Bend mental health counselor talks advancements, barriers in psilocybin therapy

Oregon voters approved the therapeutic use of psilocybin, commonly called "magic mushrooms" in 2020, with ballot Measure 109. The program rolled out in the summer of 2023, making it the first of its kind in the nation. Psilocybin is used as a therapy for patients suffering everything from depression to addiction and anxiety.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Oregon voters approved the therapeutic use of psilocybin, commonly called "magic mushrooms" in 2020, with ballot Measure 109. The program rolled out in the summer of 2023, making it the first of its kind in the nation.

Psilocybin is used as a therapy for patients suffering everything from depression to addiction and anxiety.

The latest numbers from the Oregon Health Authority - which oversees the program - show that
there are 345 approved facilitators statewide, 29 service centers approved and more than 600 employees in the industry.

Amanda Gow is the executive director and co-founder of Bendable Therapy, a nonprofit dedicated to access and education of psilocybin services.

Since Bendable Therapy does not directly do the treatments, Gow said potential patients go through their organization to undertake a screening and application process to assess for readiness and preparedness for psilocybin. She also added that in their nearly one year of operation, they have seen over 150 clients.

"At Bendable, we always like to tell people that we take a deep dive with our clients at a high number, not a high volume, because of what we typically work with - folks who are coming for a specific mental health challenge, diagnosis or concern."

Bendable also just launched the first field research study of Oregon's legal psilocybin program, which Gow said is intended to answer what clients are seeking to address through psilocybin services, short and long-term treatment outcomes and how the screening process can be improved. The data collected from the study is expected to be released in mid-2025.

Additionally, Gow acknowledged there are some financial barriers to accessing these services, but the organization has offered a solution.

"We also provide scholarships," she said. "So to date, we have provided $178,000 in scholarships for folks to access psilocybin services. And that's all Oregonians."

As far as what psilocybin treatment feels like, Gow noted that it's different for every person. But the intent is for the session to lead to "profound insights and changes."

"There really is this unique thing that happens from a neuroscience standpoint, which is that our brains return to a highly neuroplastic state, meaning that they're growing new neural pathways at a really rapid rate," she added. "So this is why oftentimes you hear of psilocybin sessions as rewiring or reprogramming the brain and it really is this neuroplasticity piece that's afforded to folks. That really just means that after a psilocybin session, your brain is more susceptible to positive changes, behaviors and ways of thinking."

Watch the full interview in the video above.