Welcome

SIPSA is an organisation which promotes the legitimate, safe, effective and ethical use of psychedelic treatments in South Africa

Psychedelics are the next frontier of treatment for people with mental health disorders, neurological disorders and chronic pain. We are excited to be able to provide the basis and framework for the safe, evidence-based administration of these medications.

Our organisation is made up of specialists in the fields of:

  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology & psychotherapy
  • Anaesthesia & sedation
  • Social work

“Psychedelics, used responsibly and with proper caution, would be for psychiatry what the microscope is for biology and medicine, or the telescope is for astronomy: an essential tool to explore the parts of the internal world that are usually inaccessible”

Dr Stanislav Grov

The Evidence

There is evidence to show that these treatments can be effective for:

Treatment-Resistant Depression
The effectiveness of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression has been supported by numerous studies, including a meta-analysis published in the “American Journal of Psychiatry” which demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine in patients with TRD.
Chronic Pain
The link between ketamine’s analgesic properties and its psychological impacts in chronic pain management have been discussed in reviews in “Pain Physician,” highlighting its dual benefits.
Acute Suicidal Ideation
A landmark study published in the “Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” showed that ketamine could rapidly reduce suicidal thoughts in patients with a high risk of suicide.
Anxiety Disorders
Initial studies, including pilot trials published in “Depression and Anxiety,” have explored ketamine’s anxiolytic effects, suggesting its utility in treating anxiety disorders like GAD and SAD.
Substance Use Disorders
Research into ketamine’s role in treating substance use disorders, such as those published in “The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse,” have investigated its potential in reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Evidence for ketamine’s efficacy in PTSD comes from clinical trials, such as those reported in “Psychoneuroendocrinology,” which indicate its potential in reducing PTSD symptoms.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Preliminary findings from studies published in journals like “Neuropsychopharmacology” have explored ketamine’s effects on OCD symptoms, indicating possible therapeutic benefits.

Our Aims and Objectives are as follows:

  • To promote the professional and legitimate interests of ketamine and psychedelic treatments.
  • To develop guidelines, uniform protocols and techniques for ketamine and legal psychedelic treatments.
  • Promote interdisciplinary collaboration regarding ketamine and legal psychedelic treatments.
  • To advocate for patient access to these treatments, at rates in the Private Sector that are benchmarked to equivalent specialists’ rate per time, equipment and service the patient is receiving.
  • To provide education to healthcare professionals and institutions.
  • To establish a registry for research and quality improvement purposes.
  • To obtain, process, and make available statistics relating to ketamine and legal psychedelic treatments.
  • To encourage research in the field of ketamine and psychedelic treatments.
  • To disseminate gathered information to the health community.
  • To involve members in continual and dedicated training programs with the aim of spreading the service net of ketamine and legal psychedelic treatments in South Africa.

Values

We are committed to the values of non-racialism and non-sexism, as enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa (section 1(b)).

ALL members of our organisation agree that racial categories or gender bias shall NOT be deciding factors with regards to all matters including membership, election to the Executive Committee, teaching at congresses/meetings, and so forth.

Please download our Constitution below.

Download
Sign up

Become a member!

Membership means more than belonging — it’s about staying at the forefront of a rapidly evolving field. Our unique multidisciplinary membership offers affordable access to training and teaching, guidelines, research, and collaboration: Equipping you to provide world-class ketamine and psychedelic treatments. Join us to bring about positive change to individual lives while influencing the landscape of mental health treatment in South Africa.

Sign up

To become a member of SIPSA, please create an account on our website by clicking here. A verification will be sent to your email address. Please verify, then return to this site to complete registration, accept terms and conditions and then make payment.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact us via email or WhatsApp.

Email
admin@sipsa.org.za

Whatsapp
079 271 5208

Account name: SIPSA
Bank: FNB
Acc no: 631 0086 2465

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Membership fees

Our fees are very reasonable and have not been increased for 2 years!

Sign up now and lock in this low price!

Doctors,
Psychologists,
Social workers,
Psychotherapists,
Pharmacists

R1000/year
  • Numerous & Expanding
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Guidelines & Guidance
  • Training & Accreditation
  • CPD points
Sign up

Nurses,
Assistants

R300/year
  • Numerous & Expanding
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Guidelines & Guidance
  • Training & Accreditation
  • CPD points
Sign up

Benefits

Courses

We are committed to improving service provision for healthcare professionals regarding psychedelics and enjoy reduced rates for HPCSA accredited training.

