There is no precise answer to this question.
People often come to therapy with one symptom or disorder which they want to treat, but this is just the tip of the iceberg for what is really going on.
Much, if not all, of our behaviours and internal processes are driven by our unconscious mind, we do not know what is in our unconscious mind (until we do).
Coming into therapy is like peeling back the layers of an onion, you peel one layer off and there is a whole other layer underneath which you didn’t know was there.
What I mean by this is that a client often comes to therapy with one thing they want to work on, and then later down the line they realise that they need to go in a completely different direction.
It is impossible to prescribe a formula for how much therapy a person will need, that being said I do realise time and money are precious resources and I encourage clients to have autonomy in deciding when they are ready to end.
I am happy to work on a short or long-term basis and focus on a specific issue, if that is what you feel you need.
Integration is a very significant word for me.
I have completed four years of training in Transactional Analysis, but as a ferocious learner and explorer of all things to do with mental health I did not want to stop there.
The other modalities I am heavily inspired by include; relational therapy, humanism, person-centred, Gestalt, Jungian theory, neuroscience, mindfulness, creative therapy, body and breathwork, transpersonal psychology, spirituality, indigenous and shamanic healing, existentialism, attachment theory and navigating psychedelics.
I integrate all of what I have learnt into my work.
What I would love to see more of in the world is the integration of knowledge and science, with matters of the heart, body, spirit and soul.
I try to embrace this within my own life and way of being in the world, by having both logical and spiritual practices and viewpoints.
Integration for me also refers to integrating all parts of yourself, your shadowy parts, your childhood, your traumas and your life experiences.
Working through your anger and pain, that needs to be felt and expressed, with a view to reclaiming your whole self and your story.
I operate a sliding scale payment system based on financial means.
My prices range from £60-£80 for a 50 minute session.
If you are on a very low income I may be able to accommodate a slightly cheaper price. Please enquire.
The work of integration is crucial to the psychedelic experience, and often sadly overlooked. Firstly, it’s important to understand that psychedelic integration does not mean having psychotherapy whilst under the influence of a psychedelic substance.
The integration process can involve sessions both before and after a psychedelic experience.
I am unable give you specific advice about where to obtain psychedelics. I can point you in the direction of resources, books, websites, journals, workbooks, checklists, breathwork sessions, meditations and musical playlists.
I can help you to prepare by maintaining your safety and being conscious with your intentions. I can help you afterwards to work through your experience, make meaning and plans, implement changes and to be an enlightened witness to your process.
As a guide or sitter can make all the difference in the psychedelic journey, having a guide or sitter for your integration process will enable you to have the best enduring outcome from your experience.
Integration involves moving towards wholeness, moving your experiences forward and making meaning of them. Taking a profound and spectacular, life changing experience and integrating it into an everyday, mundane world.
Psychedelic integration psychotherapy is an important cog in the wheel of the integration process; having someone well trained to witness you, believe you, having curiosity and interest in your experience. As well as sharing theory, empathy, care, compassion and keeping a close eye on your wellbeing.
There is no such thing as a quick fix, this is important to understand. Psychedelics are an agent of change, they don’t do the work for you.
The psychedelic experience is one event in a much longer change-process. For best results, you must be willing to engage in the process and dive deep.
You may experience a totally disorientating loss of identity; “who am I now without my old buddy depression?” Our coping mechanisms, like depression, are unconscious defences, they serve and protect us from perhaps a more painful reality. In some sense there needs to be a “breaking up” process, you need to ask yourself, “what am I prepared to give up to get what I want?”
This is where the integration process is crucial. Making changes too quickly can be an extreme culture shock, a bit like coming up too quickly from a deep diving experience.
Focus on small steps, don’t make big life changes too quickly, allow your grief and regret to surface, and ground your experience physically within your body.
I can help you with all of this.
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is not currently legal in the UK outside of a research setting, except for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. There are currently ketamine clinics in various locations in the UK.
Clinical trials are being conducted into the use of psychedelics and psychotherapy to treat mental health conditions such as chronic depression, with impressive results which some argue, far outweigh conventional psychotherapy. You can legally apply to become a participant in one of these trials.
There are some countries where psychedelic substances have been decriminalised, and you can visit them to attend a retreat:
- The Netherlands (psilocybin)
- Jamaica (psilocybin)
- Brazil (psilocybin)
- Jamaica (psilocybin)
- Peru (ayahuasca)
- Ecuador (ayahuasca)
- Mexico (ayahuasca and iboga)
- Canada (iboga)
Please note, iboga is an extremely potent psychedelic and needs careful risk assessment, planning and specialist support before use. However, there have been promising outcomes from the use of iboga to treat alcohol and drug addiction.
Peru has become a prime and popular destination for Ayahuasca tourism, but travellers should be very careful, especially solo female travellers. Unfortunately, greed, exploitation and sometimes sexual abuse have become serious issues.
Australia has recently legalised MDMA and psilocybin, for the potential treatment of people who may be suffering with PTSD or treatment-resistant depression.
Despite legalisation of psychedelics in these countries, these retreat centres are not regulated, which means there are no standards of treatment and care, and no accountability process.
So please be careful, acquire your own knowledge, attend psychedelic integration psychotherapy and use your instincts to keep yourself safe.
If you are planning on attending a retreat abroad, it would be prudent to research the retreat centres before you go. These websites are reputable and may help you with this:
Most psychedelics are illegal, Class A drugs in the UK. Meaning you could face up to 7 years in prison and an unlimited fine for possessing them.
Some people are seeking out underground guides in the UK who provide psychedelic “journey” experiences. These guides are generally not trained psychotherapists, but may have received training from a shaman, and often provide a ceremonial setting for the experience.
Microdosing is another way in which people are ingesting psychedelics.
Microdosing is taking a small amount of a psychedelic substance like psilocybin, LSD or cannabis three or four days a week to improve general mental wellbeing. Given at such a small dose it is sub-perceptual, meaning you barely notice any difference. People often report feeling slightly happier, slightly more energised, and creative. There is little research into the effectiveness of microdosing.
I cannot recommend that clients take psychedelic substances in either of these ways as it is illegal.
Travelling abroad or participating in clinical trials is the only way to legally access psychedelic substances if you live the UK, with the exception of ketamine (please see my blog “Working Legally and Therapeutically With Ketamine”).
My ethical underpinning is that of harm reduction.
From this I mean that any step in the right direction of reducing physical and mental harm from substance use, is deemed successful.
Like needle exchanges for intravenous drug users and drug testing kits for those taking recreational drugs at festivals, my psychotherapy services enable people to reduce the risk of physical harm, mental harm, hospitalisation, accidents, and death from psychedelic use.
People seeking out psychedelic experiences are often in a lot of mental or physical anguish because of things they have experienced in their lives, and conventional medicine has failed them. This does not make them bad people; they are seeking alleviation of their pain.
While psychedelics are generally deemed safe both psychologically and physiologically, there are some important things to consider.
These include; your mindset when taking the substance, your medical and family history, your support or sitter for the experience and the environment in which you are in.
And crucially, how you integrate your experience afterwards.