Approaching Psychedelic Healing
I was initially cautious about the surge of permissions, trainings, retreats, and marketing around the psychedelic approach to mental health over the last decade, but have since completed a 2025 retreat training experiential with Ketamine Training Center as well as the 2025-2026 KAP Training Cohort with Polaris Insight Center.
I'm discriminatingly intrigued by how non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC) can promote awareness and compassion in the right conditions. My aim is to be a knowledgeable resource for this method of body-mind-spirit exploration, and to offer informed opinions, guidance, and referrals to support the mindful, respectful use of psychedelics for those for whom it is deemed an appropriate adjunctive treatment.
I do not currently offer medicine sessions in my office. I can arrange to attend medicine sessions with clients at a qualified location with trained administrators (ask me where and with whom). I currently work with NOSC-interested clients by way of crucial preparation and integration sessions -- those occurring before and after medicine sessions held elsewhere. As with any traditional therapy or medication, powerful paths to healing involve costs/benefits and collaboration, and navigating those in the case of psychedelics deserves great care.
My background includes intensive training and retreats, with and without medication. I'm a big fan of meditation practice and retreats, without any psychoactive agents on board, as preparation for a successful psychedelic experience. The practical and ultimate benefits of any shifts in consciousness -- whether gained via medication or meditation -- are contingent on the strength and clarity of one's expectations before and insights gained and applied after a carefully planned and executed psychedelic journey. I'm happy and qualified to help you craft your experience.
Going Deeper
I don't believe there's a conventional cure for deep suffering. I think the fact of suffering is imperative to mindfully, skillfully meet. Substances can help clarify or obscure suffering and our relationship to it. Whether using a substance for pleasure and escape from suffering or for humility and presence with suffering depends on one’s orientation to and support with themes of life, death, love, joy, ego, fear, and letting go -- all of which comprise the existential concerns already emphasized in this therapy, all of which will be amplified in NOSC work.
I have firsthand experience with ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic capable of inducing NOSC. Its relatively brief duration, safety profile, approved uses, and versatile administration routes make it popular. At low (psycholytic) doses, ketamine can "loosen the grip" of ego; at higher (psychedelic) doses, ego is often said to "dissolve" completely. Clients report a suspension of habitual thinking and feeling in either state, with rigid and confused ways of being and belonging becoming apparent and learning/change more possible on the heels of such big shifts in perspective.
It is essential to understand that shifts in consciousness, whether achieved through classic psychedelics or agents like ketamine, are transient. The mind-blowing, heart-opening, ego-dissolving trips themselves will fade like a dream. Old beliefs, identities, and patterns will re-emerge to some extent for consideration, providing ongoing opportunities for reflection and change. I believe it's best to integrate and apply insights gained from the NOSC into everyday life and dedicate all relevant discoveries to one's personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal growth.
Nuts and Bolts
Typically, your ketamine prescriber is a psychiatrist who assesses your suitability for treatment. Administration may be carried out by a nurse anesthetist or nurse practitioner in an outpatient setting, or in some cases, you might self-administer at home under virtual supervision by a trained provider like myself (though I will not at this time accompany the administration of psychedelics at my office). Providers may approach your treatment from medical, psychological, or spiritual angles—or a commitment to all three, which may be ideal.
Building a strong support network outside of prescribers and therapists is crucial, especially since attitudes toward these treatments vary widely. Family, friends, healthcare professionals, and people in your various social circles will directly and vicariously influence the course and outcomes of your NOSC work. I recommend engaging with as many different perspectives on this type of treatment as you can before you begin. I aspire to support, inform, and foster clear communication throughout your information-gathering and actual NOSC processes. As such, I'm happy to consult with any and all of your people for the benefit of your well-being in this work, should you choose it.
May your explorations be safe, supported, and transformative -- for the benefit of yourself and the world.