S-KAP

Somatic Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (S-KAP) combines the profound and novel use of a psychedelic ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with a relational, attachment-centered approach of somatic therapy

What was broken in relationship must be healed in relationship

Inter-generational Trauma

Intergenerational trauma is often unconscious and can have an impact on an individuals’ mental/physical well being. With the study of epigenetics, we see the ways trauma gets inherited in a family. By exploring our unconscious connection to our lineage we gain an understanding of the trans-generational transmissions of trauma-based patterns and identify behaviors and emotions with trans-generational components.

The ketamine medicine marries well with healing intergenerational shame. It acts as an empathogen, opening the heart and relaxing logic, so that a person can connect emotionally to the pain, the ancestor, or to the traumas of a family member that linger in the lineage. Compassion is built where there was shame. Ancestral resources and resiliencies are discovered and re-connected with.

Relationship and Touch

In our society, the use of touch has become sequestered to something solely intended for massage or only within the confines of a romantic/sexual relationship. By re-introducing safe, non-sexual touch to the body, we are letting the body know that it deserves nurturance and attention outside of any physical pain or sexual realm.

It goes without saying that touch has been tainted with a history of abuse not only in families, communities, and lineages, but also within the fields of psychotherapy and psychedelic therapy. It is our mission to act as a model of the healing potential in the use of safe touch in the realms of psychotherapy and psychedelic therapy.

Nervous System Healing

Most people come to therapy because of an imbalance in relationship and connection–with themselves, with others, and the world. When we involve the body in therapy, we contact the nervous system-which is essentially, our inner child. This is where all the “triggering” happens, because it is where it all HAPPENED.

The “imprints” of relational trauma on the nervous system, live in the interaction between the brain and the nervous system with regard to safety and danger. Activation of the nervous system shows up in the body (tight chest, belly, throat), then creates a narrative (ie “I don’t want to go”) and then a behavior, (ie isolating). This process can happen unconsciously in a person if the person is cut off from their body, numb, or just “in their head.” Without connection to the body/mind/heart they may just experience that they are anxious, or have the notion that they need to stay home and rest, or a narrative that they don’t have friends, or “no one loves them.” Cumulative processes lead to lingering depression and anxiety and can ripple out into addictive behaviors and general suffering.

Together, you and your therapist, will navigate an exploration of the “imprints” in your nervous system. Opportunities for learning, growing, and healing will be created.

Somatic Therapy/TableWork

Our goal is to be bring you back into joint connection of body, heart, mind. You will explore nervous system stress responses that causes depression/anxiety and (re)introduce safety in connection with your own emotions/body and with another person.

Some S-KAP practitioners will offer use of a massage table and informed therapeutic touch, to provide a safe, relational, embodied healing experience. Touch in therapy is ALWAYS optional.

In the S-KAP Tablework, we use light touch–informed by Cranio-Sacral “holds”–to bring a sense of support and nurturance to body. Body can take in non-sexual touch and respond to safety, being wanted, held, cared for, existing, feeling grounded. Touch is only offered at certain areas of the body: arms, hands, feet, back, upper chest, diaphragm, shoulders, head. All sessions are fully clothed. Weighted/heated pillows are available to be used in the place of touch.

Because loss of boundaries in childhood is common in relational trauma, we use the touch container to practice communicating boundaries, and using voice to say "yes, no, more, or less." This strengthens a person’s sense of their own needs and helps end codependent patterns.