Emerging therapies

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If you want psychedelic healing, your ego may need to die

What do we know about the role of ‘ego death’ and other transformative experiences in psychedelic therapies?

by Natasha Mason, Athena Demertzi & Johannes G Ramaekers

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Why placebo pills work even when you know they’re a placebo

New evidence of the power of the placebo effect – even without any deception – is raising important questions for medicine

by Darwin A Guevarra & Kari A Leibowitz

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A personalised alternative to antidepressants is on the way

A form of personalised, at-home, brain-based treatment for depression is getting close – but is psychiatry ready for it?

by Paul Fitzgerald

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Why the ketamine revolution is stalling – and how to save it

Used with psychotherapy, ketamine can provide safe and effective treatment for depression when other treatments have failed

by Bita Moghaddam

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These are truly exciting times for the science of brain zapping

Yes, there’s been hype, but electrical brain stimulation is a genuine technique, and the science behind it is improving

by Hannah Filmer

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Telephone therapy is convenient and it works. Let’s use it more

You don’t need to see a therapist face to face: telephone therapy is convenient and it works. We should use it more often

by Dean McMillan, Penny Bee, Nicky Lidbetter & Beatrice Lukoseviciute