Psychedelic Healing with Ketamine, and the Importance of Preparation and Integration.

How Many Ketamine SEssions Will I NEED? 

A common question I get asked is how many sessions will I need? Ketamine treatment is an individual process, however treatment recommendations often encourage clients to come in for at least six medicine sessions, then to continue with some sort of maintenance (whether monthly). For others, just a few sessions helps to reset their brain and nervous system, giving them a fresh start and meaningful insights to apply in life.

How Can I Prepare for A Healing Experience

I'm a big fan of self-healing and don't like dependency models of care. This is why integration is so important, as is having a plan for increased activity (such as walking, stretching, spending time outside, etc), engaging in self-care strategies, and starting to build a positive support system. These are just a few suggestions that will keep the momentum going and improve your chances of experiencing an enduring transformational shift.

HOW Can I gET STARTED IN MY TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESS? 

Whether clients require ketamine in order to experience healing, versus other treatment modalities out there, or plant medicines, discovering self-care strategies that resonate is paramount to healing on a deeper level. Generally, ketamine is good for those who feel stuck, and who have tried a variety of approaches to feel better, including traditional antidepressants and other pharmaceuticals, and still struggle with depression, anxiety, and unresolved trauma. Certain physical conditions, including chronic pain and neurological issues can be helped by ketamine. For some ketamine acts as a life saver and promotes neurogenesis, the growth of healthier neuropathways in the brain. This action often helps those struggling with intractable depression, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts feel better. Ketamine can boost energy, enliven hope, and lift mood, so recognizing a positive path forward feels more doable. But, then what?

Our Western medicine model often encourages us to continue to take pills, without any end date. Yes, if a person is extremely suicidal, ketamine maintenance may be powerful intervention in the short-term. Ketamine can also act as the motivating lubricant to get a person participating in their life more, for calming the default mode network so thinking outside the box and breaking rigid habits and entrenched thinking patterns and behaviors becomes easier. Once we feel motivated to make positive life changes, it becomes easier to get in touch with parts of ourselves that have been sorely neglected.

Often people need to prepare themselves for a psychedelic healing experience or more intensive healing modality (such as EMDR). It's better to not rush, so you can get the most out of your investment of your time, energy, and financial resources. We do offer preparation and integration as part of our offerings. If you want to get started in your preparation, start considering what personal growth and self-soothing strategies you can access and start practicing. At EPIC, this is part of the deeper work we engage our clients in. We offer various modalities and provide self-help strategies so you can continue to strengthen those neuoropathways on your own, which is called "self-directed brain change." Please refer to my write up on the Epic Healing Eugene FAQ page about neurofeedback.

When psychedelics are used mindfully with respect, they can activate an inner healing intelligence, helping us align with the healing intentions we bring to life. These intentions help us find our true selves, to discover and remember what's important to us, helping us move a little further away from entrenched personal stories of inner anguish and suffering, so we can experience life as being more expansive with possibilities. Ketamine is a dissociative, as well as a psychedelic. This dissociative quality of the medicine detaches us from our bodies, and often from the pressing concerns that have felt like a weight. From this perspective of weightlessness, this helps us reflect on our life and the roles we play in a detached manner. We often gain insights that are solution focused.  Once we can start walking in the direction of health, positive action, and healthier thinking patterns, life starts to feel more meaningful. So, the journey begins with asking yourself if you are ready for a positive shift to occur, to feel differently, to feel your emotions and accept them in a new way perhaps, and to  empowered by the knowledge that you are indeed a key player (the most important player, even beyond the medicine) in your own healing, aka in improving your life. 

It is EPIC's highest wish what those who come to us for the healing services we offer, in conjunction with the medicine, can help clients reach their highest heartfelt intentions of healing and transformation. Our team strives to help everyone get the most out of their ketamine or other psychedelic experience, and therefore, stress the importance of preparation and integration. ​​

-Cathy Rosewell Jonas, LCSW (EPIC Healing Eugene)