Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

Listen here to today’s show (4/10/23) on 94.1FM—KPFA.org

https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=398972

From microdosing mushrooms, to ecstasy, to Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), the Bay Area is home to what some are calling a psychedelic renaissance.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is a treatment method that involves utilizing ketamine to help patients struggling to find relief from mental health symptoms such as resistant depression, post-partum depression, terminal illness anxiety, or PTSD. It is also used by some to explore existential and spiritual questions about their life.

Join me and my guest Melissa Whippo to discuss Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. We’ll discuss why preparation before the treatment, integration afterwards, and the set and setting, are so important in this treatment model.

Guest:

Melissa Whippo is a licensed clinical social worker, certified yoga instructor, and practitioner of sacred herbalism. She has guided thousands of women through transformational experiences, from motherhood to the ceremonial. Her work focuses on holistic healing, liminal self discovery, and sacred reciprocity. Clinically, she incorporates aspects of attachment theory, object relations, internal family systems, and has a keen interest in dreamwork and authentic movement. She has been practicing Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy since 2019 and has been a lead trainer with the Ketamine Training Center and Inbodied Life. She is pioneering research on postpartum depression and psychedelics. Learn more at www.melissawhippo.com

Resources:

-The Fireside Project is a help and harm-reduction site for people working with psychedelics.

-MAPS is a foundation working in clinical research Phase 3 trials for psilocybin and MDMA.

-The Beckley Foundation is a female-founded psychedelic research organization in the U.K. that also runs retreats in Jamaica, where psilocybin is legal.

-Erowid is a longtime online source of information for all things psychedelic, including sourcing and dosing.

-Reddit has several subreddits dedicated to psychedelics, including resource materials, sourcing and dosing.

-The Ancestor Project is a source of support for psychedelic use and integration focused on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color).

Novel Uses For Forbidden Medicine

Listen to today’s conversation (3/18/19)  about the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for healthhttps://kpfa.org/player/?audio=306781

“About Health” 94.1FM, KPFA.org

Psychedelic science is making a comeback. New research suggests that using psychedelic drugs such as LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin (magic mushrooms), ketamine, along with psychotherapy, can improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction.

Guests:

Harry McIlroy, MD, is an integrative physician certified with the Institute for Functional Medicine. Before medical school and completion of residency at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, he had a background in nutrition and obtained a Master’s degree in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Dr. Harry McIlroy strives to provide patients with health tools that empower them to improve their well being. Some of his specialities include Medical Cannabis, Chronic Pain, Digestive HealthRegenerative Medicine and Insomnia. He serves as a clinical faculty member for the UCSF Medical School, and mentors and teaches medical residents at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, which provides medical care to underserved populations.

 

Mariavittoria Mangini, PhD, FNP, has written extensively on the impact of psychedelic experiences in shaping the lives of her contemporaries, and has worked closely with many of the most distinguished investigators in this field. She is a founder of the Women’s Visionary Council, a nonprofit organization that supports investigations into non-ordinary forms of consciousness and organizes gatherings of researchers, healers, artists, and activists whose work explores these states. She has been a Family Nurse Midwife for 35 years, and for 24 years has been in primary care practice with Dr. Frank Lucido, one of the pioneers of the medical cannabis movement. Their practice was one of the first to implement the California Compassionate Use Act of 1996, the first state medical cannabis initiative. Her current project is the development of a Thanatology program for the study of death and dying.

 

For information regarding the Integrative Mental Health Conference in San Francisco| April 15-17, 2019 | Hilton SF Union Square, go to: https://imhc.arizona.edu/   Speakers include 35 best-selling authors, award winning physicians, researchers, scientists and professors, including Dr. Andrew Weil, Michael Pollan, Dr. Gabor Mate, and Shauna Shapiro

Trauma and Resilience

If you missed the show on @KPFA 94.1FM on Christmas Day (12/25/17) you can listen now: https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=275452

The holiday season can be difficult for people suffering from trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder…better know as PTSD. During this time of year some people try to avoid situations that trigger memories of a traumatic event, or they avoid people they feel uncomfortable around. Sometimes family or friends are involved in a history of trauma, and seeing a specific person can be really challenging. The  holidays are “supposed to be joyful” but some people feel alienated for not pretending to be happy. And sometimes a person doesn’t even realize why she’s feeling down around this time of year.  It can be really helpful to understand some of the causes that are  influencing your emotional state, and also what to do about it.

Guest:

Rachel Walker received a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, where she specialized in Expressive Arts Therapy. In the past she worked with people with chronic mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, with criminal offenders, and with people suffering from addictions. She has provided individual, couple, and family therapy to clients facing a wide range of clinical issues including: anxiety, trauma, addiction, divorce, grief, bi-polar, cultural and diversity issues, eating disorders and creative and professional blocks. She is trained in modern dance and contact improvisation and Authentic Movement. Rachel has also studied improvisational writing, theater, and voice. Currently she sees clients as an EMDR and Expressive Arts Therapist in Berkeley, California. She is a certified EMDR therapist and approved EMDR consultant.  Go to http://rachelwalkermft.com/ to learn more about her work.