Lidia Stoica is a PhD Candidate at the University of Hertfordshire, where she is specialising in Criminology and Criminal Justice. She holds an MSc and a BSc in Criminology and Criminal Psychology from the University of Greenwich, where she also subsequently taught. Lidia’s main areas of interest are crime desistance and psychedelics. Her mission is to create a novel and innovative therapeutic intervention that will help people desist from crime and rebuild their lives.

The Potential Use of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy as a Desistance-Focused Intervention for Offenders

Research findings in the contemporary desistance literature highlight the role narratives play in helping offenders to cease involvement in criminal activity. Some theories state that the most crucial cognitive change in people who desist from crime is a cognitive readiness and openness to positive change. However, the brain’s ability to change decreases with age, which makes cognitive and behavioural changes especially difficult for adults. Nevertheless, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy could be the pioneering and groundbreaking intervention that might just break down this barrier and provide a catalyst for positive change, and, ultimately, desistance from crime.