The flagship certificate · October 2026 cohort

CPACT

Certificate of Psychedelic and Contemplative Therapies

From foundations to specialisation. A 200-hour, 12-month hybrid certification for practitioners seeking a deeply integrative, evidence-based and experiential approach to psychedelic-assisted therapy.

PACFA Category A CPD endorsed

Our next cohort journeys October 2026 to March 2027. Open to registered health professionals, facilitators working in lawful settings, and advanced students.

200Hours of training
12Months, hybrid
6Elective pathways
2Immersive retreats

Learning in the body, not only the mind

Experiential learning at the heart of CPACT

CPACT is felt as much as it is studied. Alongside the theory, you learn through practice, ritual and relationship, the way this work is truly transmitted.

In-person intensives

Two multi-day experiential intensives with your cohort, where the model becomes lived practice.

Holotropic breathwork

Guided breathwork with Anthony Olsen to safely explore expanded states and integration.

Therapeutic roleplays

Skills demonstrations and roleplays that build relational presence across the arc of care.

Immersive retreats

Two immersive four-day retreats in nature, weaving somatic, wisdom and community practice.

Clinical mentoring pathway

Supervised clinical mentoring via Rainbow Mandala Therapies

Our partnership with Rainbow Mandala Therapies opens supervised clinical mentoring pathways, so your learning can carry into real, supported practice.

The voyage

An integrative training for altered states

The Certificate of Psychedelic and Contemplative Therapies is a 200-hour, 12-month hybrid program designed for professionals, students and therapists seeking a deeply integrative, evidence-based and experiential approach to psychedelic-assisted therapy.

CPACT blends online and in-person experiential learning across two intertwined streams: 100 hours of core psychedelic-assisted therapy training, and 100 hours of contemplative or experiential electives you tailor to your own path.

CPACT is designed to be completed over twelve months, subject to elective dates and individual needs. All contemplative electives can be completed standalone and later recognised as Recognised Prior Learning when applying for CPACT.

Anam Cara founders Lani and Melissa at the coast with a crystal singing bowl
There is vast beauty and salve in the psychedelic ocean of experience, and yet one may rapidly find themselves out of their depth. The SWIM manual

Who it is for

For those already walking the path

CPACT is aimed at people already working in, or training toward, mental-health and wellbeing roles. No prior psychedelic experience is required, though a genuine interest in contemplative practice is essential.

Health professionals

Psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, nurses and allied health practitioners with current registration and indemnity insurance.

Facilitators and students

Psychedelic facilitators working in lawful settings, and final-year students in relevant fields, considered case by case.

Coaches and practitioners

Coaches and wellness practitioners with relevant experience who are ready to deepen their relational and ethical presence.

The curriculum spine

Woven through every module: SWIM

CPACT is organised around the SWIM model, an integrative map that holds psychedelic-assisted and contemplative work in four interwoven dimensions. Together they form a discipline for practice that is ethical, embodied and relationally grounded.

S

Somatic

The body's intelligence

The body is where we feel volition, intention and authorship. We develop the capacity to notice inner states, regulate intensity, and let insight become embodied change.

W

Wisdom

The art of orienting well

Philosophy, contemplation, ethics and flourishing in conversation. Wisdom keeps profound experience open to wonder without abandoning humility or ordinary life.

I

Interdependence

The self in relationship

Connection is not a byproduct of psychedelic-assisted therapy, it is the catalyst. Regulation emerges not in isolation, but in contact.

M

Metacognition

The mind meeting itself

You are not the cloud. You are the sky that holds it. Metacognition is the capacity to recognise mental activity as mental activity, and respond with flexibility.

100 hours · core

Building solid foundations

The clinical foundation of CPACT. One hundred hours combining contemporary psychedelic science, evidence-based practice, contemplative traditions and Indigenous wisdom, into a comprehensive, skill-based grounding for working with altered states. The core units are endorsed by PACFA as a Category A CPD activity.

What you study

Curriculum threads

  • Neuroscience, pharmacology and the specific psychedelics
  • Clinical frameworks, set and setting, and client assessment
  • Ethics, informed consent and professional development
  • Legal and regulatory context in Australia
  • Preparation, integration and nature-based therapy
  • Cultural foundations and theories of consciousness

How you learn

The learning journey

  1. 1Monthly study groupsLive study groups with core faculty, held in relationship.
  2. 2Guest webinarsMonthly webinars with core and visiting guest faculty.
  3. 3Experiential intensivesTwo three-day in-person intensives with roleplays and a holotropic breathwork workshop.
  4. 4An online manual and portalA guiding manual for each phase, and a collaborative portal to connect with the teachings and your peers.
  5. 5Personal reflectionA reflection framework for continuous self-inquiry across the year.

100 hours · electives

Nurturing your unique path

Choose one hundred hours of electives that align with your path. Follow your curiosity, and specialise from the heart. Around $2,500 of the program fee is budgeted for completing electives with external partners.

Tap any elective to open its full brief.

A practitioner resting in a supported yin yoga pose

50 hours · In-person with online homework

Yin Yoga Teacher Training

With Michele Maselli (Mickey Space)

Learn to teach Yin Yoga confidently, incorporating anatomical variation, Traditional Chinese Medicine, non-duality and trauma-informed practice. This teacher training weaves the stillness of long-held postures with the somatic intelligence at the heart of the SWIM model.

