Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy
Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP) is a broad term used to describe the use of all psychedelics in a therapeutic environment to create an expanded state of consciousness, which in turn can open new pathways in the brain, purge deep traumas, and encourage new ways to reconnect with your own true self, your inner healer.
Some common features of psychedelic experiences include a sense of connectedness, wonder, awe, spirituality, oneness with the universe, a loss of the ego, noetic mystery, and ineffability.
Currently, except for ketamine, most psychedelics are not legal in many parts of the country, including Wisconsin. As a licensed practitioner in the state of Wisconsin, I am not encouraging any of my clients to engage in any illegal activities nor do I offer any kinds of illegal psychedelics to my clients.
That said, as a mental health practitioner, I frequently work with clients who are using psychedelics in a legal or illegal manor, to support them on their healing journeys. I believe in the importance of being knowledgeable about psychedelics in order to reduce harm, foster understanding, and meet clients where they are in their unique journey.
As humanity starts to relearn how to use the transformative powers of psychedelics medicines, people are flocking to remote locations to experience various psychedelic medicines, such as Ayahuasca or Psilocybin as a way to help their existential crises, just as humans have done for thousands of years. Others recall experiences with MDMA in their younger days that helped them process deeply traumatic events. Many are in the midst of an awakening to the ways our ancestors used psychedelic mushrooms to foster spiritual growth and to heal sickness. Cultural change is surely afoot across the country, and around the world, as it relates to the use of psychedelics.
As a graduate of the Naropa University Psychedelic Assisted Therapy program, I have in-depth knowledge about the altered states of consciousness that are inherent to the psychedelic experience, and how they can be utilized for my client’s benefit. My knowledge is based on the newest cutting edge research in the rapidly growing field of psychedelics medicine, three decades of work in the field of social work, and my own very personal experiences with psychedelic medicines. I understand the complexity of legal issues surrounding psychedelics, and deeply respect that your therapeutic space in my office is a private, HIPAA protected environment wherein you can discuss your experiences openly.