Dipl.-Psych. Manuela Brand

Clinical Psychologist (CBT) & Board Member of SÄPT (Switzerland) & SIPSA (South Africa) 

Manuela Brand is a clinical psychologist in her own practice. She is involved in the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances since 2010. Her patient-centered clinical approach is informed by international practice across Germany, Switzerland, and South Africa.  

Manuela holds leadership positions in professional organisations that advocate for the safe and ethical integration of psychedelic therapies into healthcare systems. She serves on the board of the Swiss Association for Psychedelic‑Assisted Therapy (SÄPT), the South African Society of Interventional Practitioners (SIPSA), and is a member of the German Society for Psychedelic Research and Therapy (DGPFT). 

She completed SÄPT’s inaugural three‑year advanced training program on supporting people in substance‑induced altered states of consciousness. She has co‑authored peer‑reviewed articles, book chapters, and a therapist manual addressing ethics, therapeutic setting, and integration processes in PAT. 

From 2021 to 2024, Manuela worked as a psychotherapist and clinical investigator in the EPIsoDE Phase II psilocybin trial at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany. In this role, she also contributed to the development of therapist guidance for the study. 

Currently based in Cape Town, South Africa, Manuela brings her combined expertise in clinical psychology, research, and governance to the MIND Foundation in the role of a mentor.