Future Of Couples Therapy: MDMA
by MADELINE FERGUSON
As the world warms up to the use of psychedelic-assisted healing, some research is focusing on the potential use of MDMA in couples counseling.
Research into using both psilocybin and MDMA for the treatment of PTSD shows promising results, ketamine is being studied for chronic pain relief and depression, and psychedelics have helped people come to terms with death as part of the end of life care. The future is bright for patients looking for alternative methods of treatment.
Why MDMA?
MDMA is known as a party drug; it is often used at raves and referred to as the “love drug.” It is said to cause mild hallucinogenic effects and more intense stimulant effects.
People report feeling expressive and open to others and new experiences. It also heightens senses making physical sensations magnified. Here’s a full explanation of everything you need to know about MDMA.
MDMA In Couples Counseling: How It Works
Wendy Muirbrook, a Licensed Marriage, And Family Therapist spoke about the promise of MDMA in couples counseling. Before diving in, she first made it clear that the use of MDMA in marriage and family therapy is illegal unless you are part of a clinical trial. There are currently clinical trials in the United States, most of which are being done by MAPS.
“The MAPS studies are looking quite promising; it looks like in all likelihood, fairly soon, we are hoping to see approval for MDMA to be used in individual therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Muirbrook explained. “People are hoping for FDA approval for MDMA with certain diagnoses, but MDMA has also been used in the underground and now in some studies … to work with people in couples therapy. MDMA, in particular, is being found to be quite useful, perhaps more so than mushrooms.”
She explained that MDMA is proving to be more useful in couples counseling because MDMA produces more outward and empathetic experiences; it helps personal walls come down while psilocybin is more of an unpredictable, inward experience.
“It is a medication that strengthens and supports healthy ego structures in people and at the same time allows people to feel more compassion and empathy for their partners,” she continued.
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Many couples experience a roadblock in therapy because there is so much hurt and betrayal, which causes miscommunication and misunderstanding; MDMA can help make the hurt and betrayal feel less encompassing, allowing couples to communicate effectively.
“It’s really hard for us to listen to our partner's hurt; we feel defensive, so we want to explain and justify our own behavior and accuse our partner of their own behavior. MDMA is good at interrupting that process,” Muirbrook broke it down.
The street name is Ecstasy; Muirbrook pointed to that term to describe why it is helpful to couples in counseling.
“You are often flooded with warm and loving feelings towards your partner, and oftentimes by the time people get to marriage counseling, it has been a long time since they’ve felt warm and loving feelings towards their partner,” she concluded.
Roadblocks For MDMA Use In Couples Counseling
Legality is the number one barrier to the use of MDMA in couples counseling. It is not legal for use in any state unless you are in a clinical trial.
Another potential roadblock includes accessibility. Muirbrook explained that when you take MDMA, it is usually a three to four-hour experience, an extended session for therapy, meaning the cost is high. In addition, good-quality MDMA for therapeutic use is expensive.
“For a lot of people, it would be something that just is not available to them because of cost and time,” she said.
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Like many things in our healthcare system, it would be a great privilege to use this type of counseling if it were legalized.
The Future
The future for new ways of using psychedelics and drugs that have previously been seen as “street drugs” without medical purpose is promising. With divorce rates in the United States being nearly 50 percent, MDMA could help marriages be longer-lasting but happier and more fulfilling.
MDMA can act as a catalyst to access the softer and more vulnerable parts of ourselves that sometimes get pushed down while living our day-to-day lives.
“A lot of times when we are exhausted or hurt, we shut off the tender and vulnerable parts of ourselves, and I really do think that it’s through vulnerability and relationships that people can find healing, and I think MDMA is an excellent tool to help people get there,” Muirbrook concluded.