Utah Psychedelic Conference
- Carolynn Redd-Recksiek
- Mar 9, 2024
- 4 min read
As a clinician working with trauma, I have begun to explore somatic, natural, and alternative treatments for treating trauma disorders. Trauma and other comorbidities can lead to stubborn and treatment-resistant conditions. Those with complex and treatment-resistant conditions in my practice have high levels of suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviors.
During my doctoral program in trauma, I came across an article on ketamine. The rapid benefits reported in the article were impressive and led me to additional research. I was so impressed by what I read that I suggested ketamine for a teenage client. This client's parents were cautious in starting ketamine, but also desperate to see some relief for their child. The chronic worry if your child is going to be alive in the morning or when you get home from errands is traumatic and exhausting. With hope, the client started ketamine. After a few sessions, I received a call from the parents that the client was having a mental break during the treatment and was being removed from the clinic by ambulance to be admitted to the psychiatric ward. It was discouraging to hear that this miracle treatment was one more thing that wasn't working and after our next session together, it was clear that this treatment had done more harm than good.
Since that time, the buzz around ketamine as an effective treatment for mental health and chronic pain has grown. I have done more research as time has allowed but have been very cautious in suggesting this treatment to my clients. I realized that many clinics are not trauma or mental health-informed. They are giving ketamine to clients with no preparation and no idea of how to handle a trauma trigger.
In 2023, Anew Therapy (anewtherapyutah.com) reached out to me. They were getting ready to open their facility. They felt it important that to provide effective, safe, and best practices, they needed to have a mental health component incorporated into their services. We have partnered over the last few months to explore the intersection of accessible, ethical, and best practices for ketamine in an area of treatment with few regulations.
Most recently, they asked me to facilitate a discussion group at the Utah Psychedelic Conference. I was excited for the opportunity to learn more about the new practices and approaches being offered for psychedelic mental health. I was also a little hesitant to go. I have no personal experience with psychedelics and I am very cautious with unregulated practices. I had mixed reactions to some of the presentations. Many wonderful approaches, practices, and concepts were shared that will improve my skills in talk therapy, trauma therapy, and ketamine-assisted therapy. I was also concerned by some of the things that were shared.
I left the conference more firmly convinced that psychedelic services should be practiced with monitored licenses and training. The underground world of psychedelic practitioners would very strongly disagree with me. I've spent the last week curious if my conviction is my own professional licenses and education, bias, or a mix of both. There were a few things shared at the conference that gave me the impression that underground psychedelic use had trapped some people in an infantile state of trauma. This was being celebrated and taught as an encouraged behavior. I would have loved to have had more dialogue with some people at the conference on my perceptions had time allowed. I needed more information and opinions to help me to better assess why I felt that way.
Overall, the conference was time well spent. I wanted to share my professional opinion and insight for any who are seeking ketamine or ketamine-assisted therapy.
Check out the facility before you go. They are not all created equal.
If you have a trauma history, I highly recommend doing ketamine-assisted therapy.
Make sure that the facility you choose has a licensed professional who does a medical and mental health screening.
Ketamine is not a quick-fix or magic treatment. You will have hard work to do to heal and replace maladaptive behaviors, cognitive distortions, and health practices after treatment is over.
Ketamine can have incredibly impressive results for many. You may not have the same results.
If you are going the underground route, know the risks associated with the psychedelic you are taking, never mix drugs and alcohol and make sure you have a safe person watching out for you and comfortable to seek out medical help if needed.
You will find a wide variety of opinions and biases surrounding psychedelic-assisted mental health treatment. It is okay to keep your journey personal and private.
If you have been curious about doing ketamine therapy, set up a consult with me or with Anew Therapy. Their space is beautiful and healing. We have co-created a beautiful processing journal that can help you prepare, process, and integrate your ketamine experience. I have loved participating in telehealth and in-person ketamine-assisted therapy sessions at Anew. These sessions have been very special. It is an honor to be invited to help people release trauma with such thoughtful practitioners.
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