A doctor seeking to understand psilocybin therapy for his patients has alleged sexual assault at a prominent training centre, highlighting growing concerns about psychedelic therapy abuse in America’s rapidly expanding hallucinogenic treatment industry.

From Healing to Harm

Tim, an Atlanta physician, initially visited the EAST Institute in 2022 hoping to gain firsthand experience with psilocybin before incorporating it into his practice. His first session proved transformative, helping him process sexual trauma and shame through what he described as feeling “connected to everything” and “bathed in light and energy.”

The positive experience led Tim to enrol in EAST’s $25,000 six-month facilitator training programme. Founded by tech entrepreneur Jeff Glattstein and social worker Lena Franklin, the centre promised “personal healing and transformation” through plant medicine, meditation, and sound therapy.

However, Tim’s journey would allegedly take a devastating turn, resulting in accusations of hallucinogenic treatment misconduct that have since engulfed the Atlanta facility.

Weekend Ceremonies and Pressure

EAST’s training involved weekend ceremonies where participants took high doses of psilocybin up to 4.5 grams, according to six trainees interviewed. Franklin disputes this, claiming maximum doses were 3.5 grams. Half the group would take high doses whilst the other half received lower amounts to serve as facilitators, then swap roles the following night.

Multiple trainees described feeling pressured to take psychedelics even when expressing reluctance. Joan, a psychologist in Tim’s training group, was experiencing “serious insomnia and unrelenting anxiety” in February 2023. She says she asked Glattstein if she could skip the mushrooms that weekend but claims he insisted she proceed.

“I will always regret not saying, ‘Wait a minute, Jeff, she’s telling you that her intuition, her body, her spirit, is saying that she shouldn’t do this. Why would we override that?'” recalls Beth, another trainee.

As the course progressed, Joan’s condition deteriorated. She couldn’t sleep or work, and stopped doing most activities. Eventually, her husband admitted her to hospital, where she remained in the psychiatric ward for two weeks.

The Alleged Assault

The same weekend Joan tried to opt out, Tim also attempted to reduce his dosage following a difficult breakup. He told two EAST employees, including Scott, that “it may not be appropriate for me to take a high dose of psilocybin this weekend.” When Glattstein proceeded as normal, Tim took the full dose.

After the ceremony ended, Tim was still experiencing the drug’s effects – a common issue at EAST, where ceremonies concluded after three hours but psilocybin’s influence could last up to eight hours. Scott, a staff member responsible for safely transporting participants home, offered Tim accommodation for the night rather than returning to the home he shared with his ex-boyfriend.

Tim says Scott suggested they share a bed since another trainee was using the couch. Still under psilocybin’s influence and feeling deep affection for everyone at EAST, Tim agreed. However, he alleges Scott then sexually assaulted him, attempting to force oral sex despite Tim’s resistance.

“I put my underwear back on at least three times,” Tim recalled. He says he eventually stopped resisting.

Scott denies the allegations, telling Business Insider he had “no sexual contact” with Tim.

Institutional Response

When Tim reported the alleged assault to Glattstein and Franklin, they initially said they “believed” him, according to audio recordings reviewed by Business Insider. However, when fellow trainee Beth suggested this represented an institutional failure, Glattstein responded: “As far as EAST being culpable, we had a person on our staff who stepped over the line.”

EAST hired a law firm to investigate and Scott was fired. However, Franklin later wrote that the report concluded EAST had “no culpability in the alleged events.” She declined to share the report with Business Insider.

More Allegations Emerge

In October 2023, two women from EAST’s first training programme filed lawsuits alleging Glattstein sexually abused them during private “energy healing” sessions. Mica Davis claimed Glattstein touched her breasts and vagina over clothing to clear her “root chakra,” telling her this would “make her husband happy.”

Jacqueline Wigder, who came to EAST to work through childhood sexual abuse trauma, alleged Glattstein pressed his hands on her pubic bone and reached under her bra, claiming her sexual energy was “like a caged tiger that needed to be released.”

