Book review

Psychedelics and art therapy: A trauma-informed manual for somatic self-discovery, by Charmaine Husum

Publisher: Routledge
Year of publication: May 2025
ISBN: 9781032975931

Reviewed by Amanda Levey

I was curious to read this very new publication that sits at what is often called the ‘cutting edge’ of mental health care. The promising breakthroughs in research and treatment of mental illness with psychedelics that were being explored in the 1960s were restricted worldwide largely due to the USA’s ‘war on drugs’ and their introduction of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Psychedelics were demonised and criminalised, and remain illegal in most countries at this time. In recent years there has been a resurgence of research into the potential for psychedelic-assisted therapy for the treatment of a number of life challenges, including difficult-to-treat depression, anxiety disorders, end-of-life anxiety, PTSD, addictions and more (Carhart-Harris et al., 2016). Australia is at the forefront of this research boom, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has re-scheduled certain psychedelic medicines, making it also possible for approved psychiatrists to use them for treatment outside of clinical trials. Recently the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s Medsafe has approved the first application for the use of psilocybin outside of a clinical trial (Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora, 2025).

It is important to note that psychedelic medicines themselves haven’t been legalised in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia yet, but rather their use in treatment and research has, and there has been exponential growth in the number of research trials in many countries. The protocols for the use of psychedelics in either trials or in clinics is within the context of extensive psychotherapy: in the preparation, the dosing, and the integration of what has been experienced, hence the term ‘psychedelic-assisted therapy’. It is important to understand this point, as a Western worldview tends to see the substance as the most important component of any treatment. Of course, research into treatment for depression has always found that the combination of medication and therapy is much more effective than the medication alone, but often psychotherapy isn’t as valued by the medical world as the pharmaceutical drugs.

Psychedelics are viewed by transpersonal psychology as an aid to deepen psychotherapeutic work, and as potentially providing transformative experiences to be integrated within the therapeutic relationship. There has been a lot of positive publicity in recent years about the potential of psychedelics as the new frontier for mental health, by leading personalities such as Michael Pollan (2019), Gabor Maté (2023) and Bessel van der Kolk (2024). As it is very unlikely that most people will find a way to participate in a clinical trial or to afford treatment in a private clinic, many are tempted to try these medicines themselves, often without appropriate therapeutic support. Like any powerful treatment, they have the potential for profound healing; however, they can also can result in what can be thought of as psychedelic ‘casualties’. It is vital that CAT practitioners become familiar with this territory so that we can be well informed. I was hopeful that this book might be a means of advancing knowledge in this field, especially as it is using an art therapy and somatic lens.

Charmaine Husum is a Canadian art therapist, somatic counsellor, and Kundalini yoga and meditation instructor, specialising in supporting those healing from trauma. She also offers training for those using art therapy within the “psychedelic healing space”. She prefaces the book by pointing out that art has always played a role in responding to and processing non-ordinary states, and that art can serve as a bridge between the altered states of consciousness that can be experienced through psychedelics. She believes that art can be a powerful means to ground and integrate these experiences into lasting growth. She also points out that the arts can provide a structured and supportive framework for those who might otherwise be destabilised by these experiences. Husum includes a disclaimer that the book uses a harm-reduction approach and does not condone or promote any illegal activity. However, most of the book is in a manual form, seemingly aimed at those who are using psychedelics outside of any medical or psychotherapeutic care, so I found this a bit confusing. The foreword claims that the book is a “vital resource for clinicians, therapists and individuals aiming to integrate their psychedelic experiences through the transformative practice of Art Therapy”. However, for most of the book I found myself unsure of the intended readership, as it seems to flip-flop between a textbook with APA references and a self-help manual.

Part I consists of short chapters addressing the many themes of the book, including art therapy, the relationship of art and non-ordinary states, transpersonal psychology, other ways that non-ordinary states can be achieved, such as meditation and breathwork, and so on. I found most of the information to be at a basic level and more useful for the non-clinical reader, or at least the non-CAT reader. Once we reach Chapter 9 and beyond, we enter the territory of psychedelics and their effects. Husum outlines the difference between entheogens (the psychoactive substances that come from plants and fungi) and synthetic psychedelics. She points out that entheogens have been used for thousands of years within religious ceremonies and healing practices, whereas synthetic psychedelics do not have the same cultural or spiritual heritage. She considers ketamine in a separate chapter, because while it is often considered as a psychedelic, it is in fact a dissociative anaesthetic, and there can be serious issues with long-term use. What might be expected from a psychedelic ‘journey’ is outlined, and the importance of a ‘preparation’ stage is addressed. There is some advice to clinicians, to ‘sitters’ (those who might offer to support another’s experience) and to individuals who are planning on self-dosing. The importance of what is called ‘set and setting’ – i.e., the environment of the dosing stage – and how to use practices such as meditation as preparation for dosing are explained. The following chapter outlines theories from neuroscience about how psychedelics are thought to act on the brain. All of these sections are brief, but a potentially useful start in gaining some basic understandings of the actions of psychedelics and how they might be used.

