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.
1980-1981, 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, 2008,22: 603-619

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

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. 2008, 22: 621-632.

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