1962, B.A. (cum laude), Philosophy and Psychology, Albion College, Albion, MI
1965, M.Div, Religion: Teaching and Research, Yale University, New Haven,CT.
1963-1964, Psychiatry and Religion, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany
1966, S.T.M. (cum laude), Psychology, Andover-Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, MA
1966-1967, Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
1975, Ph.D., Education: Counseling, Catholic University, Washington DC

1976-present, Licensed Psychologist, State of Maryland
1978 (inactive), Licensed Psychologist, District of Columbia
1976-present, Registrant with Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology
2001-present, Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ), Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB),

1963-1964, Research Assistant to Hanscarl Leuner, M.D., Psychotherapy Division, Psychiatric Clinic, Georg-August University, Göttingen Germany
1965, Interim Minister, Congress Heights Presbyterian Church, Washington DC
1966, Chaplain Intern, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Boston MA.
1966-1967, Research Assistant to Abraham Maslow, Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham MA.,
1967-1969, Research Psychotherapist, Friends Medical Science Research Center, Baltimore, MD.
1969-1970, Assistant Director/Psychotherapist, Coleridge House (Residential Facility for Treatment of Narcotic Addiction), Baltimore MD.
1971-1972, Psychotherapist, Pastoral Counseling & Consultation Centers of Greater Baltimore, MD.
1970-1976, Research Fellow II, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (Division of Clinical Sciences: psychotherapy research), Maryland State Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Baltimore MD.
1976-present, Private practice of clinical psychology
1977-1978, Research Associate, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine , (Department of Psychiatry: psychotherapy research), Baltimore MD.
1977-1979, Assistant Professor, Developmental-Clinical Psychology Program, Antioch University/Maryland, Columbia MD.
1979-1980, Assistant Professor, Human Development Program, Antioch University/ Maryland, Baltimore MD.
1980-1987, Associate Professor, Human Development Program, Antioch University/ Maryland, Baltimore MD.
1983-1987, Clinical Supervisor, Pastoral Counseling Program, Loyola College, Columbia, MD.
1995-present, Senior Fellow, Council on Spiritual Practices, San Francisco, CA,
2005-present, Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

Member American Psychological Association
Fellow, Maryland Psychological Association

Pahnke, W.N. & Richards, W.A. Implications of LSD and Experimental Mysticism. Journal of Religion and Health, 1966, 5:: 175-208.
  Reprinted in:
  Theology Digest, 1968, 16:: 54-58.
  Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 1969, 1: 69-102.
  Tart, C. T. (Ed.), Altered States of Consciousness: A Book of Readings. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1969, 399-438.
  Journal of Psychedelic Drugs, 1970, 3: 92-108.
  Heaney, J.J. (Ed.), Psyche and Spirit: Readings in Psychology and Religion. New York: Paulist Press, 1973, 109-118.
  Schaffer Library of Drug Policy: www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/lsd/pahnke4.htm

Richards, W.A.. Marijuana: Our Present Knowledge. Engage, 1971, 3: 4-8.

Richards, W.A., Grof, S., Goodman, L.E. & Kurland, A.A. LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy and the Human Encounter with Death. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 1972, 4: 121-150.

Grof, S., Soskin, R.A., Richards, W.A. & Kurland, A.A. DPT as an Adjunct in Psychotherapy with Alcoholics. International Pharmacopsychiatry, 1973,8: 104-115.

Soskin, R.A., Grof, S., Richards, W.A. Low Doses of Dipropyltryptamine in Psychotherapy, Archives of General Psychiatry, 1973, 28: 817-821.

Grof, S., Goodman, L.E., Richards, W.A. & Kurland, A.A. LSD-Assisted Psycho-therapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer. International Pharmacopsychiatry, 1973, 8: 129-144.

Richards, W.A., Rhead, J.C., DiLeo, F.B., Yensen, R. & Kurland, A.A. The Peak Experience Variable in DPT-Assisted Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs, 1977, 9: 1-10.

Richards, W.A. & Rhead, J.C. Psychedelic Drug-Assisted Psychotherapy: Present Perspectives, Promises and Problems (Abstract of presentation to Society for Clinical Research in Biofeedback and Nonordinary States of Consciousness). Journal of Altered States of Consciousness, 1977-78, 3: 97-98,

Richards, W.A. & Berendes, M. LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy and Dynamics of Creativity: A Case Report. Journal of Altered States of Consciousness, 1977-78, 3: 131-146.

Rhead, J.C., Soskin, R.A., Turek, I., Richards, W.A. , Yensen, R., Kurland, A.A., & Ota, K.Y. Psychedelic Drug (DPT)-Assisted Psychotherapy with Alcoholics: A Controlled Study. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs, 1977, 9: 287-300.

Richards, W.A., Mystical and Archetypal Experiences of Terminal Patients in DPT-Assisted Psychotherapy. Journal of Religion and Health, 1978, 17: 117-126.

Richards, W.A., Rhead, J.C., Grof, S., Goodman, L.E., DiLeo, F.B. & Rush, L. DPT as an Adjunct in Brief Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients, Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 1979, 10: 9-26.

Richards, W.A., Psychedelic Drug-Assisted Psychotherapy with Persons Suffering from Terminal Cancer, Journal of Altered States of Consciousness, 1980, 5: 309-319.

Richards, W.A., Entheogens in the Study of Mystical and Archetypal Experiences, Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Boston: Brill, 2003, 13, 143-155.

Richards, W.A., Navigation within Consciousness: Insights from Four Decades of Psychotherapy Research with Imagery, Music and Entheogens, Journal of the Association for Music and Imagery, 2003-2004, 9 : 27-39.

Richards, W.A., Entheogens in the Study of Religious Experiences: Current Status, Journal of Religion and Health, 2005, 44, 4 (Winter), 377-389.

Griffiths, R.R., Richards, W.A., McCann, U. & Jesse, R., Psilocybin can Occasion Mystical-Type Experiences Having Substantial and Sustained Personal Meaning and Spiritual Significance, Psychopharmacology, 2006, 187,3, pp. 268-283.
  Reprinted in Psychedelic Medicine, Vol. 2, ed. M.J. Winkelman & T.B. Roberts eds,., Westport CT: Praeger, pp. 227-254.

Johnson, M.W., Richards, W.A., & Griffith s, R.R., Human Hallucinogen Research: Guidelines for Safety, Journal of Psychopharmacology, In press.

Richards, W.A. The Phenomenology and Potential Religious Import of States of Consciousness Facilitated by Psilocybin. Archive for the Psychology of Religion (Archiv für Religionspsychologie,) Vol. 30, 2008, 189-199, In press..

Griffiths, R.R., Richards, W.A., Johnson, M.W. McCann, U.D. & Jesse, R, Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later. Journal of Psychopharmacology. In press.

Richards, W.A. (Robertson, J. pseud.), Report on Experiment Five. Metzner, R. (Ed.). The Ecstatic Adventure. New York: Macmillan, 1968, 84-91.

Pahnke, W.N., Kurland, A.A., Goodman, L.E. & Richards, W.A. LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy with Terminal Cancer Patients. Hicks, R.E. & Fink, P.J. (Eds.). Psychedelic Drugs. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1969, 33-42.
  Abridged version published simultaneously in Current Psychiatric Therapies. Masserman, J.H. (Ed.). New York: Grune & Stratton, 1969, 9: 144-152.

E-mail contact: richards3@earthlink.net