A new model in mental health, based in Switzerland.

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) combines careful preparation, the supervised use of substances such as psilocybin, MDMA, or LSD, and psychotherapeutic integration.

In Switzerland, this approach is legally permitted for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and certain addictions.
The Consciousness and Mental Health Foundation, a recognized non-profit organization, brings together training, applied research, and therapeutic support under one roof. Guided by the conviction that patients’ lived experience is a vital resource, the Foundation fosters collaboration between health professionals, anthropologists, and researchers to develop models of care that are both innovative and accessible to all.

Our project is part of a broader movement to transform mental healthcare.

by addressing several structural challenges identified in the field:

● Lack of specialised training for healthcare professionals wishing to deliver Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy within an ethical and scientifically rigorous framework.
● Absence of suitable infrastructures for private practice physicians, and the associated cost barriers to providing these therapies in appropriate settings.
● Limited applied research on the therapeutic effects, societal impact, and ethical implications of these practices.
● Insufficient patient involvement in governance, protocol design, and care evaluation.

Our transdisciplinary and ethical model is grounded in co-construction among patients, clinicians, researchers, and anthropologists. A two-year pilot phase will serve to test, refine, and validate this model before broader implementation.

Our Three Strategic Pillars

AN INNOVATIVE AND INTERCONNECTED MODEL

Discover our transdisciplinary approach built on three essential pillars:

Training

● Develop training programmes for healthcare professionals in collaboration with partners.
● Establish rigorous certification to ensure supervised and safe practice.

Applied Research

● Study of the societal impact of psychedelic-assisted therapy, particularly on relatives as well as the environment.
● Collaborate with universities and institutes specialising in social sciences, health policy, and other relevant fields.

Therapy

● Provide premises and equipment suitable for psychiatrists authorised by the FOPH.
● Ensure a secure therapeutic environment to promote an optimal experience that meets the needs of patients and physicians.
● Make these therapies accessible to as many patient as possible by identifying and pooling costs, and by offering efficient, well-structured support frameworks.

What Drives Us

Our vision

Enabling broader access to psychedelic-assisted therapy within a compassionate, safe, and legal framework

Our mission

To create and develop a transdisciplinary centre for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, combining applied research, training and therapy, to:

● Meet growing mental health needs.
● Provide a suitable and secure setting for authorised psychiatrists and FMH doctors.
● Contribute to Geneva, and Switzerland, position themselves as international leaders in the integration of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy.

Our Values

Our foundation is based on a set of universal values:

dignity, empowerment, inclusion, equity, transparency and transdisciplinarity. These values inspire and guide each of our actions in the service of the common good.

Governance

Doctors, patients, therapists, researchers and anthropologists,

bring together their expertise to enrich practices and enhance the quality of care, guided by a commitment to transdisciplinarity. The representation of patients in decision-making bodies and their contribution to the development of protocols strengthen the ethical and human dimensions of the model, complementing the scientific approach led by researchers and clinicians.
As a public-interest foundation based in Geneva, the Consciousness and Mental Health Foundation relies on two bodies:
● The Foundation Board, composed of a medical representative, a patient representative, and a social science expert, bears the legal and strategic responsibility of the Foundation, and ensures its ethical and rigorous governance.
Composition:

Chairman:
Jacques Besson, Psychiatrist and Addiction Specialist, Honorary Professor, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne. Former Head of the Community Psychiatry Service at the University Hospital of Vaud (CHUV, Vaud)

Vice Chairman:
Helena Aicher, PhD, clinical psychologist and researcher at the Universities of Zurich and Basel, Switzerland. Lead trainer in the psychedelic therapy training program of SÄPT. Serves as advisor and mentor to several national and international organizations in the fields of psychedelic therapy, research, and education.
https://kfs.medizin.unibas.ch/de/ueber-uns/

Board member and board secretary:
Laura Tocmacov-Venchiarutti, Laura Tocmacov-Venchiarutti, Director of ImpactIA and co-president of Psychédelos, she connects artificial intelligence and mental health to rethink our relationship with work and our humanity.

● The Advisory Committee, which brings together leading figures from the fields of medicine, research, anthropology and patient care, guides the broad outlines of the project, defines priorities and highlights the risks, in a spirit of open dialogue.
Composition:
Advisory Committee
Prof. Idris Guessous, Head of the Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), and Academic Head of the HUG Innovation Center

Professor Idris Guessous is an internist and epidemiologist who graduated from Lausanne University and holds a PhD in epidemiology from Emory University (USA). He is Chief Physician of the Primary Care Department at the HUG and also co-directs the Primary Care Center. He is behind numerous innovative projects, including the RAFAEL and confIAnce medical chatbots. An active researcher, he conducts population studies and co-founded the GIRAPH group, which integrates spatial analysis into public health. Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UNIGE since 2023, he is also the academic director of the HUG Innovation Center.
https://www.hug.ch/medecine-premier-recours/pr-idris-guessous
Prof. Jean-Michel Aubry, Psychiatre, Psychiatrist, FMH Psychotherapist, specializing in the treatment of mood disorders. Prof. Aubry is former head of the psychiatric specialties service and former head of the academic and hospital department of Psychiatry at Geneva University Hospitals (HUG).
Dr. Alexandre Alt – Psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Secretary of the Swiss Society for Psychedelic Medicine (SSPM)

Alexandre Alt is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who has been interested in altered states of consciousness since the beginning of his practice. After training in neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and hypnosis in Paris and Geneva, he has been practicing PAP in his Geneva office since 2022. Keen to share and promote knowledge, he became secretary of the SSPM in 2024 and also trains clinical research teams in France in PAT.
https://swisspsychedelic.ch
Dr. Peter Oehen – is a Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who is a recognised pioneer and expert in the use of MDMA and LSD.

