Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy - Update on a Transformative Treatment Option, with German Ascani, MD et al., 2 CEs

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy - Update on a Transformative Treatment Option

Course Description         

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is at the forefront of the psychedelic psychotherapy movement. When used under proper medical and therapeutic supervision, ketamine can provide near-immediate relief from emotional pain, while helping individuals look deeply into themselves. It has been shown to quickly help with Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) as well as chronic suicidal ideation. We find that ketamine’s healing potential is most effective when combined with psychotherapy from a trained provider. KAP can be a powerful tool to examine the unconscious processes that keep one stuck in negative and obsessive patterns.

KAP has been used to successfully treat PTSD, anxiety disorders, developmental trauma, phase of life issues, as well as helping clients navigate end of life and spiritual exploration. With careful attention to science, safety, and the individual needs of each client, KAP can lead to healing and transformation. This work can help clients transcend long-held narratives, feeling/mood states, and struggles that they may be having difficulty shifting with traditional psychotherapy and/or psychopharmacology. While there continues to be progress with clinical trials using psilocybin and MDMA to treat mental health disorders, ketamine is the psychedelic medicine that can currently be legally prescribed and supervised by trained, licensed professionals. Join the team at Evolve Mind Wellness in Sebastopol to learn more about this modality and how you can collaborate with psychedelic therapists to assist your clients in deepening their work.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Understand what Ketamine is and what role it has in mental health treatment
2. Become familiar with general principles of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and understand the values and philosophies embedded in psychedelic medicine work as they contrast with psychiatric prescribing and conventional therapies.
3. Be able to identify clients who may benefit from Ketamine and KAP
4. Be able to identify common contraindications for Ketamine treatment
5. Feel confident and comfortable explaining basics of KAP to clients and prescribers, and developing a relationship with prescriber.
6. Be able to discuss/identify issues in ethics and care delivery in psychedelic medicine.
7. Understand key indications for KAP and have realistic expectations for potential treatment outcomes.

RSVP here.  Please note that once you have RSVPd for this event you will receive a link to register for the Zoom Meeting. You must complete this second step to gain access to the event link.

About Our Speakers

German Ascani, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist, with a broad range of clinical expertise, having worked extensively over a decade in public and community mental health systems. He has experience in primary care and specialty clinics providing psychiatric consultation to serve diverse clinical populations across the full spectrum of mental health and illness. Dr. Ascani has particular interests in the potential for psychological, emotional and spiritual healing that new and emerging psychedelic medicines bring to the mental health field. He supports the safe use of these powerful transformative tools to open up a process of deep exploration, self-reflection and lasting growth.

German is a graduate of the University of California Davis School of Medicine. He completed his general psychiatric training at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. He has a Masters of Science in Physiology from Georgetown University and a BA in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. He has collaborated in the latest published research on Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). He also presently serves as co-faculty and medical lead for PRATI (Psychedelic Research and Training Institute) for their KAP trainings for mental health professionals, and is a research therapist for the MAPS phase 3 research trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in Fort Collins. He is a native of Argentina.

Moksha Donohue, LMFT: Moksha is a Somatic Psychotherapist working with adults and teens addressing depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, and life transitions. She has been working as a guide in the psychedelic community for 4 years and has been trained in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy from the Polaris Insight Institute. She is interested in bringing KAP into groups because she believes the power of psychedelics to increase in community spaces. Much like in meditation, when there are groups sharing a sacred setting and intention, the potential for healing can be much deeper. She is also leading group psychedelic integration circles to foster greater connection in the community for her clients.

Celeste Monnette, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and has worked in community-based nonprofits and private practice. In 2005, she completed a two-year, post-graduate training program at The Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley. Since, she has been working with clients with a broad range of goals for symptom relief and healing through various therapeutic modalities. After discovering the power of Ketamine to heal and reduce suffering, Celeste’s professional focus and development began to center around ketamine work and psychedelic integration. Celeste is currently enrolled in the MDMA Therapy Training Program and has a particular interest in trauma and trauma-informed care. She recently co-authored a publication on Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Suegee Tamar-Mattis, DO, is a board-certified Family Medicine physician, certified in psychedelic-assisted therapies and research from the California Institute for Integral Studies, and trained in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy at the Polaris Insight Center. Dr. Tamar-Mattis has worked for many community organizations such as Sonoma County Indian Health Project and Brookwood Health Center (serving people experiencing homelessness), and was the founder of the transgender clinic at Santa Rosa Community Health Centers. Dr. Tamar-Mattis is a long-time advocate for the intersex community, serving as a consultant for Human Rights Watch and as a medical advisor to interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth.

Location 

Zoom Meeting. Requires pre-registration with Zoom; please make sure you register with Zoom with the link provided in your confirmation email.

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Redwood Empire Chapter CAMFT  (Provider #57173) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs. Redwood Empire Chapter CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. 

• Disability Accommodation: To request an accommodation for a disability, please email therapy@recamft.org.

• Refunds: Refunds may be requested up to 7 days before the event by contacting therapy@recamft.org. No refunds are given beginning 7 days prior to the event. If a member cannot attend the event due to a mandatory evacuation or Public Safety Power Shut-off the day of the event, they can request and receive a refund with verification of address.

• CE Certificate: You must attend the entire presentation and complete a post test and an evaluation to receive your CE credit certificate. At the conclusion of this educational event, after confirming attendance, an email with a link to the test and evaluation form will be sent to all attendees who attended the online event. Once you complete and submit your evaluation, you will have immediate access and be able to print or save your CE Certificate. This course meets the qualifications for 2.0 hrs of continuing education (CE) credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences

• Notice of recording: All of our CE events are recorded or filmed and may appear on our website. By participating in this event you may appear in that recording. By participating in this event you agree to be recorded/filmed and give permission for RECAMFT to use your likeness where it may appear on our website or in promotion/marketing materials.

• Grievances: direct grievances to therapy@recamft.org, and/or the chapter president at recamftpresident@gmail.com.