Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy (CAPT)

Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy (CAPT) can act as a catalyst for breakthroughs, helping people overcome issues that might be difficult to reach with conventional talk therapy. It allows us to connect to our subconscious, a part of ourselves we may not have felt safe enough to explore before.

“Immediately I was engulfed in grief, I sobbed and was able to let go of feelings that had been calcified to me for over 15 years. That experience had unlocked something in minutes that years of therapy couldn’t touch.”

- Angela Amirault - Bold Journey Interview

Cannabis provides adults a safe, affordable, accessible and legal option for psychedelic therapy in Atlantic Canada. Cannabis, as a psychedelic, is a sacred medicinal tool which supports us in turning inward, and releasing traumas from the nervous system.

The CAPT experience offers a level of agency which many other psychedelics cannot provide, this is why it is wonderful for trauma resolution. Unlike other psychedelics, where people often just feel the need to 'hold on', with cannabis the experience feels more consensual. With CAPT, it's as if we are being shown only what we are ready to see.

Cannabis is a consensual psychedelic

Process Overview

Paperwork - Will determine if CAPT might be appropriate to support your current growth process.

Preparation - To support you in making sure you have the best mindset for the experience, we will have at least one preparation session. The main goal of this time is to determine, or refine, your intentions for the CAPT experience.

CAPT Sessions - The CAPT protocol is two medicine sessions, ideally within the same week, as the first often opens you up to your inner self and surfaces the work to be done, and the second allows you to gain further insights and land into your new perspective. These two medicine sessions can be 3 or 5 hours long each.

Integration - In order for you to have the most impactful journey there will also be an integration session to ensure some closure and perspective is gained.

Set and Setting

‘Set and setting’ is a term that has shaped psychedelic sessions in Western cultures since the 1960s. ‘Set’ is in reference to our mindset for the experience, and ‘setting’ refers to the location or environment in which the experience takes place.

However, this concept has been used by indigenous cultures for as long as rituals have existed. To honour this legacy, medicine sessions will have some ceremonial aspects which help us connect more deeply to intention and to allow us to feel safe and supported in the space.

CAPT sessions are best described as guided mindfulness experiences, which are spiritual in nature and similar to meditation practices. A calm, open mind and comfortable, safe place are particularly important in crafting a positive psychedelic experience.

The mind and body holds all of our experiences, including trauma. Just talking about these experiences often isn’t enough to work through them. Using psychedelic medicine allows our nervous system to relax, and this leads to the mind, body and soul feeling safe. This safety means that past trauma and experiences can be processed, maybe for the first time. CAPT is about a client setting clear intentions, experiencing the medicine journey, and then integrating the insights and newfound clarity into their life. CAPT is designed to complement therapeutic work, not replace it. After experiencing a short-term psychedelic therapy series, clients continue working with their primary mental health care providers. The CAPT medicine sessions can be profound, where old patterns are examined and sometimes even dissolved.

Frequently Asked Questions - Video Series

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy (CAPT)?

CAPT is a process that supports clients in expressing the trauma and experiences which may have been too overwhelming for the nervous system. It can also be used as a tool to explore our reality and to feel a deeper connection with ourselves and the world around us.

What can I expect?

The range of experiences are wide. Cannabis is a safe and sacred medicinal tool which supports us in turning inward, resolving tensions stored deep within the body, tracking inner sensations, and releasing traumas from the nervous system. A CAPT Session can involve dramatic experiences accompanied by strong emotional and physical releases. Most experiences are positive and deeply meaningful, and many find the experience profound.

Clients frequently report:

• Extreme body awareness and a synesthesia of somatic and visual senses

• Active and very visual perceptions through an imaginative landscape or through evocative memory recall

• A deep connection with their intuition

• A deeply meaningful and transcendent connection with the sacred

• A feeling of being very present, lucid and with a sense of agency

• Profound new levels of nervous system regulation and trauma resolution

• Developing a sense of agency in life and having more choices

• Feeling a deeper connection with their sense of purpose

• Gaining new insights and perspectives

How do I get the cannabis, which type do I need?

