MDMA, Empathy, and Openness in Couples Therapy | Interview with Anne Wagner, PhD, CPsych
Also available in podcast format:
Listen to “MDMA, Empathy, and Openness in Couples Therapy | Interview with Anne Wagner, PhD, CPsych” on Spreaker.The questions:
00:00 Intro
00:30 Could you introduce yourself?
01:47 Why are you interested in MDMA couples therapy?
04:11 What is the history of MDMA in couples therapy?
05:00 Can underground therapy experience inform the field?
05:54 Why is MDMA a good fit for couples therapy?
08:09 What type of therapy works best with MDMA?
10:02 How did you react to the FDA decision?
11:05 How do you see the unblinding problem?
13:07 What stage is your trial at?
14:12 How diverse are the couples in the trial?
15:30 What happens during the trial process?
17:41 Who is excluded from the trial?
18:36 Does prior MDMA use exclude participants?
18:59 Can you share any early results?
20:12 Can you share a moving participant story?
22:12 Should therapists have personal MDMA experience?
23:40 Is there training for MDMA couples therapists?
24:29 Can healthy couples also benefit?
25:02 How do you see the future of this field?
Filmed at the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) 2026 in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Watch Drugreporter’s short documentary about the event and explore more of our articles and videos on psychedelics.
Interview: Péter Sárosi | Rights Reporter Foundation – Drugreporter
Camera and editing: István Gábor Takács | Rights Reporter Foundation – Drugreporter
