Ep 73 Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Unveiled Part 3: Sarah's Experience with Ketamine and Path to Wellness & Transformation

Curious about the evolving landscape of mental health treatments? Join us for an enlightening session with Crystal Myers, a licensed professional counselor, and Sarah, her courageous client who embraced the transformative power of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Together, we navigate Sarah's decade-long journey through various therapeutic methods, including mindfulness, EMDR, CBT, and somatic therapy, culminating in her profound experience with ketamine. Discover how Sarah overcame her initial skepticism about ketamine's reputation and found it to be a groundbreaking tool in her healing process.

In this candid discussion, Sarah shares the remarkable improvements in her sleep, mood, and emotional connections, attributing these positive changes to ketamine therapy. We celebrate her resilience and the newfound harmony between her mind and body, which has empowered her to navigate life's challenges with grace. Crystal and I highlight the importance of self-love, setting healthy boundaries, and being open to different therapeutic approaches. This episode offers hope and practical insights for anyone exploring ketamine-assisted psychotherapy or seeking effective mental health support.

A personal message from Sarah (we are so grateful for her healing, the healers, and this innovative treatment option):
KAP has worked differently than EMDR or other treatments as it enables me to process forgotten trauma, missing memories, physical sensations, etc without having to remember the specific details. Over the years, these blocked memories and physical traumas have been the biggest obstacle to my treatment. I have survived the depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other cPTSD effects, through denying, minimizing, self harm (eating disorder + substance/alcohol abuse), over working, being over active, isolation, people pleasing, etc. Basically, my firefighters and critics have taken the wheel most of my life.

The antidepressant relief was felt immediately after the first session; the behavioral and mental changes have been more gradual over the last six months. 

Some changes include:  how seamlessly I can accomplish tasks, get out of bed, good posture and PT/yoga, keeping good habits, interviewing for over a dozen jobs, planning and showing up (I struggle with keeping plans or having energy) for friend adventures, reconnecting with positive people, less social anxiety, excitement to try new things, ability to maintain eye contact, genuinely interacting with strangers, to feel and be with an entire range of emotions (notably rage) without regression, to clearly express my emotions/needs, to express and uphold boundaries, and (the biggest one) disowning my life-long abuser and navigating the backlash/disregard of my complex traumatic experience.

I can feel my heart energy and want to love/help everyone feel better. I'm more connected to the left side of my body/right brain, than I can ever remember. I experience patience, grace, and respect for myself, my experience, emotions, struggles, etc instead of numbing out with marijuana and alcohol to push away the feelings that have been fighting to be expressed and felt. 

I feel blessed to be part of something bigger than myself, transitioning from surviving to thriving. I can finally feel for/connect with my inner child, being on her own from a very early age (possibly birth), and believe that I had no control over the things that were done to me. My bad habits aren't a reflection of my soul, it's what I did/do to survive. I can slowly transition away from these habits as I'

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome, friends, to the tele wellness hub podcast, a
space where listening is notjust a simple passive act.
It's an act of self-care.
I'm Marta Hamilton, your host,and this is a new segment of our
three-part series onketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
We are joined by an expert inthis field, crystal Myers.
She's a licensed professionalcounselor and owner of the group
practice, lifeworksProfessional Counseling, which

(00:23):
is based out of Virginia.
If you haven't checked out partone of this series, I recommend
you do, because I talk withCrystal in depth about this, and
she is also joined today by aclient who has worked with
Crystal and has benefited fromketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
Sarah, thank you so much forgraciously sharing your wellness

(00:44):
journey with us today and forjoining Crystal and I.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Thanks for having me.
I'm honored to be here.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
I, I, uh, before we hit record, you know I in going
back and forth and schedulingthis appointment, I was just
very, very uh grateful that wewere able to have this
conversation, because I thinkthat there are many people who
are interested in learning more.
I actually sent some questionsout in preparation for today,

(01:13):
for the general audience, ofwhat are some things that you
wish you would know about, orwhat would you want to know from
someone who has pursued therapyand then also decided to try
out ketamine-assistedpsychotherapy.
And one of the things peoplehad asked is well, how do I know
if I should tryketamine-assisted psychotherapy?

