Psilocybin Assisted Therapy in End-of-Life Care
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Authors
Azordegan, Atrena
Issue Date
2025-07
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
end-of-life care , psilocybin , psychedelics , existential distress , thanatophobia
Alternative Title
Abstract
This capstone explores the therapeutic potential of psilocybin-assisted therapy in end-of-life care—a context where individuals often experience profound psychological, spiritual, and existential distress that conventional palliative approaches may not fully address (Block, 2006; Hanna et al., 2022). Grounded in both Indigenous ceremonial traditions and contemporary clinical research, the paper investigates how psilocybin can facilitate meaning making to reduce fear of death and promote emotional and spiritual healing in terminally ill individuals (George etal., 2022; Niles et al., 2021). Research highlights that mystical-type experiences induced by psilocybin often lead to increased peace, acceptance, and a sense of connection (Schimmel et al., 2020). Ethical, legal, and training barriers remain, limiting widespread access and integration of this therapy into mainstream palliative care (MacCallum et al., 2022; Yu et al., 2021). A proposed workshop for counsellors addresses these gaps, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive, spiritually inclusive frameworks.