Ketamine Therapy

FAQ and Testimonials

Wish you could talk to folks who have been through this treatment and hear directly from them? You got it!

Peer to peer support is so powerful, and I believe in full disclosure over marketing - so I sent my clients frequently asked questions about Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. I told folks they didn't need to answer every question, which is why some questions have more answers than others. Their responses have not been edited - for clarification, spelling, grammar or otherwise.

How has Ketamine Therapy Helped you?

Ketamine has helped me to better tackle a lot of problems I was aware I was dealing with and also a lot of issues I would have never known I was still struggling with if it weren't for this kind of therapy. - D (he/him)

It helped me to integrate parts of me that had felt tense, in conflict, for years! I feel more able to embody the compassion and empathy towards myself that I usually feel like I have to reach for. In the weeks after taking the medicine I felt more free and able and brave and authentic. And open to redirection. And less stressed. - G (she/her)

It's harder to think of a way ketamine *hasn't* helped me. It's reduced my baseline anxiety so much that everything feels a bit easier and more approachable. It's made me feel like I can see beyond my CPTSD and get insight into *where* I'm going. Integration with the group really helped me figure out the how. - S (they/them)

" Integrated into an overall therapeutic approach, Ketamine has proven to be effective tool for me to grow both emotionally and psychologically.

Ketamine has helped to create new pathways of thinking - alternatives to older ways, which align more with my present intentions established in my integrative therapy sessions.

My prescribed dosage is both effective and predictable. Far from my original expectations, I have found that the compound is very consistent and the experience is precise, and very manageable. After a first supervised session, I am comfortable taking journeys on my own, and experiencing Ketamine has become an enjoyable and meaningful ritual." - D.E. (he/him)

The biggest thing ketamine helped me with was dealing with panic attacks. I can now see my fear for what it is: not me, but a true part of me. I can remember so clearly when, during my first trip, I felt a rush of red-hot fear whooshing behind me in the dark like a ghost child in a horror movie. It was then that I acknowledged fear simply as a sensation. It did not mean I was in actual danger of dying. My mind full of worry did not need to follow the physical feeling. I could feel the alarm signal and not respond as if it were real. Contrary to my lifelong belief, I had the power and strength inside of me to know the difference between real and imagined. - L (any pronouns)

How has Ketamine therapy changed your mental/spirtiual/relational/sexual health journey?

Ketmine allowed my spirit to emerge with more clarity, confidence, and authetnicity. It reminded me that I'm one with all beings and spirit first. I feel more emodied in my sexuality and gender. My partner and I both said we wish that all trans people had access to this modality and support, it was a game changer for dysphoria and self acceptance - S (they/them)

My relationship to myself feels kinder and softer. My relationship to the spiritual world changed so much, I was attached since childhood to very rigid ideas about god and the divine. And now I feel able to connect to the spiritual world as part of it, as something divine in myself, in a body / vessel I treat with reverence. - G (she/her)

Ketamine has helped me to live a more flexible life where I feel like I can overcome so much more than I thought I was capable of. It's helped to unlock new coping skills and strengths that I will always be grateful for. - D (he/him)

I have started doing ancestral work! A few weeks after my first trip, I was doing more tarot readings about my fearful parts and realized I had been carrying generations of unsolved fear. I remember feeling called and honored to learn how to feel safe and break the cycle of panic passed from generation to generation. That small, fearful part running behind me was a small little girl, a manifestation of the safety and innocence my ancestors wished they could have had. That has helped me ease a lot of anxiety and panic. Also, during my 2nd trip, I felt completely one with the universe, feeling total peace, acceptance, and gratitude - what I call love. In my bones, I knew that is what it would feel like to be dead. I knew that in death, I would become the force we call love - L (any pronouns)

Why did you consider ketamine assisted therapy for your healing journey?

I’ve been in individual talk therapy for years, and I tried psychotropics - but all the anxiety and depressive symptoms I’d been experiencing all made sense to me from a trauma perspective. So even if the symptoms were managed, those things weren’t healing the wounding underneath. Working with my therapist has been so rewarding, I’ve learned so much and gained so much data about the conditioning that has kept me operating from a place of survival. But there was a resistance in my body I couldn’t quite place or resolve, even with our supportive connection. So when she recommended it I was open, and I trust her so much I was curious to learn more. - G (she/her)

I considered it because I think psychedlics in general are one of our best resources for trauma healing and I wanted to try it for CPTSD. I got way more than I bargained for, in the very best way. - S (they/them)

I first considered Ketamine when I felt I was stuck in a mental rut I could not get myself out of. It's helped me to better work through bad patterns of thought I never would have felt I could tackle on my own. - D (he/him)

What makes you want to continue working with ketamine therapy?

