Driven by a passion to understand the human mind, and supported by decades of rigorous inquiry, CIIS created the Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research (CPTR) in 2015. This included the first-ever university-affiliated certificate program, which continues to serve as the gold standard for safe, effective professional training. Psychedelic-assisted therapy is poised to revolutionize clinical mental health treatment, and we are leading the way.
Learn About Our Program
Learn About Our Program
What We Do
Addressing the demand for trained psychotherapists to work in the expanding field of psychedelic studies.
CIIS' Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research offers a certificate program where students and faculty engage in an immersive, rigorous curriculum that covers both theoretical foundations and practical application, including topics such as pharmacology, psychological integration, harm reduction, and ethical considerations. The roots of this certificate are in the work of scholars and researchers on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies, transpersonal psychology, consciousness studies, psychoanalysis, comparative mysticism, cultural anthropology, and Indigenous plant medicine practices.
CPTR has taken on the vision of bringing the interface of science and the sacred to the world. In the next five years, more and more trained therapists will be released into the world, bringing a new, more awakened way of seeing ourselves and the world we live in. I am deeply grateful to have trained at CPTR, and now deeply honoured to continue to participate in the beautiful vision as a Mentor with CPTR.
- Dr. Dawn DeCunha, C. Psych., Founder & Psychologist at Psychology Works


Our Certificate Program
Our certificate program is training the next generation of psychedelic therapists and researchers. Learn about revolutionary treatments for depression, substance abuse, trauma, and end-of-life anxiety from the leading experts in the field.


Our Founder and Director
Janis Phelps, Ph.D., is a researcher and clinician at the forefront of the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Her safety and therapist competency guidelines serve as the national standard, and her leadership keeps CIIS at the cutting edge of the discipline
CIIS' Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research has actively shaped the future of mental health care through its comprehensive educational programs and its commitment to advocacy. As psychedelic-assisted therapies continue to gain recognition for their transformative potential, CPTR’s role as a thought leader will remain essential in ensuring safe, effective, and evidence-based implementation for the benefit of patients worldwide. Moreover, through public policy initiatives, symposiums, and media outreach, our Center continues to contribute to shaping public opinion, paving the way for a future in which these treatments are widely accessible.
Featured News
NBC News | December 26, 2022
National Geographic | May 3, 2023
New York Times | March 31, 2022

Take the Next Step
Join the next generation of psychedelic therapists and researchers.