THE RELATIONSHIP IS AT THE HEART OF PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY

Psychedelic-assisted therapy has been emerging rather quickly in the west and is being explored in connection of treatment of depression, PTSD as well as in area of supporting people facing serious illness, dying, and questions of meaning and mortality.

What makes psychedelic-assisted therapy unique is not simply the medicine itself. The medicine is introduced within a therapeutic relationship, and that relationship is an essential part of the experience. Feeling safe, understood, and accompanied by another person can make it possible to approach places that may otherwise feel difficult to reach.

During a psychedelic experience, our usual ways of thinking, relating, and making sense of the world can become more flexible. Emotions may feel more accessible, memories may emerge unexpectedly, and experiences that are usually held at a distance can become much more present. This can create opportunities for meaningful therapeutic work—but it can also leave a person feeling particularly open and vulnerable.

For this reason, the relationship with your therapist matters deeply. In psychedelic therapy, I believe the quality of the therapeutic relationship is not secondary to the medicine; it is part of what creates the conditions for the work to unfold. Trust, attunement, consent, and a sense of safety are foundational.

The medicine may open a door. The therapeutic relationship is what helps make it possible to walk through that door—and to have someone there with you as you discover what is on the other side.

At this time, Ketamine is the only legal psychedelic compound approved by the FDA in the state of New York. I am trained in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), and I offer it as an optional, integrative part of the healing process—especially for those affected by relational trauma and post traumatic stress, exploring identity, depression, as well as those navigating life threatening illness facing existential distress. Psychedelic experience is a unique way to explore not only psychological but also psycho-spiritual questions.

I offer a non-judgmental space for people interested in having a conversation about psychedelic medicines and the potential they bring to healing that includes an honest inquiry regarding safe and responsible psychedelic use, preparation and integration.