The chapter on the Indigenous perspective on the use of psychedelics in ceremony and healing is more comprehensive, and Husum emphasises the importance of responsibility for treating these medicines with respect and care. She moves on to the consideration of a harm-reduction lens for practitioners. Within this framework, therapists do not advocate either for or against psychedelic use, but rather focus on helping clients who intend to try psychedelics to prepare appropriately, and to offer post-experience integration in order to increase the likelihood of long-term benefits and minimise the possibility of harm. She points out that research seems to suggest that when properly administered, psychedelics can reduce suicidal ideation; however, there are potential risks that might be linked to unsupervised use. This points to the vital importance of individuals who are fragile utilising these treatments within appropriate clinical settings.

The book then launches into Part II, which acts as a manual for users, and is divided into nine modules. The first chapter is geared towards preparing for a psychedelic experience and ranges over a wide variety of material. It begins with the first “Art Directive” of the book, which aims to assist in setting an intention for the ‘journey’. Husum goes on to advise about what to avoid before dosing, such as certain foods, as well as alcohol and recreational drugs, and, importantly, prescription medicines and certain supplements. A section of the chapter includes vital information about what to be aware of in relation to medications that affect serotonin levels, such as SSRIs, which are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. I understand that participants on clinical trials for most psychedelics need to withdraw carefully from those medications before starting the dosing part of the treatment. It is very important for practitioners to know what psychedelics are contra-indicated for their clients who are on prescription medications. This chapter also advises on how to avoid the likelihood of a ‘bad trip’, although it is a little light on information about how to respond if this does occur. The most useful part of this chapter is a list of a variety of psychedelics, and for each of them it covers origin, effects, therapeutic uses and, very importantly, precautions. I think this section would have been more fitting in Part I of the book, in the more theoretical section. This list could be of benefit to practitioners who are seeking to support a client (or family member, or friend) who is intending to use psychedelics, or attempting to integrate the experience.

Each of the remaining modules focuses on a theme that relates to the integration of the psychedelic experience. The user is advised to engage in a number of “Art Directives” and other practices such as journaling, meditations, dreamwork, breathing practices and mantras, designed to be undertaken over a 40-day period. Woven into each chapter is a therapeutic model, and while each of them is integrated into a particular module, overall it is quite a dizzying array. Husum pins the psychedelic preparation/treatment/integration stages to Judith Hermann’s trauma model. Other modules focus on IFS, gestalt, transpersonal, focusing, attachment, inner-child work and Jungian shadow work. That’s a lot for 40 days!

I found myself getting somewhat irritated while reading this second part of the book. While there was nothing in particular that was wrong with any of the activities or the theoretical underpinnings, somehow it felt like the author had gathered everything she knew about art therapy and somatic practices and tried to weave it through the book with an occasional reference to the involvement of psychedelics. I found myself going back to re-read the title, and the use of “and” between “psychedelics” and “art therapy” now made complete sense, the two felt quite separate. The subtitle “A trauma-informed manual for somatic self-discovery” felt like an add-on to cover all the bases of the author’s practices.

At the end of the book there is a useful glossary and an extensive reference list.  A few sections of Part I and the module on preparation could be useful for any practitioner taking a harm-reduction lens who wishes to acquaint themselves more with the various psychedelics that a client may be experimenting with, and to gain some information that could assist in their care. Other than those uses, I feel that this book has limited appeal and application within the creative arts therapies. The book appears to be aimed towards psychologically well-resourced people to assist them in undertaking psychedelic self-exploration. However, working with psychedelics within psychotherapy is a very specific field requiring very particular skills, practices and knowledge. If practitioners do want to work in this arena, I would suggest a more ethical and useful way to do this would be to undertake specific training in psychedelic-assisted therapy and in ‘bad-trip integration’, both of which are available in Australia.

References

Carhart-Harris, R.L., Bolstridge, M., Rucker J., Day C.M.J, Erritzoe, D., Kaelen, M., Bloomfield, M., Rickard, J.A., Forbes, B., Feilding, A., Taylor, D., Pilling, S., Curran, V.H., & Nutt, D.J. (2016). Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. Lancet Psychiatry, 3(7), 619–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30065-7

Maté, G. (2023). Dr Gabor Maté on psychedelics, trauma and the body (Part 5). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzigPsgf9m8

Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora. (2025). New Zealand psychiatrist granted approval to prescribe psilocybin. Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora News. https://www.health.govt.nz/news/new-zealand-psychiatrist-granted-approval-to-prescribe-psilocybin

Pollan, M. (2019). How to change your mind the new science of psychedelics. Penguin Books.

van der Kolk, B.A., Wang, J.B., Yehuda, R., Bedrosian, L., Coker, A.R., Harrison, C., Mithoefer, M., Yazar-Klosinki, B., Emerson, A., & Doblin, R. (2024, 10 Jan). Effects of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD on self-experience. PLOS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295926