Soft light evoking the breath and the energetic body

50 hours · In-person with online homework

Pranayama Breathwork Training

With Michele Maselli (Mickey Space)

Dive deep into the ancient yogic science of pranayama, exploring traditional techniques, yogic philosophy and the energetic system, including the koshas, chakras and kundalini. A rigorous, embodied foundation for holding breath as a therapeutic and contemplative practice.

The Amazon rainforest of the Peruvian dieta retreat

100 hours · In-person in Peru with online elements

Peru Cultural Immersion Dieta

With Dr Alana Roy & Asháninka curanderos

Held deep in the Amazon with Asháninka curanderos and Anam Cara's ethical, evidence-based framework. A dieta experience alongside structured preparation and integration training, grounded in First Nations lineage and cultural reciprocity.

All offerings and pathways are available, including Herbalism, ACER integration with Dr Rosalind Watts, and medicine-assisted retreats.

See all offerings and pathways →
CPACT students seated together in a circle around a candlelit centrepiece during a retreat
Lani and Melissa teaching a live session to the CPACT cohort
A CPACT student working on expressive and creative arts during a retreat
The CPACT cohort gathered together outdoors in a garden setting

Creating community

Two immersive four-day retreats in nature

Connect with your cohort at two immersive four-day retreats in nature, held in a forested, waterside sanctuary and designed to support deep personal and professional growth in a nurturing setting.

Throughout these gatherings we journey through the SWIM and FLOAT model of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, exploring somatic awareness, wisdom practices, interdependence and metacognition as we deepen our capacity to feel, let go, open into awareness and transcend.

You will experience a rich blend of practices such as expressive and creative arts, ritual cooking, movement and embodiment, and community connection. In the second retreat we work with Holotropic Breathwork with Anthony Olsen to support expanded states of consciousness and integration.

More than retreats, these are invitations to build lasting friendships and a peer-supported community grounded in ethical, embodied practice. A space to rest, reflect, create and grow together.

How it runs

Delivery and rhythm

Hybrid and online-first

Delivered primarily online through our LearnWorlds learning platform, with self-paced modules, live study groups and guest webinars, plus two in-person experiential intensives.

Live attendance

Study groups and lectures require live attendance, with 80% attendance across the program. The comprehensive course manual is required reading throughout.

Assessment

Assessed through reflective essays, case discussions, skills demonstrations and an integrative project, with practical assessments held during the intensive retreats.

Where it leads

A pathway to AMAPP accreditation

On completion you receive a Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted and Contemplative Therapies. While no nationally agreed training standards yet exist in Australia, CPACT provides a pathway to accreditation with AMAPP, the Australian Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Practitioners, as a Psychedelic Prescriber, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapist or Psychedelic Facilitator.

CPACT does not itself qualify you for clinical practice or registration. It prepares practitioners to offer preparation, integration and therapeutic support within their existing scope of practice, and may count as continuing professional development depending on your professional association.

Read our ethical and legal approach

Trust signals

  • PACFA Category A CPD endorsed core units
  • Pathway to AMAPP accreditation
  • Faculty from Swinburne, Monash, ANU, Imperial College, MAPS and Beckley
  • Grounded in Australian law and AHPRA's Code of Conduct
  • Supervised clinical mentoring pathways via our Rainbow Mandala Therapies partnership

Investment

Fees and scholarships

Scholarships available. We are committed to widening access to this training for those who carry it into community.

Full program

$7,500 AUD

The complete 200-hour certificate. Around $2,500 of this is budgeted for you to complete 100 hours of contemplative electives with external partners. Payment plans are available, considered case by case.

Scholarship rate

Upon request

Scholarship rate available upon request for First Nations Australians, veterans, those with an extensive volunteer history in psychedelics, and underprivileged individuals with demonstrated volunteer work.

Deposits are non-refundable. Course fees are non-refundable but may transfer to a future cohort. Deferrals are considered case by case.

The CPACT cohort gathered together in a green field beneath open sky

A peer-supported community grounded in ethical, embodied practice.

Voices from the field

What graduates say

Lani and Melissa complement each other beautifully, bringing together a truly thoughtful and insightful curriculum. They create a psychologically safe and nurturing environment where participants connect and learn. I was especially impressed by the focus on emerging ethical issues in this field.
Dr Jennifer LongPsychiatrist
The CPACT course with Lani and Melissa has been a great journey. Not only are they great women but as a medical professional, their knowledge and experience have provided me with science-based information that takes this course to a whole new level. I highly recommend it.
Natalia Gutierrez RamirezGeneral Practitioner
Their unique blend of skills, Lani's clinical expertise and Melissa's holistic approach, ensures a well-rounded understanding of assisted psychedelic therapy. Their ability to integrate science, safety, and the power of human connection makes this course stand out. Highly recommended.
Simba ChipadzaNurse

Answer the call

How to apply

  1. 1

    Register your interest

    Contact us to receive the CPACT course syllabus and application form.

  2. 2

    Meet the intake team

    Our intake educators reply within one to two business days and schedule a brief conversation.

  3. 3

    Begin the journey

    Complete your application and join the October 2026 to March 2027 cohort.

Are you ready to answer the call?

We welcome the next cohort of psychedelic practitioners in October 2026. Begin a conversation with our intake team, request the syllabus, or read the frequently asked questions.

Scholarship rate available upon request