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Therapist and Patient Perspectives on Ayahuasca-Assisted Treatment for Substance Dependence

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The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca

Abstract

This chapter is based on over 15 years of field observation by the authors and the findings of a theoretical and qualitative empirical study that included interviews with 15 therapists who used ayahuasca professionally in the treatment of addictions, as well as with 14 substance-dependent individuals who participated in ayahuasca-assisted treatment in varying contexts. The chapter will address the value of ayahuasca for substance-dependence treatment from a psychotherapeutic perspective, and the variables that may influence treatment outcome. Special attention is placed on the role of ritual and integration.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Interviewed patients were from diverse cultural backgrounds: Most were Latin American (Peruvian, Argentinean, Mexican, Colombian); 1 was from Spain, 1 from USA, 5 patients were from rural contexts, and 9 from urban contexts, with a wide spectrum of educational levels (incomplete elementary school to university degrees); ages ranged from 24 to 52 years old, with a mean average 41 years.

  2. 2.

    A less comprehensive version of some of these findings has been published in Loizaga-Velder, 2013.

  3. 3.

    All names are pseudonyms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Medical Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Bergheimer Straße 20, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany

    Anja Loizaga-Velder

  2. Nierika Association, Chalmita, Mexico

    Anja Loizaga-Velder & Armando Loizaga Pazzi

Authors
  1. Anja Loizaga-Velder
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  2. Armando Loizaga Pazzi
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Correspondence to Anja Loizaga-Velder .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Economic Research and Education (CIDE), Aguascalientes, AGS, Mexico

    Beatriz Caiuby Labate

  2. Nucleus for Interdisciplinary Studies of Psychoactives (NEIP), San Francisco, CA, USA

    Clancy Cavnar

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Loizaga-Velder, A., Pazzi, A.L. (2014). Therapist and Patient Perspectives on Ayahuasca-Assisted Treatment for Substance Dependence. In: Labate, B.C., Cavnar, C. (eds) The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40426-9_8

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