Full Course Description

Forward to the Past: Healing and Therapies in the 21st Century

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Appraise the basic principles and overlap of traditional plant medicines and modern psychedelics as used for physical and mental health conditions, such as autoimmune disease and addictions.
  2. Utilize the most effective preparation and guidance principles for use prior, during, and after psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies.
  3. Construct a model for post session integration of clinical gains for follow-up psychotherapy sessions.
  4. Evaluate the psychedelics most effective for PTSD, depression, addiction, and end-of-life existential issues.
  5. Assess for contraindications to psychedelic use in psychotherapy and in unstructured settings.

Outline

  • Use of ayahuasca in shamanic cultures
    • Rhythm and chanting as transformative experience
  • Personal cost of working with traumatized individuals
  • Developmental sources of addiction and autoimmune diseases
    • Western medical model v. shamanic healing conceptual models
    • Integration of body systems with life experience
  • Environmental interaction with genetic vulnerabilities
  • Conceptual models of addiction
    • Neurological structures of addiction
    • Motivations for addiction
  • Conceptual models of Post traumatic disorder
    • PTSD as adaptive response
  • Psychedelic reactivation of childhood emotional states
  • Use of Ibogaine/Iboga with addiction
    • Success rates and suppression of opiate withdrawal
    • Current research related to trauma treatment
    • Contraindications to Ibogaine use
  • Maintaining therapeutic gains
    • Practice and social connection
  • Addictive potential of psychedelics
  • The meaning of normal in a toxic culture
  • Working with severe trauma and dissociation
    • Parts development as inability to integrate experience
  • Addressing resistance
  • Differentiating habit, traumatic imprints, and addiction
    • Roots of addiction
  • Restoring physical health through trauma work
  • Promotion of neuroplasticity through psychedelic and life experience
  • Case presentations
    • Sexual abuse survivor
    • PTSD and imprints of trauma
  • Psychedelic use with autoimmune disorders
  • Contraindications for psychedelic use
    • Dosage and frequency considerations
  • Mechanisms of therapeutic change
    • Misuse of psychedelics and shamanic power
  • Maintaining spiritual values in the framework of trauma focused treatment
  • Integrating EMDR and psychedelic therapeutic interventions

Copyright : 03/10/2022

Learning from Non-Ordinary States: Mindfulness, Compassion, & Psychedelics

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Apply perspective into the history of non-traditional therapies for mental health disorders.
  2. Formulate a clinical definition of non-ordinary states of consciousness.
  3. Catalogue the types of experiences, clinical developments, and outcomes derived from non-ordinary states of consciousness.
  4. Theorize three therapeutic mechanisms of action associated with non-ordinary states.
  5. Apply at least 3 practices related to non-ordinary states to meaningfulness and compassion in psychotherapy.
  6. Evaluate the role of Psilocybin Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP).
  7. Measure therapeutic progress with mindfulness techniques.

Outline

Non-Ordinary (Perceptual) States in Psychotherapy: An Historic Perspective

  • Guided Imagery
  • Animal Magnetism
  • Free Association
  • Dream Interpretation
  • Body Therapies
  • Neurofeedback
  • Ericksonian Hypnosis
  • Internal Family Systems
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Mindfulness
  • Mindfulness in Psychotherapy
  • Psychedelics
  • Mindfulness in Psychodelic Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP)
Antidotes: How they Help
  • Befriending our Demons
  • Metacognitive Awareness
  • Transpersonal Awareness
Therapeutic Mindfulness
  • Awareness of Present Experience
  • Acceptance
  • Reworking Attachments
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy (PAP)
  • Enhances Neuroplasty
  • Reopens Critical Periods
  • Synergies

Copyright : 03/10/2022

Trauma & Altered States of Consciousness: Results of Psychedelic Studies

The renowned Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk describes the evolving professional understanding of PTSD and developmental trauma and presents recent research findings on the efficacy of psychedelic assisted therapy for use with this population.   Clinicians who work with clients presenting with histories of trauma will gain new insights regarding how trauma impacts various components of functioning including affect regulation, social relationships, and self-compassion. Surprising findings regarding the effects of psychedelic assisted therapy with trauma patients and its’ possible beneficial use with other populations are presented.

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Differentiate various presentations of trauma and how client functioning is impacted.
  2. Evaluate the relationship between an insecure attachment style and the developmental trajectory of trauma.
  3. Analyze the potential efficacy of psychedelic assisted treatment with PTSD patients based on findings presented in this program.

Copyright : 03/11/2022

Expanding the Nature and Breadth of Consciousness: A Holistic Psychedelic Approach

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Distinguish the differences between psychedelic-assisted therapy and other types of therapy to improve treatment outcomes.
  2. Determine the preparations and precautions of using ketamine in session.
  3. Theorize what a client may experience during a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy session for the reduction of symptoms.

