Welcome to this week’s edition of The Guide ⚡️ 

Today’s newsletter takes about 5 minutes to read—so if you’ve only got 60 seconds, here’s what you need to know:

• MDMA-Assisted Couple’s Therapy Shows Potential Promise. Psychologist Anne C. Wagner’s SET Model is the first to offer a safety-first roadmap for MDMA-assisted couples work.

• The Data Is Convincing, But Very Limited. Small pilots pairing MDMA with couples therapy report improvements in PTSD symptoms and relationship functioning, but studies are small and limited.

• MDMA ≠ Magic. MDMA may acutely boost empathy and prosocial responding, but the big gains come from prep, skilled facilitation, and structured integration with a psychotherapist.

• MDMA is Still Illegal in The US. MDMA is not FDA-approved and is still a Schedule I drug in the US, making it illegal in all 50 states.

• The Webdelics Podcast. Scott Mason talks with Mikaela De La Myco about survivor-centered approaches to psilocybin and sacred earth medicines use while covering consent, vetting facilitators, community care, and honoring Indigenous protocols in trauma-informed settings.

This one is packed with a ton of great content and education… But hey, what’s new? 😆 

🧠 The Webdelics Team

👋 New here? We do this every week… Join Us!

🎧️ The Webdelics Podcast

🎙️ Navigating Psychedelic Therapy - Safety Protocols for Sexual Assault Survivors

🍄 This week, Scott sat down with advocate and educator Mikaela De La Myco about survivor‑centered approaches to psilocybin and other sacred earth medicines. Mikaela shares lived experiences and community‑based wisdom, reflecting on healing from sexual assault and the practical ways survivors can build personal agency, lean on community, and navigate risks, while honoring indigenous protocols, trust, and relationships with the natural world.

🫶 They explore why intention, set & setting, and integration matter, along with how to assess facilitators and spot red flags, consent boundaries, and power dynamics in underground/retreat spaces, survivor‑centric safety planning, and support pods before/during/after ceremony. They also discuss using lineage‑respectful practices and community accountability, as well as practical first steps for survivors, practitioners, and anyone curious about trauma‑informed plant medicine.

📜 The “Must Read” For The Week

MDMA-Assisted Couples Therapy & The “SET Model” 

Recent research supports the notion that MDMA may help some couples open up, communicate, and reconnect, specifically when used in a structured, safety‑first approach with assisted psychotherapy.

Research by psychologist Anne C. Wagner has provided one of the first clinical frameworks known as the “SET Model”, which has provided a new-age roadmap for MDMA implementation and use for couples in a psychedelic-assisted therapy setting.

Here’s the high-level overview of what the “SET Model” looks like:

Setting/Structure/Safety → Exploration/Experience → Template/Trust

👉 Let’s break it down

• Setting, Structure, Safety - Setting clear boundaries (e.g., time‑outs, no escalation), shared intentions, and equal footing for both partners to open up and feel safe to share their feelings and inner emotions.

• Exploration & Experience - Intentional focus on taking a non‑avoidant stance to feel, name, and witness emotions, with the therapists scaffolding regulation and meaning‑making for both parties.

• Template & Trust - This stage involves post‑session debriefs and scripts that become a durable communication playbook to move past previous barriers and engage the couple in deeper foundational connections.

💫 What to Expect With MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy

• Greater emotional empathy/prosocial responses.

• Easier perspective‑taking and disclosures in session, with reduced defensiveness and openness to different perspectives.

• Transient effects like jaw tension, nausea, and appetite loss can be present, which is why careful screening is essential to avoid potential side effects and health issues.

🪜 Stages of a SET‑Informed Journey

• Preparation - Safety planning, informed consent, logistics, intentions, and skill rehearsal (e.g., active listening, time‑outs, etc.).

• The MDMA Session - Co‑regulated exposure to hard topics, as therapists coach pacing and reflection for both parties.

• Integration - Scheduled debriefs, continued practice of learned lessons at home, and personal reinforcement of strengths to resist drifting over time.

🔬 What Does The Research Say?

• Pilot work combining MDMA with couples therapy (e.g., CBCT for PTSD) shows improvements in PTSD symptoms and relationship functioning.

• In complete transparency, evidence for MDMA-assisted therapy in couples is preliminary, as most trials to date are small and exploratory, but it is slowly growing over time.

🛑 Safety Notes & A Word of Caution

• MDMA is not currently FDA‑approved for couples therapy (or any therapy, for that matter), and it’s still considered illegal as a Schedule I drug.

• It’s vital to screen for cardiovascular/medication risks before taking MDMA and have proper medical oversight and structured follow‑ups afterwards.

🚨 We shouldn’t have to say it, but this information is for educational purposes only. If you decide to pursue this type of therapy, it’s always best to do so under the supervision of a trained and licensed medical professional in a legal jurisdiction.

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💬 Our Why…

👉 Knowledge is useless without application, but applying it must be intentional…

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has the potential to open the door for couples, but what you do around it (prep, set/setting, safety plans, skilled facilitation, and integration) often shapes the outcomes.

If today’s issue helped you see the bigger picture, try one of these small steps:

• 🔭 Go Deeper: Get your FREE Beginner’s Guide to Psilocybin and get ready for our upcoming guide on MDMA!

• 🎧️ Audio Candy: Check out the Webdelics Podcast with Mikaela De La Myco, where she highlights survivor-centered approaches, consent, and community care.

• 🔦 Tune In: New to psychedelics and plant medicine? Check out Psychedelic Alpha’s newsletter, which is full of research, emerging trends, and business updates.

• 💧 Drop Out: Don’t forget to take time for yourself, focus on your breath, and be grateful for the life you’ve been given…

At Webdelics, our promise is to give you clear, evidence-based guidance so you can make safer, more informed choices about psychedelics and plant medicines.

📩 If this helped, forward it to a friend who’d appreciate it…

💬 Questions, corrections, or a topic you want us to unpack next? Comment and let us know!

🧠 The Guide - by Webdelics

Disclaimer: Webdelics does not support or promote any illegal activities, including the use of substances that may be mentioned in this newsletter. We encourage all readers to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the laws in their region. Please note that Webdelics does not offer mental health, medical, or clinical services and should not be used as a replacement for professional medical, psychological, or psychiatric care, diagnosis, or treatment.