(01:36):
A lot of it was regardingwondering.
You know I've tried these othermethods and so I'm curious, if
you don't mind sharing with uswhen did you first start
pursuing therapy in general andmaybe what therapy methods you
had tried before trying ketamine?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Absolutely.
My therapy journey began in 2011and I and I just really had no
idea what I was doing but knewthat I wanted to be more like
into meditation and mindfulness.
So I engaged in talk therapywith more of a mindfulness

(02:18):
meditation kind of route, butthat that really wasn't helping
me and that was through adifferent practice.
And then I came to be connectedwith Crystal and we were using
methods more like EMDR, cbt andsomatic therapy to help treat

(02:53):
just complex PTSD and lifelongjust things that I had been
dealing with my whole life.
And I got a lot out of theyears that we worked together
and was able to kind of takelike a little therapy hiatus and
then experienced a car accidenta couple years ago and that
kind of put me back in to thisfeeling of you're just white,

(03:15):
knuckling it, nothing's helping.
You know you're, you're readyto do the work, but you just
need this extra push to help youget there.
And luckily, the time that welive in, what's going on in the
world and the changes around thepurposes behind ketamine just

(03:36):
all kind of seem to align withthe timing of my you know need
for something drastic to helpwith my symptoms and that's how
we were able to connect the dotsand begin this journey about
six months ago.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
Wow, that's incredible.
I appreciate you sharing, Ithink, especially because I
sometimes I in in in general, wecould paint therapy as this
really like it feels good kindof journey.
But it is such hard work and II've gone through therapy myself

(04:16):
and I know sometimes thestruggles of finding the right
fit, even just searching findingthe right fit, even just
searching, finding the right fit, trying out new methods.
I mean you described, you know,the mindfulness and EMDR and
CBT and somatic work and that'sa lot to try to figure out,
especially, you know I have ingraduate school you receive some

(04:39):
training or you might pursuetraining, continuing education,
but there are so many techniques, so many approaches and it
takes a lot of vulnerability tokind of say, okay, here's my
life and I'm going to entrustthis person with you guiding me
through through these symptomsI'm having and, um, through my
life.

(04:59):
Uh, sharing it's a very.
The therapeutic relationship isso important and valuable and
it sounds like the timing camejust right with the right person
for you and I'm so glad forthat.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
Thank you.
I am very blessed to haveCrystal in my life.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Yeah, crystal, I've said this before.
I mean you're just, it's justcolleague to colleague.
I really hear just yourprofessionalism and your care
and your heart for your clientsand your work.
And I think, if I could, foranyone listening who's wondered
about therapy, I think findingthe right fit is important and I

(05:43):
think just hearing nowsometimes someone might be a
great therapist but maybe it'snot the right approach or
technique for you and what youneed.
But finding that right fit,when you sharing on this podcast

(06:06):
, trying something new, being ona podcast and sharing with so
many, bringing value to so manylisteners I mean you both it's
just really an amazing gift topeople.

Speaker 3 (06:18):
Thank you, and it's been quite a blessing to work
with Sarah.
She shows up with courage and Idon't know that she's aware of
the depth of her strength andshe's learning to use that
strength for herself and it hasbeen such an incredible
experience watching her navigatethis and learn to love herself

(06:41):
you know, I think that strengthyou mentioned I'm curious about
because what I'm hearing you saythat you started your journey
in 2011,.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
You're trying different techniques, you do a
hiatus, you try something new.
That does take a lot of courage.
It does take a lot of strength,a lot of resilience.
In that I'm curious if, whenyou were, when you first heard
about the use of ketamine,potentially you said I needed
something, a drastic change orsomething major.

(07:11):
Were there any hesitations ordid you feel all in right away?
I'm curious about just kind ofyour initial reaction with it.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
That's a great question.
My initial reaction was just tocompare, I guess, my life
experience to the medication andI didn't see how it was going
to help me because I'd only everexperienced people abusing it

(07:40):
or using it at music festivalsor in their personal life.
So I really didn't take itseriously and I thought more
that MDMA or psilocybin therapymay be something that I'm less
afraid of, so to speak.
Like, when I think of ketamineI'm thinking surgery,

(08:03):
incapacitation, and just thinkI'm such a control freak I want
to have my.
You know I don't likedisassociating and not being in
my body, so it really just didnot make sense to me at all.
Crystal has recommended endlessbooks that have just really

(08:26):
helped educate me on the powerbehind using a medication as
it's intended and just helped meunderstand by getting me
connected to the psychiatristthat prescribes it just how this
I guess it's an off-brand useof the drug it can really change

(08:47):
the way your brain works andcreate new neural pathways so
that you can experience yourlife differently than you ever
may have remembered.

