including psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, medical doctors, and allied health professionals, as specialists in their own right. That means fair compensation, tailored workplace standards, supervised practice, and serious burnout prevention in a field where sessions often last six to eight hours.
The reasoning behind every position.
Each commitment above is argued at length in the document, with citations throughout. Here is the short version, section by section.
1Why 2023 changed the landscape+
In 2023 the Therapeutic Goods Administration rescheduled MDMA for use in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. The decision placed Australia among the global leaders in translating psychedelic therapies from research to clinical application. AMAPP recognises this regulatory shift as an opportunity to fundamentally reshape public perceptions of psychedelic medicines, and it remains deeply aware of the delicate and ongoing responsibility that comes with access to these treatments.
2The scale of the need+
Mental and substance use disorders were estimated to be responsible for 15% of Australia's total burden of disease, second as a broad disease group only to cancer at 17% (AIHW, 2023). The economic burden of mental ill-health and suicide is estimated at up to $70 billion annually, rising to $150 billion when accounting for disability and premature death (Productivity Commission, 2020). Despite established treatments, as many as 30% of individuals remain treatment-resistant (Zhdanava et al., 2021). The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in Australia is 11%, with women nearly twice as likely to experience it as men (ABS, 2022).
3What the evidence shows, and where it is thin+
The statement reports that in a landmark trial, 71.2% of participants diagnosed with PTSD no longer met diagnostic criteria after MDMA-assisted therapy (Mitchell et al., 2023), and that psilocybin studies report sustained reductions in depressive symptoms with large effect sizes (Carhart-Harris et al., 2016). It is equally direct about the limits. The current body of evidence is constrained by methodological limitations, small sample sizes, study heterogeneity, and variability in therapeutic protocols. AMAPP supports larger, more robust trials and standardised guidelines for clinical practice.
4Underground use, and why regulated access matters+
According to the 2022-2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, hallucinogen use is rising: 2.4% of Australians aged 14 and over reported use within the past 12 months, up from 1.6% in 2019 (AIHW, 2023). Self-administered use carries real risks. Approximately 4.2% of those using psychedelics for self-treatment reported emergency department visits, compared to 1% of respondents using these substances recreationally (Kopra et al., 2023). The statement's conclusion: by addressing barriers to access, particularly cost, Australia can provide safer and more effective treatment options within clinical frameworks.
5Three theories of change, one framework+
The statement maps three broad approaches to psychedelic-assisted therapy: neurobiological models focused on how these substances affect the brain, non-specific supportive therapy in the tradition developed by Grof and later integrated into MAPS protocols, and structured frameworks such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. AMAPP does not prefer one over the others. It advocates an interdisciplinary clinical framework, on the view that collaboration across disciplines and methodologies is what will develop the field.
6A living document+
Education and advocacy run through the whole text, with practitioner training built around three core competencies: clinical, ethical, and cultural. And the statement says of itself that, as AMAPP is a new organisation, the document is expected to change organically as AMAPP grows and adapts to its environment.
Chair statements.
AMAPP's Chair speaks to the public debate as it moves. Open either statement to read it in full.
Active · Chair statement
Clarifying the evidence base
A response to RANZCP public commentary on cannabinoid prescribing and the Wilson et al. (2026) review.
Public statement · March 2026
A Response to RANZCP Public Commentary on Cannabinoid Prescribing and the Wilson et al. (2026) Review
AMAPP supports rigorous scientific evaluation of medicinal cannabis and agrees that current randomised controlled trial evidence in psychiatry is limited and heterogeneous. Its concern is specific: that recent public communication by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists may risk overstating conclusions and underrepresenting clinical nuance. It is essential to distinguish between absent evidence, weak evidence, low-certainty evidence, and evidence of harm. They are not equivalent.
"Scientific caution must not become scientific overreach."