This course provides access to online Continuous Professional Development (CPD) coursework to registered healthcare professionals only.

We do not intend for this information to be consumed by an audience beyond the aforementioned scope.

By registering for this course, you confirm that you are a registered healthcare professional.

This course is accredited for 5 General and 1 Ethics CPD points

Cost:
SIPSA members: R499
Non-members: R999

Please provide your information to sign up for the course:


Our Committee Members

Dr Anthony Townsend

Chairperson (Clinical Psychologist)
More about me

Anthony is a qualified Clinical Psychologist – with special interests in Neuropsychology and Forensic Psychology – in private practice in Sandton, Johannesburg, and has been in practice for over 10 years. He is the co-founder and clinical director of Equanimity Wellness, a company dedicated to reducing unnecessary suffering by combining traditional forms of therapy with evidence-based alternative medicines such as psychedelics and other forms of modern and ancient wisdom.

Anthony holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology (summa cum laude) from the University of the Witwatersrand and attained his Doctorate (D. Litt et Phill (Psych)) through UNISA.

Anthony attended the 10th and 11th Annual Neurology Courses at Oxford University hosted by the Nuffield Department of Neuroscience. He holds numerous academic honours, including the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Academic Excellence as one of the top graduates from the University of Pretoria in 2010 and a place as a finalist for the 2011 Rhodes Scholarship.

In 2016, he was nominated as one Barclay’s 100 Brightest Young Minds in South Africa. Anthony has worked in several psychiatric and general hospitals including Chris Hani Baragwanath Child Psychiatry Unit, the Tara H. Moross Hospital, Pretoria West Hospital and Kalafong Hospital; and currently consults for private hospitals, among them Life Riverfield Lodge and Life Fourways Hospital. When Anthony is not seeing patients, he serves as a member of the Medical Appeal Board of South African Civil Aviation (SACAA), a co-founder of Insight Now (SA’s first virtual reality therapy venture) and a guest lecturer and researcher for post-graduate courses for the Department of Psychology at the University of Pretoria.

Recently, in 2024, Anthony was appointed as Vice Chairperson of the Society of Interventional Practitioners in South Africa (SIPSA) promoting the legitimate practice of psychedelic-assisted therapy in the country. Anthony has completed several international trainings in psychedelic-assisted therapy and has co-developed a therapeutic model for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy which he has been practicing with and refining since 2021. 

Anthony uses an integrative therapeutic approach that combines neuropsychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychoanalysis, to help people master their emotional worlds, deepen their relationships and live more fulfilling lives. He works with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families from all walks of life and has special focusses on anxiety, panic attacks, depression, bipolar, personality vulnerabilities, ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, trauma and addiction. Anthony is also trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy which he often combines with traditional approaches to offer deep healing for people seeking to break rigid life-limiting patterns.

In addition to being a qualified yoga instructor, Anthony is an avid traveller, wine-enthusiast and bibliophile.

Dr Suntheren Pillay

Vice-chair (Psychiatrist)
More about me

Dr Suntheren Pillay is a Precision Medical Practitioner and Researcher who currently works as a Specialist Psychiatrist and Clinical Genomist in Private Practice. He is a member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP).

He is also the Chairman of the Green Biotechnology UPPS Group of companies.

Bioprospecting research in Algae and Fungi led to him becoming forerunner in Psychedelic and Ketamine research and was the first to treating patients with Ketamine infusions for psychiatric indications in South Africa in 2013.

He has published papers in bioprospecting and nano silver delivery systems and is currently involved in the use of Applied Super Entourage effect for the development hybrid medication. This has already led to the lodging of a patent.

He is passionate about Holistic care and pushing the frontiers of medical development

A Father to three kind Children
The younger twin daughters are medical doctors and the older son is a Chemical engineer, Medical Scientist and now a 3rd year Medical Student.

He loves to do underwater photography and videography while free diving although now learning to scuba .

