Call For Papers: Special Issue – Psychedelics and Art Therapy: Therapeutic Intersections and Clinical Applications American Journal of Art Therapy Deadline June 30, 2026
Primary Call: The Psychedelic Renaissance has reignited interest in better understanding the healing and the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicines and Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness (NOSC). This special issue examines how art therapists currently conceive of and work with consciousness-expanding experiences.
With the growing evidence that psychedelics show efficacy in treating conditions such as PTSD, treatment resistant depression, anxiety, substance use, and chronic pain, art therapists will need to develop some basic level of competence around their use in clinical settings. This is particularly important because, despite the promise that psychedelics hold, they present unique socio-cultural, legal, clinical and ethical challenges that do not arise in other therapeutic modalities. Art therapists will benefit from exploring where and how they will interface with this complex new field both for themselves and for their clients.
The present special issue on Psychedelics and Art Therapy will focus on ways that psychedelic assisted therapies might impact the creative process and how art therapy can complement, support, and extend the healing potential of psychedelic medicines. We are interested in clinical models, theoretical and educational paradigms, case reports, cultural and ethical positions, and research into how art therapy may be leveraged and integrated with psychedelic healing.
Please submit articles that address any of the following questions:
*How do art therapists work with clients who have had psychedelic experiences, whether in clinical or non-clinical settings?
*What are the parallels between art-making processes and altered states of consciousness?
*What impact does the understanding that psychedelic experiences and creative expression appear to be mediated by similar neural networks in brain areas related to creativity, emotion, and meaning-making have in clinical work?
*How do clients express and process transformative experiences through artistic creation?
*How can art therapy uniquely support preparation for and integration of psychedelic-assisted treatment?
*What role might art therapy play in harm reduction and education around psychedelic use?
*How might traditional indigenous healing practices that combine plant medicines and creative expression inform contemporary art therapy practice?
* What training, supervision, and ethical considerations apply to art therapists working in these contexts?
*How might art therapy assist in the professional development of psychedelic therapists?
Submission Instructions: All submissions should be relevant to the aims and scope of Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. Submissions must include a title page with “Psychedelics and Art Therapy” and “Special Issue” marked in the online submission system.
Go to the following links to learn more:
Instructions for Authors Submitting to the American Journal of Art Therapy
Rebecca Wilkinson, raw1717@gmail.com
Alyssa Gursky, alyssa@psychedelicarttherapy.com