Outline

  • The safety and advantages of psychedelic therapy
    • Physical safety
    • New experiences
    • World view
  • Preparations and precautions for the use of psychedelics
    • The journey
    • Cure
    • Effects of ketamine
  • Things you should know about ketamine
    • Intravenous and other ways of administration
    • Music
    • Balance
    • Frequency

Copyright : 03/11/2022

Integration Strategies for Psychedelic Psychotherapy: Focus on Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Justify the clinical rationale for ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP).
  2. Analyze the key reactions and internal experiences specific to KAP.
  3. Identify sources of inner healing to assist patients with integration before, during, and after KAP.

Outline

  • Comparing psychedelic medicine
    • MDMA
    • Psilocybin
    • Ketamine
    • Psychological healing effects
    • Downsides
  • Clinical administration
    • Treatment duration
    • Treatment frequency
    • Office vs home sessions
    • Cost of medicine and medical supervision
  • MDMA and Ketamine assisted psychotherapies
    • Considerations for their merger
    • Frequency
  • Integration strategies with psychedelic psychotherapies
    • Disintegration of the ego, letting go
    • Creating integration, bonding, building community
  • Inner healing
    • Sources
    • Psychedelic medicine and psychotherapy’s role
  • Resources
    • Training programs
    • Ketamine Research Foundation

Copyright : 03/11/2022

Internal Family Systems (IFS): A Simple and Effective Map to the Psychedelics Territory

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Evaluate the development and history of Internal Family Systems therapeutic approach.
  2. Theorize a proposed way IFS can be used with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to enhance treatment outcomes.
  3. Analyze the key facilitation skills needed to anticipate, and not overreact to, IFS work and parts work reactions.

Outline

  • Overview of IFS
  • Psychedelics and IFS
  • Exercise
  • Session
  • Questions/Conclusion

Copyright : 03/12/2022

Training Medical and Mental Health Professionals to Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapies

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Determine the key features of the “transformational process”.
  2. Distinguish the best practices, ethical and therapeutic, for psychedelic assisted psychotherapy.
  3. Theorize various uses and functions of expanded states of consciousness.

Outline

  • History of Psychedelic Research
  • Psilocybin and MDMA Therapy and Research
  • Therapist Competencies
  • Training Curriculum for this specialty
  • Future of the Field

Copyright : 03/12/2022

Transformative Psychotherapy: Process and Methodology

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Catalog medical disorders that are shown to be effectively treated with ketamine assisted psychotherapy.
  2. Evaluate contraindications for ketamine assisted psychotherapy.
  3. Differentiate therapist competencies for psychedelic-assisted interventions vs talk therapies.

Outline

  • Ketamine as legal psychedelic agent may act as:
    • Pivotal-mental state model
    • Critical period plasticity
    • Catalyst for transformational healing
  • Review of definitions and approach of psychedelic-assisted therapy
  • Treatment components of psychedelic psychotherapy
    • Set and setting
    • Cartography of the mind
    • Metabolism of trauma
    • Layers of self and self sculpture
  • Determination of dosage
    • Effects of psychedelics on self and personality
    • Ways to intervene if needed
  • Case examples
  • Contraindicates with ketamine
  • Recommendations for therapists

Copyright : 03/12/2022

Covering the Pros & Cons of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Devise plan for how to assist patient in psychedelic integration work.
  2. Argue how psychedelic treatment may lead to increases in compassion.
  3. Evaluate use of psychedelics in shifting relationship with death.

Outline

Practicalities for therapists for recommending psychedelics  

  • Possible liabilities 
  • Ways to offer integration and mitigate harm  
Ego dissolution in psychedelic treatment  
  • Possible benefit from lower doses  
  • Development of Self 
  • How compassion develops 
  • Transformation of witness 
Developmental trauma 
  • Neuropsychological effects 
  • Possible outcomes with therapy 

Psychedelics and relationship with death

Accessibility to psychedelics  

  • Increase trainings 

Copyright : 03/11/2022

Exploring the Psychedelic Power of Meditation

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Differentiate IFS interventions, psychedelic experience and Buddhist conceptualizations as related to clinical practice. 
  2. Integrate psychedelic use with IFS trauma treatment.
  3. Employ two specific approaches to sustaining therapeutic gains. 
  4. Identify physical markers of underlying psychic process and emotional status. 
  5. Apply best practice principles to trauma treatment.

Outline

Limitations of mindfulness practices 

  • Meditation used as a defense 
Buddhist practices and development 
  • Working with obstacles 
  • Maintaining spontaneity   

Contrasting IFS parts with Buddhist conceptualizations

Unburdening parts with psychedelics and parallel therapeutic process 

  • Spontaneous unburdening  
  • Letting go v. pushing away 

The wisdom of the body and the breath

Psychedelics as neurofeedback 

  • Identifying physical markers 

Causes of suffering and challenging assumptions 

  • Acceptance of diverse parts 

Establishing and sustaining therapeutic gains

Principles of treatment 

Copyright : 03/12/2022