Speaker 1 (09:01):
Sarah, it just sounds like such a place of
empowerment to have theopportunity to read, to gather
your own knowledge, your ownperspective, to speak with the
other professionals as well.
You mentioned the psychiatristbeing able to coordinate and
connect that way.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
I'm curious, then, when you saw these changes what
did you notice in terms ofbenefits or changes before and
after the ketamine?
Definitely so.
I guess, like the days afterthe treatments, the most
immediate effect was just therelief I felt like my sleeping

(09:52):
and eating patterns were wellregulated.
My mood was stabilized, in thatlike it's easier to get back to
baseline and not stay in atriggered state.
Stay in a triggered state andreally just having that time to
do like writing exercises orself-reflection has helped me

(10:13):
just really connect the dots forall my behavioral patterns and
every feeling that I'veexperienced.
I think the greatest change Ifelt was feeling my feelings and
not over intellectualizingeverything or trying to

(10:33):
rationalize that you know, ifyou just do these three steps,
then you'll be fine, you can benormal, like, like.
Any of that sort of judgmentjust disappeared and I was able
to just finally feel my feelings, understand where they're
coming from and just have graceand patience with myself.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
Yeah, sarah, I think one of the biggest things for me
was the day that you came inand we were preparing for a
ketamine session and you said mybrain and my body are finally
communicating.

Speaker 2 (11:10):
I've never experienced that before to get
used to living on one half ofyour brain.
It's really life changing tofeel whole again and to have

(11:34):
just a spectrum of emotioninstead of just getting through
the day and surviving all ofthese feelings and moods that
come up without understandingwhy.

Speaker 1 (11:51):
Sarah, that's so impactful.
I and I'm hearing that you feltthis even just days after like
this is.
You had, I guess, your firstsession or I don't know how many
sessions you've done total, buteven after your first session
just a sense of freedom, a asense of relief, and you know,

(12:13):
in talking with other peoplethere's just that sense.
What you're describing is I hadheard just like the ability to
be, to feel your feelings, tonot have judgment.
Really it sounds like a placeof freedom and being able to
live in a way I guess that youhadn't before, to have an

(12:34):
openness, and I know you statedthe first session correct me if
I'm wrong was about six, sixmonths ago, right, so did.
Is this something that youstarted experiencing since the
first time and it's continuedand grown?
Or I'm curious about whatthat's been like in terms of how

(12:57):
you've experienced theseamazing like with sleep and
eating.
Is it pretty?
Does it build upon itself?
Was it pretty immediate?

Speaker 2 (13:07):
absolutely so yeah, I would say it has an extreme
trickle down effect because oncereclaim myself my self-love, um
, even if it came down todisowning or not talking to

(13:45):
family members, um, or peoplethat are unhealthy for me, so
just really showing up formyself.
And I guess another way that Ifelt this change is that during
our treatments I was laid offfrom a job I had of nine years

(14:05):
and, yeah, my response to that Imean I mean the day of it
wasn't a beautiful reaction, butin the weeks and months and now
it's been almost seven monthssince my reaction to the hell
that is our job market right nowthe interviews, the

(14:28):
applications, the rejections isa thousand percent different
than what it would have beenjust a year ago without this
treatment.
I yes, I first.
I asked Crystal, is thisindifference unhealthy?
Like, am I just being manic?
And she's like no, this is youmanaging a major life stress and

(14:51):
not beating yourself up andjust still putting in the hard
work and doing the things youknow have to get done.
But you know your self-worth.
You're not going to take thefirst job offered to you.
You're going to fight foryourself in the way you haven't
been able to show up for beforeand that I feel like is

(15:13):
happening.
I found out yesterday that Ihave possibly landed a dream job
.
So not to like, act like this isa fairy tale.
I mean, you know, stuff changes.
I'm going to be realistic, butI'm going to be okay if it
doesn't happen, I guess, right.
So yeah, just I would say,after even just the first

(15:37):
treatment and then thesubsequent ones I've had in the
last six months, my strength, myresilience, my ability to
regulate my mood, my energylevel, regulate my mood, my
energy level it's all justgetting better and better and I
feel for the first time in mylife, like a true connection to

(16:04):
a higher power or a God and Iwas not raised religiously or a
god and I was not raisedreligiously.
I just understand that we'repart of something much bigger
and dumb.
It's not just everything that'sbeen done to you or has

(16:25):
happened.
That's not all that is.
So I think these are probablythe most significant changes
I've experienced.