His free land hours is spent enjoying divine food and the company his precious better half and then trying to burn it off doing Hot Yoga and playing with their border collie Lēno

Dr Catherine Knights

Treasurer (Specialist Anaesthesiologist)
More about me

Dr Catherine Joan Knights FCA(SA) is a Specialist Anaesthesiologist. She attained her anaesthetic specialty at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in 2011. She currently works at the Knysna Life and Advanced private hospitals providing anaesthesia for a variety of surgical specialties. She has a special interest in opioid-free anaesthesia and ketamine for mental health and chronic pain disorders.

She established Ketafuse, an IV ketamine infusion clinic in Knysna central.

She is a member of the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA), the Society of Sedation Practitioners of South Africa (SOSPOSA), PainSA and the Society of Interventional Practitioners South Africa (SIPSA).

She is married to Ben, a Chemical Engineer, and they have 2 children, 2 dogs and 2 cats

Janine Townsend

Secretary (HPCSA Student Registered Counsellor)
More about me

Janine is an experienced social science researcher with an MA in Research Psychology, currently completing her practicum to qualify as an HPCSA Registered Counsellor. She is passionate about exploring and developing meaningful front-line mental health interventions and has over a decade of experience in distilling research into actionable insights; ranging from adult learning in the banking sector, to specialised mental health-related content.

Beyond research, she has experience in the operational and educational facets of interventional practice. As a director at Inscape Therapy Academy, she designed, built, and currently administrates an evidence-based CPD platform for mental health professionals. Her practical exposure to the global psychedelic landscape includes serving as a coordinator and program director for an international retreat supporting a multi-disciplinary clinical team.

As Secretary of the EXCO, Janine contributes her skills in front-line mental health support, psychoeducation, user experience, research synthesis, and content development to support SIPSA’s continued growth in expanding the reach of ethical, legal, and evidence-based interventions in South Africa.

Dr Philippa Skowno

Member (Counselling Psychologist)
More about me

Philippa is a Counselling Psychologist in private practice. She has a doctorate in Exercise science with research interests in resilience and physical activity as well as consciousness-based interventions such as mindfulness, trauma-informed therapies and psychedelic-assisted therapies.
Her primary interests are in training and supporting other health practitioners in the dynamic and remarkably hopeful space of Psychedelic assisted Therapy. She additionally offers PAT harm reduction and integration support, as well as Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy for her existing client base.
She is a certified Psychedelic Assisted Therapist through the MAPS affiliated Integrative Psychiatry Institute in Boulder, Colorado. She’s a contributing member of international PAT forums including the Open Foundation for Psychedelic Research in the Netherlands, as well as the newly formed SIPSA in South Africa. She loves running on mountains and playing music, and is functionally addicted to podcasts.


EDUCATION  

University of Cape Town, 2016, PhD (Ex Sci) Rhodes University, 2009, MA (Couns Psych)


CONTACT
pskowno@gmail.com
Skowno.com

Dr Javanika Moodley

Member (General Practitioner with a Diploma in Psychiatry)
More about me

Dr Javanika Moodley is a General Practitioner with a Diploma in Psychiatry.

She is currently completing her Masters on the use of single dose IV Ketamine in a substance use population. She has a keen interest in the use of interventional medicine for mental health disorders, having seen first-hand the positive impact these treatments have had on patients. Dr Moodley is committed to exploring, encouraging, and facilitating the safe, legal use of  these treatments for patients and practitioners alike.

Manuela Brand

Member (Clinical Psychologist)
More about me

Manuela Brand is a German-trained clinical psychologist with over a decade of experience in psychotherapy, specialising in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). Her patient-centered clinical approach is informed by international practice across Germany, Switzerland, and South Africa, and by more than ten years of direct involvement in the therapeutic use of psychedelics.

She holds active leadership roles in professional organisations advocating for the safe and ethical integration of psychedelic therapies into healthcare systems. She serves as an office bearer and board member of the Swiss Association for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (SÄPT), where PAT has been legally available since 2014 under a case-by-case authorization framework. She is also a founding member of the German Association for Psychedelic Therapy and Research (DGPFT), and a mentor with the MIND Foundation, contributing to the training of healthcare professionals in PAT.

Contact Us

Email
admin@sipsa.org.za

Whatsapp
079 271 5208

Tel
079 271 5208

Send us a message