TheraPsil is a non-profit coalition dedicated to helping Canadians in medical need access legal, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat end-of-life distress.
TheraPsil was formed in 2019 and is made up of healthcare professionals, patients, community members, and advocates. To meet our team, click here.
After over 100 days of advocating, TheraPsil facilitated precedent-setting and tangible progress in the fight for compassionate access to psilocybin therapy when it helped 4 Canadians suffering from end-of-life distress, due to a terminal illness, access approved 'section 56 exemptions' from the Minister of Health, on August 4th 2020. This was the first time section 56 exemptions for psilocybin had been approved for patients since psilocybin was made a controlled substance in 1974, in Canada.
As of March 2021, TheraPsil has now supported 27 patients in 5 different provinces access legal, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.
Where do we start?
Our initial focus is on the provision of compassionate treatment for Canadians in palliative care who suffer from end-of-life distress. End-of-life distress is best described as the combination of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and demoralization experienced by patients who receive a diagnosis of an incurable illness, or who are in remission from diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, or heart disease. As research in psychedelic therapy matures, we will further expand our services to include others who may benefit from psilocybin.
“At the 6-month follow-up mark, 80% of participants continuing to show clinically significant decreases in depressed mood and anxiety”
– Griffiths et a.l 2016
We are actively accepting new patients who are interested in trying psilocybin therapy and who meet our inclusion criteria.
TheraPsil looks forward to helping many more Canadians gain access to legal, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.