AMAPP public statement, March 2026
Wilson et al. (2026) analysed 54 randomised controlled trials involving 2,477 participants across a 45-year period, identifying significant heterogeneity across formulations, dosages, populations, durations, and outcome measures. No eligible trials were identified for depression, a common prescribing indication. The response argues that an absence of eligible trials cannot be interpreted as evidence of no efficacy, and that clinical decision-making requires integration of multiple forms of evidence, including real-world data and patient context.
What AMAPP calls for
- Greater precision in public communication of scientific findings
- Balanced consideration of RCT, observational, and real-world evidence
- Recognition of structural barriers to RCT development for natural products
- Acknowledgement that clinical decision-making extends beyond RCT data
- Investment in high-quality, longer-duration, formulation-specific research
AMAPP remains committed to safe, ethical, and evidence-informed practice.
Active · Chair statement
AMAPP response to the AusDoc article on the TGA's psychedelic therapy rules
On framing the debate as safety versus access, and AMAPP's case for a competency-based, multidisciplinary approach.
AMAPP response to AusDoc article: "Doctors slam TGA's looser psychedelic therapy rules as unjustifiable risk to patient safety"
The Australian Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Practitioners (AMAPP) acknowledges the importance of robust discussion regarding the implementation of psychedelic-assisted therapies in Australia. Patient safety must remain at the centre of all healthcare decisions.
However, we are concerned that the framing of this debate as a choice between safety and access risks oversimplifying a far more nuanced issue.
The recent TGA decision, alongside AMAPP's credentialing framework and the submission to expand access, reflects emerging trends from around the world as well as what is already occurring in Australian clinical trials and regulated treatment settings. These developments recognise the important role of multidisciplinary care while maintaining strong standards of governance, training, supervision, and patient safety.
As Chair of AMAPP, Dr Lani Roy recently stated:
"Psychiatrists working in psychedelic-assisted therapy are highly skilled in assessing suitability, selecting appropriate multidisciplinary teams and managing clinical risk.
Our hope is that the RANZCP recognises and gives greater credit to the careful, rigorous work already being undertaken in this field.
Expanding access is not about reducing governance; it is about strengthening it."
Australia faces significant mental health workforce shortages, particularly in rural, regional, and remote communities. Limiting participation solely on the basis of professional title may unintentionally restrict access to approved treatments for people living with severe and treatment-resistant conditions.
AMAPP supports a competency-based approach that prioritises demonstrated training, supervision, ethical practice, clinical governance, and ongoing professional development. Safe psychedelic-assisted therapy requires much more than prescribing medicine. It requires comprehensive assessment, preparation, psychological support, integration, cultural responsiveness, and ongoing care.
These competencies are often delivered by multidisciplinary teams that include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, counsellors, psychotherapists, and other appropriately trained professionals.
We believe the discussion should not be framed as safety versus access.
The real challenge is how Australia can maintain rigorous standards while also supporting person-centred care, respecting patient choice, addressing inequities in rural and remote communities, and ensuring that approved treatments are available to those who may benefit.
Patient safety, scientific rigour, human rights, equitable access, and multidisciplinary collaboration are not competing priorities. They are all essential components of a mature and responsible healthcare system.
AMAPP also calls for responsibility in media reporting on complex and evolving areas of healthcare. When reporting on nuanced topics such as psychedelic-assisted therapies, it is important that public discussion reflects the full scope of available evidence, regulatory safeguards, and the diversity of expert perspectives involved.
AMAPP remains committed to working collaboratively with regulators, professional colleges, researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience to ensure psychedelic-assisted therapies continue to develop within strong ethical, clinical, and evidence-based frameworks.
Dr Alana (Lani) Roy
Chair, Australian Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Practitioners (AMAPP)
Psychologist and Social Worker
Practice that matches the position.
AMAPP is guided by three pillars: peer support, advocacy, and trust. Membership places you inside the multidisciplinary community built on them, with supervision, education, and a voice in how psychedelic-assisted therapy develops in Australia.
Explore membershipThe governance behind the statement.
Positions sit alongside AMAPP's policies and guidelines, and the advisors AMAPP acknowledges for their contributions to the field.