Glattstein denies these allegations, stating on his website that the women signed informed consents for “hands on” energy work. The lawsuits remain pending.

Industry-Wide Problems

EAST’s troubles reflect broader issues with psychedelic therapy abuse across the emerging industry. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) acknowledged in 2019 that therapist Richard Yensen “substantially deviated” from protocols whilst treating trial participant Meaghan Buisson.

Video footage showed Yensen cuddling, hugging, and restraining Buisson whilst she was on MDMA. Buisson later sued, alleging Yensen continued as her therapist and repeatedly sexually abused her for over a year. The case settled out of court.

In California, therapist Eyal Goren faced eight disciplinary charges including sexual misconduct against trainees who had taken psilocybin, MDMA, and ayahuasca. He surrendered his licence for at least three years.

Regulatory Gaps Enable Abuse

Oregon and Colorado have legalised psilocybin for therapeutic use, with over 20 cities decriminalising it. However, oversight remains minimal. Oregon’s facilitator certification requires just 160 hours training – compared to 625 hours for massage therapists.

“This is a new field, and there are no real regulations,” explains Dominic Sisti, an associate professor of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s sort of the Wild West phenomenon where the most aggressive, entrepreneurial people can take advantage of that.”

The global psychedelic medicine market could reach $10 billion by 2028, according to the Business Research Company, attracting entrepreneurs who may prioritise profits over safety.

The Touch Problem

Physical contact during sessions remains particularly controversial in preventing hallucinogenic treatment misconduct. MAPS guidelines require permission for touch but don’t address whether someone under psychedelics’ influence can properly consent.

“It goes against everything we know about therapeutic boundaries and ethics when the facilitator leans heavily into touch,” says Neşe Devenot from Harvard’s Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation. “When the client is on these suggestible substances, that touch creates a feeling of intimacy that can be exploited.”

Training Concerns

Trainees described EAST’s educational content as lacking scientific rigour. “Jeff gave some very basic information about the limbic system,” recalled Sarah from the third training group. “I was like, ‘Are we not going to get into serotonin receptors and how psychedelics interact with the brain?'”

There was no discussion of boundaries between facilitators and subjects, trainees say. “There was never anything about ethics, or what we should do as facilitators if we found ourselves attracted to somebody,” Beth explained.

Former EAST employee Zoe noticed concerning shifts in the centre’s messaging. “They were becoming increasingly, explicitly anti-mental-health treatment,” she said. “Like, how you shouldn’t go to therapy, and take mushrooms instead.”

EAST’s Collapse

In December, EAST filed for bankruptcy. The website is now blank and social media accounts deleted. Franklin has migrated some offerings to her personal website, recently advertising a six-day Egypt trip called “The Awakening” to unlock “dormant cellular DNA.”

Glattstein’s transformation from failed tech entrepreneur to self-styled shaman began after claiming a mysterious illness brought him close to death. He says he heard a voice commanding “Heal yourself,” leading him to abandon Western medicine for shamanic practices. His condition allegedly resolved completely.

Calls for Reform

Despite his traumatic experience, Tim still believes in psychedelics’ therapeutic potential but insists proper regulation is essential. He envisions a future where psilocybin therapy operates with the same professional standards as traditional medicine.

“I still believe this is the future of medicine,” Tim says. “But you can’t just have some tech guy walk in and call himself a shaman.”

In 2021, 200 psychedelic practitioners and advocates signed an open letter calling for accountability and transparency. A Harvard Law School healthcare blog concluded that abuse accounts across the industry “align with the familiar social dynamics that make up destructive cults.”

Franklin acknowledges EAST’s shortcomings but maintains they did their best. “EAST was not perfect, obviously, and there’s a lot of growth area for sure,” she says. However, she adds: “What people did when they stepped outside of the doors, we just don’t have control over that.”

The emerging psychedelic therapy industry faces a critical juncture as allegations of abuse continue surfacing. Without proper safeguards and regulation, the promise of hallucinogenic healing risks being overshadowed by exploitation and harm.

Source: Business Insider