How can psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy help me?
Psychedelics don't have much of an effect on ADHD.
But psychedelics do help people manage trauma. I've never seen anything like it to be honest. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is counseling, turbo-charged by the mind-jiggling effects of psychedelic molecules. Psychedelics allow us to look at scary memories, with less fear.
By addressing the underlying trauma that drives addiction, we get better outcomes. People are not as unstable, so the need to cope with substances, is less. As substance use subsides, life with ADHD is more manageable.
How do psychedelics work?
We know quite a bit about how they work, but there are still a lot of unknowns.
We know all psychedelics have their effects throughout the same brain circuits as anti-depressants. All psychedelics hit the same receptor as Prozac (5HT2a).
Usually 'cross-talk' from different parts of the brain is constrained, so that you don't get overwhelmed by unnecessary information. Psychedelics increase the conversation amongst different parts of the brain that usually don't talk to one another.
By increasing the amount and volume of chit-chat across different brain areas, it is easier to put 2 and 2 together, where perviously they were not connected. That's the basis for the aha! moment. Looking at something old, yet seeing something new. Seeing a connection between two things that previously escaped you.
Psychedelics also trigger learning through the same pathways as anti-depressants. We call it 'neuroplasticity'. feeding the brain to allowing neurons to grow together. But there's more.
Psychedelics can perform another magic trick. They turn up the 'consideration of others' circuit and they turn down the 'it's all about me' circuit (Default Mode Network, DMN).
Temporarily turning off the DMN allows you to see the world through different eyes. Psychedelics allow you to 'walk a mile in someone else's shoes', and that's exactly the part of the brain that lights up when you use psychedelics, the empathy circuits, the Left Brain.
Psychedelics trigger insights that facilitate adaptation, learning and change, mysteriously disconnecting circular patterns of thinking that contribute to mental distress. Phew, that's a relief. Taking psychedelics, is like shaking the snow globe. After the snow falls, all the old tracks are gone, and new options appear.
During the session, ketamine provides the opportunity for psychedelic exploration, which allows you to objectively and safely revisit past events, life experiences, and traumas. When paired with the structure and support of talk therapy, there’s an opportunity to establish new tracks, stories and habits.
All of a sudden, you’re able to see the bigger picture. That allows you to breakdown unhelpful psychic structures and build new ones. It's a bridge to healing.
How it works
1
Mental Health Assessment
2
Psychotherapy Assessment
3
Psychedelic Session
4
Psychotherapy Integration
Group Support
Repeat step 3 and 4
add groups and contemplation
Pre-Visit
Instructions
The Day Before
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is like yoga. You can't rush in at the last minute and expect good results. You would do better if you took 15 minutes before, to prepare yourself mentally. What are your goals overall? What are your intentions for the session? Have you had enough time to get to know your therapist. Trust is everything.
4 hours before
Be mindful not to eat before your session. Some psychedelics can make your nauseated on a full stomach.
Psychedelic Integration
The real magic is how psychedelics allow you to re-tell the story of your life's journey, the good with the bad, in a blame-free way, to make a cohesive narrative that allows the past to integrate into the present.
Choose your location
The first rule of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is: 'Set and Setting'. Our first goal is to get to know you. Our second goal is to treat you where you are most comfortable: at our clinic; at your home; or a hybrid model which includes the best of both
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