Anne Wagner | “Couples Therapy with MDMA – from PTSD to Relationship Enhancement”

One of MDMA’s earliest therapeutic uses was in couples therapy. In the 1970s and 1980s, therapists used MDMA in their work with couples to address couples-level concerns. Since MDMA became illegal to use in practice in the majority of the world, we have only recently been able to start investigating this combination of psychotherapy and medicine again, and so far, it has been in the context in PTSD. We will discuss the findings from our first pilot trial of Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD and MDMA, and our current ongoing randomized trial. Within this second trial, we also have the opportunity to test a model of couples therapy in the crossover condition that focuses on relational, as opposed to trauma-focused, outcomes. This model for working with MDMA and couples will be described.

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Dr Anne Wagner

Dr. Anne Wagner, C.Psych., is a clinical psychologist, writer and treatment development researcher living in Toronto, Canada. Anne is the founder of Remedy, a mental health innovation community, and Remedy Institute, Remedy’s home for research. She is the lead investigator of the pilot trial of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD + MDMA and the randomized trial of Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD (CBCT) + MDMA, a couples therapy for PTSD. Anne is deeply committed to bridging the worlds of psychotherapy and non-ordinary states of consciousness, and has a passion for its use for relational healing. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology and an Associate Member of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is the Past-Chair of the Traumatic Stress Section of the Canadian Psychological Association, is a Global Ambassador for the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, and is a former board member of Casey House, Toronto’s hospital for those living with and at impacted by HIV/AIDS.Please note: Tickets are non-refundable. You will receive an automated email with the event zoom link immediately after booking, please keep the email accessible for the day. We will make the recording available for ticket holders the Monday week after the event and it will remain available to watch for two weeks after.