Trauma can weave a tangled web of pain and fear, mixed with feelings of isolation. When you’ve experienced a significant trauma, such as violence, abuse, a natural disaster, or wartime exposure, the subsequent development of PTSD is not uncommon.
Traditional therapy methods can be helpful to some degree, but you may find yourself left with a missing piece to the puzzle. For some, turning to alternative methods has proven to offer additional benefits.
This is where psychedelic-assisted therapy enters the equation. Psychedelic-assisted therapy challenges conventional methods and offers something unique.
What Is Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Psychedelic-assisted therapy utilizes psychedelic substances in conjunction with psychotherapy. This method can be applied to various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, addiction, and PTSD.
When using psychedelics, you’re often able to tap into different areas of the brain, going deeper than usually possible. You’re also able to reach a heightened emotional level, creating opportunities for a breakthrough. Under normal circumstances, you may not be able to comfortably or purposefully reach important emotional states. With a little bit of help from a psychedelic substance, you can open yourself up more.
How It Works
Psychedelic assisted therapy will typically involve preparation, taking the psychedelic medicine, and then an integration session. The preparation session will serve to build rapport between you and your therapist. It’s important that you feel comfortable and prepared to take this journey.
The medication session involves a supervised administration of the chosen psychedelic. This is where you’ll face your trauma head on and attempt to pull out any suppressed memories and emotions. The goal is to find a release.
During the integration session, you’ll begin accessing deeper emotional states to find a healing space. While exploring, you’ll also be guided in how to apply this deeper understanding to your normal, everyday life.
Key Aspects of Treatment
State of Consciousness
At the center of this treatment, you’ll find a new focus for your journey while you are in an altered state of consciousness. This could be a change in the way you perceive your trauma experience, a change in your mood, and/or altered thought processes. These subtle and not so subtle changes can create more effective emotional awareness and introspection, leading to more insight into your mental health.
Therapy Setting
The psychedelic experience is conducted in a controlled, safe space where you’ll be guided by a trained professional. Having this added support allows you to explore a little deeper without fear of harm or judgment. I suggest the professional who serves as your guide is a licensed and well trained psychedelic assisted psychotherapist.
Neurobiological Changes
The brain has a handy ability to repair its connections. It uses something called neuroplasticity to reorganize previous connections, but also to make new neural connections. Use of psychedelic substances usually promotes this neuroplasticity in the brain, further leading to positive changes throughout the process.
Common Medications
Research and clinical trials are still being completed on the use of psychedelic assisted therapy, but preliminary data has been promising. As of right now, the more commonly used medications include MDMA, Psilocybin and Ketamine.
Effects of these substances can also include more openness, a mystical experience, and increased empathy.
Addressing PTSD
When using these types of substances, you are aiming to find a more effective connection to yourself and the world around you. PTSD can send you back in time to the moment of your trauma via flashbacks and nightmares. Establishing a connection with yourself and unearthing some of your stuck memories and emotions with the help of the psychotherapist can allow you to process them.
As you find more connection and new meaning from your experience, the PTSD should lose its hold over you and your symptoms should decline. Your psychedelic assisted psychotherapy sessions may also simultaneously help with any other mental health issues with which you struggle.
Getting Started
Psychedelic integration therapy is an alternative approach to your traditional therapy methods. If you’re struggling to find success in your current approach or are interested in exploring this as a starting point, let’s discuss! Contact me today to learn more. Please note that while I do not offer psychedelic assisted psychotherapy treatments, I can help you determine if it is right for you and help you find a trained psychotherapist.
My psychotherapeutic training and expertise is in working with clients after they have had difficult or amazing psychedelic experiences, to deeply process and integrate those experiences.