Ketamine has provided me with new perspectives and, with that, plenty of confidence I know I can rely on in the future. I know that when life gets harder and things feel more difficult than usual, it can be such a valuable tool in getting you in the right frame of mind to take on whatever you're struggling with at the moment. - D (he/him)

I want to feel closer to my spirit guides and the spiritual world again! More often! - G (she/her)

I plan to continue to work with ketamine simply because the results were more impactful than anything else I've tried. It feels like a true no brainer to continue on this journey. - S (they/them)

I think ketamine would be incredibly useful for when I am bumping up against a pattern or a constant struggle, and I need to dig deeper. The trips are super helpful when I want answers to existential questions about life or death, and it is a super trippy and spiritual trip to see where “I” come from. On ketamine, I go into this black void - the black stands out to me. But in that blackness, I see crystal-clear images and feel them so viscerally. I can expand my sense of love and belonging and see reality for its objective truth without thoughts getting in the way. It’s a good reminder now and again. - L (any pronouns)

What have you learned, from experience, about working with therapeutic ketamine?

what makes it more effective - Ketamine is far more effective when you take the preparation and integration suggestions and support really seriously. My other, casual psychedelic experiences were powerful in the moment but didn't "last" as long as the ketamine and I attribute that to the power of the group experience and the therapudic support. Florence's prep and integration support took my psychedelic experience from powerful and important to therapeutic and healing. - S (they/them)

What makes it more effective: The prep work made it more effective for me! Crafting weeds and seeds, and spending time with them in the weeks leading up, helped me to examine my own lens and posture towards the experience. This helped me to feel more connected to the questions I was asking.
What makes it more meaningful: The group experience made it meaningful for me. Sharing weeds and seeds together, building trust in the space was so sweet. - G (she/her)

What makes it more effective: I decided to do a higher dose on my second trip. I was really nervous my first time around that I would somehow have an allergic reaction or die from the medicine. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. What was effective for me the second time was preparing myself for the ketamine to feel scary. I did journals, read books, and followed Flo’s reflection suggestions to ready myself to feel like I was going to die. I did a lot of tarot readings and exercises leading up to the big day, and when the dose was incredibly high and I felt like I was dead, I didn’t panic. I felt extreme peace. - L (any pronouns)

What has been the biggest takeaway from your ketamine therapy experience?

Biggest takeaway is a deepening self trust. I feel I understand myself better. I feel bigger and more capable of holding wounded, conflicting experiences in my body. And I can respond to those with compassion and more easily release the judgment I’d been conditioned to impart. - G (she/her)

The biggest thing I learned from Ketamine therapy is how much we don't fully understand ourselves, and how much an altered state of consciousness can unlock greater understanding and appreciation for ourselves. - D (he/him)

My biggest takeaway was that I'm ready and capable of moving on from a shame-based identity. - S (they/them)

What challenges have you faced with ketamine Therapy and how did you overcome them?

My biggest ketamine challenge was that sometimes the medicine kicks up something you weren't prepared for. I feel grateful for the times ketamine showed me something I didn't know I had to work with, but also it can be challenging when I was hoping to focus on something else. - S (they/them

One challenge was fear about releasing my body to the experience. I was afraid of throwing up, but thankfully the prescriber offered something for that. But even leading up, I’d never done any kind of psychedelic and generally am sensitive to medication - so the uncertainty was unsettling! But having zofran around helped, having a safe place to be messy helped, and ultimately no one could rescue me from the uncertainty of the journey as a whole lol. Flo and the group helped pack my backpack with resources so I could feel more equipped to handle the scary stuff, and to not do it alone. - G (she/her)

Experiencing resistance to an unfamiliar or uncomfortable new sensation is natural and something you may do on a journey out of pure instinct. Learning to fully accept all that comes to you may seem a little daunting but understanding that it will all be a part of the healing process is the best way to overcome it. - D (he/him)

What advice would you give to someone considering Ketamine Assisted therapy?

