Therapists take MDMA in training: will it boost Well-Being?
NCT ID NCT07102576
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-phase study gives MDMA to 30 mental health providers who are learning to become MDMA-assisted therapists. The goal is to see how the drug affects their mental well-being, burnout, and self-confidence. Participants take MDMA in a therapeutic setting with a co-therapist pair, followed by a session the next day to integrate the experience.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- MDMA hydrochloride (a psychoactive drug)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help understand how MDMA-assisted therapy affects therapists themselves, potentially improving training and reducing burnout.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small, open-label study with no placebo group, so results may not be reliable or generalizable. MDMA can cause psychological distress, increased heart rate, and other side effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Are at least 18 years at the time of signing the informed consent. * Fluent in English * Able to swallow pills * Agree to have study visits audiovisually recorded * Able to provide a contact (relative, spouse, close friend, or other support person) who is willing and able to be reached by the investigators in the event of the participant becoming unwell or unreachable. * Must be licensed, license-eligible, or trainees in a relevant healthcare/mental health profession * Must be learning or have been certified to conduct MDMA-assisted therapy through the Lykos MDMA-Assisted Therapy Training program or authorized affiliate program * Body weight of at least 45 kilograms (kg; or 100 pounds (lbs)). Exclusion Criteria * Have engaged in a new form of psychiatric or mental health care within 12 weeks of enrollment * Have a current alcohol or cannabis use disorder of any severity within the 12 months prior to enrollment * Have a substance use disorder of any severity within 12 months prior to enrollment * Any suicidal ideation within the last 6 months * Repetitive or recent use of Ecstasy/MDMA * Current enrollment in any other clinical study involving an investigational study treatment or any other type of medical research, unless approved by the study clinician * Meet diagnostic criteria for a Major Depressive Episode currently or within the prior 3 months or meet diagnostic criteria for a current anxiety disorder assessed * Have a current eating disorder with compensatory behaviors * Have a history of, or a current primary psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder * Previous participation in a clinical trial that included administration of MDMA * Individuals in a personal relationship with the site investigator * Are pregnant or nursing or are able to become pregnant and are not practicing an effective means of contraception
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The Parsons Research Center for Psychedelic Healing
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10025, United States
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