He conducted a clinical study on the use of MDMA to treat chronic PTSD, played a key role in establishing the limited medical use programme for psychedelics in Switzerland, and contributes to training in and developing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Hélène Rey Ruf – Psychologist and psychotherapist FSP

Hélène Rey Ruf is a psychologist and psychotherapist (FSP), a graduate of the University of Lausanne, specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), clinical hypnosis, and psychotraumatology. She has been practicing for over twenty years in Geneva after working in several medical institutions, including Healthnet and Permanence médicale Vermont. Trained in EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, sensorimotor therapy, and neuroaffective relational models, she integrates a body-based and humanistic approach to trauma support. She has also worked for many years in the field of career guidance and professional development within public institutions in Geneva. Since 2021, she has been actively participating in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) sessions as an assistant in supervised groups. In 2024, she obtained a PAP training certificate from Dr. Peter Oehen and Verena Widmer.
Dr. Jeremy Narby – PhD in anthropology from Stanford University, author of several books

Jeremy Narby earned a PH.D. in anthropology from Stanford University. For 35 years, he collaborated with the Swiss NGO Nouvelle Planète, backing the initiatives of indigenous communities in the Amazon, with a focus on land rights, bilingual education, and sustainable forestry. He is the author of several books, including The Cosmic Serpent and Intelligence in Nature, and he also co-authored Plant Teachers with Rafael Chanchari.
Jonathan Neels Crespo – former patient, speaker, co-President of Swiss Association of Patients in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy – Psychédelos
Dr. William A.Richards – PhD, psychologist and researcher (USA), member of the Tyringham Initiative

William (Bill) Richards, STM, PhD, psychologist and author of Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences, contributed to psychedelic research in Germany in 1963-1964; from 1967-1977 at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center; from 1999-2023 at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and currently serves as a senior advisor at Sunstone Therapies, integrating psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy into palliative care, and implements ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with Gladstone Psychiatry & Wellness.
Management and Coordination
Director :
Bettina Ferdman, With 25 years of experience in social innovation, Bettina leads impactful initiatives across public, private, and philanthropic sectors. As a founding director of the the Consciousness and Mental Health Foundation, she fosters collaboration to advance innovative, human-centered solutions in mental health.

Bettina has established herself as a pioneer in corporate social responsibility through the creation of the Philias Foundation and the development of an innovation lab supporting impact entrepreneurs. With over 25 years of experience in social innovation, she has led initiatives across public, private, and philanthropic sectors to promote sustainable impact. As a founding director of the Consciousness and Mental Health Foundation, she leads its pilot phase, fostering collaboration among stakeholders to advance innovative and human-centered solutions in mental health research, prevention, and care. A certified executive coach, she supports leaders and organizations in driving purposeful and sustainable care transformation.

Logistic coordinator :
Jonathan Neels Crespo, is co-President of the Psychédelos Association, peer supporter in integration circles, and actively involved in organizing events related to psychedelic-assisted therapy. He coordinates logistical and community-oriented activities in collaboration with patients, healthcare professionals, and field partners. His approach combines hands-on experience, organizational skills, and a strong focus on inclusion and ethics.

Training coordinator :
Pierre Tchaikowski, ASCA-certified hypnotherapist, PAT-trained, 15 years’ experience in therapy & training. Holds Swiss Federal Certificate in adult education and a law degree.

Pierre is the principal designer and the coordinator of the transdisciplinary training program in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) of the Conscience et Santé Mentale Foundation.
An ASCA-accredited hypnotherapist trained in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy, he also holds a Swiss Federal Diploma in Adult Education and a law degree from the University of Geneva (1996). He has fifteen years of experience in therapeutic practice and training design.
His clinical work focuses on supporting people facing stress, anxiety, post-traumatic symptoms, and emotional regulation difficulties. He is also trained in end-of-life accompaniment. In Geneva, he collaborates with a psychiatrist in the practice of PAT within the framework of authorizations and directives of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.
His therapeutic approach is enriched by a long-standing personal practice with traditional Amazonian medicines, which fosters an intercultural sensitivity in his work with altered states of consciousness.
Earlier in his career, he served with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as delegate, head of office, and deputy head of sub-delegation, coordinating operations in conflict zones with detainees, often survivors of torture, notably in Afghanistan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierre-tchaikowski-82374541/