CAPT is only offered in provinces or countries where cannabis is legal for adult use (19+ years old). Cannabis is not provided by Altered Healing, it is the responsibility of the client to supply their own cannabis blend procured in a legal setting such as an authorized cannabis dispensary or retailer like NSLC. Instructions on what you need will be outlined for you in your preparation session.

How many sessions will I need?

A lot of deep work can be done just within one series which is one preparation session, two medicine sessions and one integration session. After that you may want to do an occasional medicine sessions when you feel like you have reached a block or pivot point in your life.

How is this different from traditional talk therapy?

CAPT is not counselling, and we hold it as a separate field and professional identity from counselling. CAPT sessions are more appropriately described as guided mindfulness experiences, which are spiritual in nature and more akin to meditation practices. This is significantly different from counselling and psychotherapy modalities currently in practice. Just as yoga, meditation and nutrition also have healing applications but are also not associated with counselling.

Is Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy (CAPT) safe?

When used intentionally cannabis is very safe and has proven medicinal applications. Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy (CAPT) is also safe, but it is not for everyone. People with a history of severe mental health disorders should consult their medical doctor and/or Licensed Counselling Therapist before participating in CAPT. Psychedelics can disrupt the equilibrium of our lives, which is in part why they are so effective, but we must ensure enough safety and support is provided around these big experiences. Before participating in CAPT Sessions, you will answer and review a safety questionnaire to rule out any known contraindications. Contraindications is a medical term for when a treatment is inadvisable because it may be harmful to a person. CAPT is not a substitute for counselling, medical or psychiatric treatment.

Contraindications include, but are not limited to:

• pregnancy;

• cardiovascular problems or severe hypertension;

• recent surgery or fractures;

• acute infectious illness;

• epilepsy

• clinically significant disorders

• severe mental illness such as psychosis and personality disorders;

• bipolar disorders;

• acute/unprocessed trauma and PTSD;

• acute addictions;

• suicidal ideation/self-harm.

Cannabis is a psychedelic?

Psychedelics are substances that can open people to altered states of consciousness. Contrary to popular belief, cannabis is a psychedelic. Until recently, however, it just wasn’t grown with the quality, potency, and unique characteristics required to actualize as a reliable psychedelic medicine. Cannabis has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, and when used in an intentional and ceremonial way, it can be a powerful tool for personal growth.

Where do the sessions take place?

Altered Healing has a flexible approach to session location and is open to discuss what works best for you, your comfort, schedule and living situation. Some folks like to be able to have these experiences in the comfort of their own home. Others find that creating a separation between their daily living space and the medicine journey experiences is a better fit for them. All sessions can either be in-person or virtual. We have lots of options, let's discuss what works for you.

For the preparation and integration sessions, these can take place online, or in person at my office on Cunard St., Halifax, or in your own home. For the medicine sessions, you can be supported virtually online, or supported in person in your own home (one you own or one you rent that is cannabis friendly), or you can use our location in downtown Halifax, upon request.

What is the cost?

A CAPT series is made up of preparation sessions, CAPT medicine sessions and integration sessions. Sessions are billed at $150 per hour. You will be first invoiced for a preparation session, if you and Altered Healing decide moving forward is appropriate, you will be invoiced for the rest of your sessions. In a series, clients may choose to have more preparation and integration sessions if they require.

Here are some example CAPT series prices, based on standard session lengths:

• Two 3-hour medicine sessions with one prep and one integration session - $1200

• Two 5-hour medicine sessions with one prep and one integration session - $1800

Payment can be made with an Interac e-Transfer. There will be additional travel costs if you are seeking in-person services outside the HRM, please contact to discuss rates. CAPT is currently not eligible for payment to be covered by medical insurance. We understand that so many need help and this may not be accessible to everyone. If you don’t have the means, please reach out and we can discuss possible options.

How do I choose between 3-hour or 5-hour CAPT sessions?

Why you would choose 3-hour or 5-hour sessions may be due to the depth of the intention that you are bringing to the experience. If you are coming in with a lot of big work to do, giving yourself more time to process in the journey space can be beneficial. In contrast, if your intentions are more exploratory in nature, a shorter time is less of a limitation.

Explore your inner world