Annual event unites globally renowned experts across three key practice fields — psychiatry, psychotherapy, and addiction treatment — to provide a multi-perspective view on applications and approaches of psychedelic therapies.

MALVERN Pa., (September 26, 2023) — As the therapeutic promise of psychedelics gains momentum, HMP Global’s 2023 Sana Symposium will highlight results in psychedelic-assisted therapies to treat mental health disorders and share groundbreaking research and data in the field.

Sana Symposium will be held online October 26-27 via the VRTX virtual event platform. The meeting will unite globally renowned experts across three key practice fields — psychiatry, psychotherapy, and addiction treatment — to provide a multi-perspective view on the potential application and approaches of psychedelic therapies.

“Our patients are coming to us asking about the research in psychedelics,” said event Co-Chair Andrew Penn, RN, MS, NP, CNS, APRN-BC, clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco. “As clinicians, we want the best possible treatment for our patients, which could include psychedelics. The field is evolving quickly, and Sana Symposium is an opportunity for mental health professionals to immerse themselves in the potential use of these therapies.”

Research published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that a single dose of psilocybin significantly improved depressive symptoms and functional disability in patients with major depressive disorders (MDD). The principal investigator for this study, Charles L. Raison, MD, Director of Clinical and Translational Research at Usona Institute, also serves as a Sana Symposium Co-Chair.

“’Depression’ is not one single thing, it is a wide array of related mental and physical states that varies in each patient,” Raison said. “Psychedelic therapies could offer mental healthcare providers a new tool to improve care and outcomes for their patients. At Sana Symposium we will talk about new ideas and new treatments across a range of cutting-edge issues relevant to mental health.”

Program and Faculty

The educational program includes sessions on current and future psychedelic therapies, designing treatments to optimize patient outcomes, a deep dive into psychedelic-assisted therapy, addressing accessibility and affordability challenges, using psychedelics in substance use disorder treatments, roundtable, rapid-fire discussions, and more.

The session “’Sweet 16’ – How Psychedelics Work Examining the Biology and Psychology of Their Mechanism of Action,” highlights research published between January and June 2023, examining the psychological impact of psychedelics, and explaining the integration model of combined biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of psychedelic-induced therapeutic effects. The session will be held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Friday, October 27, and will be led by Steering Committee member Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.

Sana Symposium partners with world-renowned educators, practitioners, and research trailblazers in the field of psychedelics to make the conference an impactful educational experience. In addition to Penn, Raison, and Jain, 2023 Steering Committee members include:

• Kwasi Adusei, DNP, PMHNP, Senior Prescriber at Journey Clinical
• Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, professor of neurology, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
• Rick Doblin, PhD, Founder and President, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
• Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, adjunct clinical affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing; private practice, Austin, Texas
• Lynn Marie Morski, MD, Esq., President, Psychedelic Medicine Association; founder, PlantMedicine.com; host, Plant Medicine podcast, medical director, WayofLeaf.com
• Rosalind Watts, PhD, Founder, ACER Integration

Now in its third year, Sana Symposium is produced in conjunction with HMP Global’s other leading psychiatry and behavioral health offerings, including Psych Congress, Evolution of Psychotherapy, and the Symposia on Addictive Disorders. It is the official meeting of the Psychedelic Medicine Association. The Symposium will allow attendees to expand their perspective, explore innovative ideas, and take part in a diverse program focused on improving patient care and outcomes.

The Symposium is designed and accredited for all members of the mental health and addiction treatment community, including psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, psychologists, primary care physicians, therapists, social workers, interventionists, pharmacists, students, residents, fellows, and other mental health and addiction professionals. Attendees can earn up to 13.25 CME/CE credits.

For more information or to register, visit sanasymposium.com.  

ABOUT HMP GLOBAL   

HMP Global is the force behind Healthcare Made Practical — and is an omnichannel leader in healthcare content, events, and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events — in person and online via its proprietary VRTX virtual platform — and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global healthcare community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include the HMP Global Learning Network, healthcare's most comprehensive source for news and information; mental health education through the Neuroscience Education Institute and Psych Congress national, regional and global events; HMP Market Access Insights, the pharmaceutical industry’s gold standard provider for cancer drug market insights; the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC), the leading, global gathering for interdisciplinary cardiovascular specialists; EMS World Expo, North America’s largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com.