Speaker 1 (16:40):
Sarah, I just it sounds like it's.
This is so profound.
I mean, just as someone that'slistening.
It's just relationships,purpose your heart.
I just hear your heart and likea healing of your heart and
your spirit and I'm so glad, I'mso grateful that this exists

(17:02):
and that you're willing to shareso vulnerably with us and I
just think there are so manypeople hurting and so often, as
a therapist, I don't have thetraining Crystal has.
I've wanted more, I wish Icould do more and it sounds like

(17:22):
this is the more for a lot ofpeople.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
Yeah, I could only hope that this has the same
physical and mental effects onother people.
I'm so blessed that it ishelping me.
I would never want to sellanything as a cure-all.
There is a lot of work you haveto put in.
I wish it was as simple as justtaking a medication and waking

(17:51):
up the next day in a differentstate of mind, but I'm getting
there and I feel very stronglythat this medication can help
billions of other people as well.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
That this medication can help billions of other
people as well.
Yeah, thank you so much forsharing that, crystal.
I don't know when it comes torecommending.
I know you have training intalk therapy, emdr, as Sarah has
mentioned Is this somethingthat you see possibly benefiting

(18:24):
a lot of people?
I remember part one of ourseries.
We talk about who it mightbenefit and how you do different
screeners, but is thissomething that you have seen,
with other clients, such asSarah, typically benefiting from
the first session?
I hear this a lot, even in.

(18:46):
I started doing a lot ofresearch for this podcast and
I'm seeing just the data isamazing in terms of the benefits
for people who have beensearching for hope for years.

Speaker 3 (19:01):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, it's Sarah mentioning thefact that you know, it's not
this, this magic panacea.
But pretty consistently afterthe first session people are
experiencing growth and a coupleof people after the first one
have come back in or we processa little bit before they leave
and some of them will say, well,I don't really feel anything

(19:23):
different.
I'm not sure that worked.
But then they come in the nextday and we have another
psychotherapy session to try toreinforce those new neural
connections and prettyconsistently they're able to say
I experienced this, I'm not asanxious, I'm able to leave the
house, whereas before I would, Iwouldn't be able to do that.

(19:44):
I don't have to make myself dothese things and there is a mood
left and again, like Sarah said, you have to put the work in
and some of the ketaminesessions I just want to be
honest are can be very intense.
People process a lot of bodytrauma that's stuck in their
bodies.
There can be pretty intenseemotions, but I think, as Sarah

(20:12):
was saying, it's thatunderstanding that this is now
giving me access to a part of methat I cut myself off from and
I'm living through this.
I have someone here who ismonitoring and I trust them and
I'm going to get through thismonitoring and I trust them and
I'm going to get through this.
So it just builds thoseexperiences that you, oh it just
it's life-changing for me towitness.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:35):
And Sarah, if you had a loved one, a friend, someone
who approached you and asked youI know hopefully this is, I
believe that this conversationwill bless so many you sharing
this that there will be healingand value for listeners who may

(20:55):
share with their loved ones orthemselves.
If you, if you had a loved one,a friend, a family member,
someone you love dearly,approach you and ask you hey,
I'm thinking about this.
What would you say?

Speaker 2 (21:13):
I would probably tell them all of the benefits and I
actually have shared this with afew relatives and close friends
.
They're just really goingthrough a hard time right now
and have also been in therapyfor years or tried different
medications.
I would tell them like youdon't have to keep

(21:35):
white-knuckling this oroverworking and ignoring it
there is, you know, this hasworked really well for me and
you deserve peace and evenbeyond that.
I would probably offer myselflike you need a ride to get
there, you need help financiallywith this sort of like.

(21:59):
This is something I believe sostrongly and people at least
trying once just to see how itcan benefit them.
I would fully support theirdecision and answer anything
they needed to know about myexperience well.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
Thank you, sarah, for sharing with us, with me and
with those listening, and thoughthey may never get to meet you
and ask some specific questions,I feel that you've shared so
much and really have given afull picture so that those who
may want to know more can get intouch with Crystal or seek out

(22:41):
other providers in their state,and truly I think I have been
blessed by this conversationwith you, and I'm sure many
listeners are as well, and sothank you both.
Thank you, sarah, thank youCrystal for joining us and Sarah
for sharing your wellnessjourney with us today.

Speaker 2 (23:04):
Thank you so much for having me on.

Speaker 3 (23:07):
Thank you, Marta.