Listen to the fear, resistance, barriers to engaging. The parts that aren’t ready have valuable insight to offer us about our needs! And like, whatever need we’re consciously seeking to be met through a ketamine journey, there’s definitely going to be parts that are resistant to change. My advice would be to honor those parts and give them the benefit of the doubt. For example, I first thought I wanted to encounter my spiritual council and hear how they feel about me - to see myself through their eyes. I was looking for reassurance that I’m not all the terrible things I’d been taught to believe about myself. And there was a part of me that was terrified to ask for this kind of loving experience, because that part feared rejection and more shame in response. But spending time with that fear taught me that, I don’t actually consciously believe my spirit guides would reject me that way! The fear was showing me how attached I still was to an old idea of a spiritual power, an old idea of god. So I thanked her for showing me that wound, let her cry it out, and invited her into a world where she doesn’t have to prove that she’s lovable. And, knowing that, what would she ask of her spirit guides? So we pivoted and I am grateful! - G (she/her)

My biggest advice for someone embarking on their first ketamine journey is to really invest in the prep and integration process. It's not just a formality, it IS the ketamine experience. - S (they/them)

This will show you what you need to see, whether or not it was what you wanted or expected to. - D (he/him)

Follow everything Flo tells you to do! It’s a lot of work, but it will completely change your experience if you are prepared. Otherwise, it’s like going on a 3-day backpacking trip with no supplies. Flo’s exercises, homework, and integration plans are meant to give you the best experience possible. Take it seriously and put your heart into it, because you’ll get so much more out of it. Also, give yourself some time for your mood to fluctuate. I get VERY cranky in the 2-3 days post-trip and wasn’t aware that could be a side effect. - L (any pronouns)

What are drawbacks of ketamine assisted therapy?

Hmmh.... cost, time? - S (they/them)

It will be a bit of a time commitment to fully have an in-depth healing journey. Finding or making the time is going to be a priority. - D (he/him)

What did you wanna know before starting ketamine assisted therapy that you know now?

Find a good music playlist from your journey you have already listened to! I did not realize the ambient music I was playing had a section with Dolphin calls and I had no warning when my headphones started playing loud, high-pitched screeching during a journey. - D (he/him)

To trust that you can integrate AFTER your experience, not during. It's easy to make meaning and interpret during the experience because it gives us a sense of control but it also pulls you out of the experience. Just surrender and absorb, let the integration process lead you to insight later! - S (they/them)

please feel free to openly share those weird, fun, and interesting experiences, insights, and favorite memories!

My favorite memory in the group was that my first experience was all about gratitude and feeling lucky, and I was having a hard time not shouting "I'm so lucky!" out loud while everyone was still immersed in their experience. - S (they/them)

I loved absolutely screaming my bloody head off in ecstasy. I felt so much gratitude I had no choice but to yell it from the rooftop. I also laughed like an evil villain, and in my ketamine state it sounded deep in possible, but I know in the real world I sounded like a maniac. - L (any pronouns)

More testimonial related to the psychedelic healing education group

For the psychedelic healing group:

What was it like to work with a group? The group process was extremely helpful. It's healing time where you can step outside of your ego and focus on how your experience is universal. To take psychedelic medicine, which already promotes and uplifts those feelings, and to pair it with a group context that reinforces it, is the perfect combination for the medicine to have true staying power.
Pros? I felt more safe and comfortable having my first experience in a group. I made friends and fostered community. I learned more than I ever could've just reading about it or from my own lens.
Cons? It can bring up feelings of anxiety to worry about how others are doing but I think that's part of the healing work, too!
Challenges and how did you overcome them? One of my coping mechanisms is to take control and dominate a space because I worry it's expected of me or that other people won't pick up the slack. The group challenged me to soften that and allow others to lead, which was healing in and of itself.
What was most meaningful about working with a group? Seeing how everyone integrated their insights and what measurable changes they got to made!

- S (they/them)

What was it like to work with a group? Pros? It was really sweet to witness other people go on their journeys. It is a very vulnerable experience, and it feels extra special when you know the group members well. It was also helpful to get everyone’s feedback when I shared my weeds, seeds, and stories from my journey.
Cons? Trip sitting and then tripping yourself makes for a very long day. It’s a lot of time and emotional labor. It can be great if you’re in the headspace for it, and can be very tiring. Truthfully, I preferred having my own private session with you :) teehee!
Challenges and how did you overcome them? Time! There was a lot of prep to do that was hard to manage amid work, school, life events, etc.

- L (any pronouns)