Steps to Initiate Your Personalized Therapeutic Process

We understand that taking the first step towards healing is a significant decision. Whether this is your first time considering therapy or you are an experienced psychonaut seeking an embodied, connected experience, you are all welcome to a complimentary 15-minute consultation. This session will help you connect with us, share your concerns, and learn more about our approach.

During this brief session, you can

• Discuss your goals and expectations for therapy.
• Get a sense of our therapist.
• Ask any initial questions about our integral approach and PSIP model.
• Explore how our services align with your needs.

This consultation is designed to ensure you feel heard, informed, and comfortable as you begin your therapeutic journey.

We will conduct a detailed review of medical and psychological history. Identify any conditions, medications, or contraindications that might influence the psychedelic experience.We aim to understand your personal and medical history, as your body will be doing most of the "talking" during medicine sessions.

It helps to have a comprehensive picture or brief overview of your life. You will also have the opportunity to assess if our practice resonates with you and if our Integral Psychedelic Psychotherapist's expertise aligns with your aspirations for personal growth and healing. Together, we will ensure a safe fit and explore if psychedelic psychotherapy aligns with your current state and goals. Your comfort and readiness are our top priorities in these discussions.

During our initial sessions, we will cover key areas such as boundaries, resources and strengths, breathwork, holistic well-being, support systems, and other important aspects to facilitate the therapeutic process.While the potential of psychedelic psychotherapy is significant, we acknowledge that the nervous system may present barriers to engaging with deeply held traumas. Without adequate preparation or the necessary internal and external resources, the nervous system might instinctively resist processing traumas, especially those stored in dissociation.

Recognizing these potential hurdles is a crucial part of our work together. We'll explore strategies to navigate these challenges, fostering an environment that respects the pace at which your nervous system is ready to unfold. This approach ensures that every step of your therapeutic process is characterized by safety, respect, and a strong connection to your unique healing journey.

At our practice, we employ a psycholytic approach, using small to moderate doses of cannabis and/or ketamine to facilitate the therapeutic process and psychedelic approach with high doses of medicine when needed. This approach is tailored to each individual's needs and medicine is discussed with your medical provider.

Our Approach with Medicine-Assisted Sessions

1. Duration and Dosage:

   • Sessions are booked for a 2-hour period, ensuring ample time for both the medicinal effects to occur and for the therapeutic process to take place.
   • We follow a psycholytic approach in most cases, using small to moderate doses of cannabis and ketamine to gently facilitate the somatic and/or bottom-up psychotherapeutic process, as well as Autonomic Nervous System processing.

2. Therapeutic Models Employed:

   • PSIP (Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy): Focuses on the somatic and relational aspects of therapy, enhancing self-awareness and nervous system processing.
   • Integral Approach: Takes a holistic approach, considering multiple dimensions of human experience.
   • Realization Process: A method that combines psychological, somatic, and spiritual approaches for personal transformation.
   • Gestalt Psychotherapy: Emphasizes present experience and self-awareness, part work (similar to IFS model).
   • Integrative Body Psychotherapy: Focuses on the integration of mind, body, and emotions. Each of these models is inherently integrative, encompassing a diverse array of tools, perspectives, processes, and philosophies.

3. Session Dynamics:

   • Relational and Somatic Focus: Our sessions are always relational and somatically oriented, emphasizing dynamic client-therapist interaction. This creates a 'safe container' for experimentation and exploration, enhancing the therapeutic experience.
   • Dynamic Client-Therapist Interaction: The interaction during the session is adaptive and responsive, ensuring a rich and engaging therapeutic process. This approach provides a nurturing yet challenging environment for exploration and growth. We will often work with positive and negative transferential aspects.
   • Attuned Presence: Throughout the entire 2-hour session, the therapist remains closely attuned to the client’s somatic experience.

Psychedelic Integration Therapy is a process aimed at supporting the holistic synthesis of the mind and body following a non-ordinary state of consciousness. Psychedelic experiences are highly regulated in Canada, but many individuals seek them out in clinical, religious, or spiritual settings with hopes of broadening their minds, changing their behaviors, and enhancing their relationships.

Integration refers to a range of activities, including the integration of mind, body, and spirit; integration of self, other, and Mother Nature; integration of inner and outer worlds; integration of past, present, and future; integration of old self and new self; and integration of principles experiences and values into real life. We are making a full circle to re embrace ‘the here and now’ reality with more fullness, aliveness and presence.

While integration is often part of psychotherapeutic contexts, ongoing psychotherapy delves deeper, extending beyond the initial integration phase. It addresses the continued need for healing, personal growth, and development.

Practical Application of Insights:

The focus is on applying the insights gained from altered states of consciousness to daily living. This includes learning to set better boundaries, effectively using one's voice in relationships, and improving interactions in various life settings.