Patricia (Pat) H. Song, Ph.D.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist and have practiced psychodynamic psychotherapy for almost 30 years in a variety of settings. Over the past several years I have applied psychodynamic therapy concepts and practices to psychedelic-assisted therapy, especially to erotic transference and countertransference. In the spirit of risk reduction, and drawing on my previous work in HIV prevention and addiction treatment, I have been teaching a psychodynamic therapy framework for working with erotic transference and countertransference (ETCT) in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Erotic feelings in PAT and psychotherapy are common and natural, as are other kinds of transference and countertransference. Instead of rejecting or denying these feelings, they can be understood to contain valuable clinical information about the patient, the therapy and the practitioner. Sexual feelings in therapy reflect nonsexual feelings and material. A psychodynamic therapy framework offers a safe and therapeutic way to work with these feelings. (See my Breaking Convention video)

I have interviewed, thus far, 20 practitioners and participants about their experiences of ETCT in psychedelic settings. These interviews are the foundation of my teaching as they bring the conceptual material alive and relatable. Practitioner and participant interviews have yielded vitally important information and revealed significant implications for practice. For example, some interviewees described how psychedelics can evoke increases in erotic energy and disinhibition, as well as powerful relational experiences, such as ETCT. If there are challenges in the participant's primary relationship, those vulnerabilities can be projected onto the practitioner or others in the psychedelic space in the form of erotic transference. Facilitators also described challenging experiences with therapeutic touch. Overall, practitioners described inadequate peer support, supervision, and training on ETCT; all but one felt their training on touch had been inadequate.

I am very grateful to all the interview volunteers for their generosity and courage. They know that others will learn from their experiences and that their stories are the best tools for teaching. I continue to interview participants and practitioners. Please contact me if you'd like to be interviewed. All material is confidential and may be shared for teaching purposes, in de-identified form, only with the volunteer's consent.