Answers to common questions:
Where is your office located?
In-person services are provided at our office near the beautiful and sprawling Humboldt Park (3324 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647). We are able to provide a number of our services virtually, via video-based counseling, for those who desire the flexibility.
Do you accept health insurance?
We are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO for individual therapy services. We can help provide a cost estimate and billing assistance if you wish to use other insurances on an out-of-network basis. We can help you avoid having you pay the full rate out of pocket and instead seek reimbursement from your insurer even if you are out-of-network. Most PPO plans provide some percentage of out-of-network coverage, though most HMO, Medicare, and Medicaid plans do not. If you have financial need and do not have an insurance we can accept, please inquire about reduced fees via our Community Care Fund.
What is Ketamine-Assisted Therapy?
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAT) is an innovative and evidence-based approach to mental health treatment. With the right dosing, set, and setting, ketamine can enable therapeutic psychedelic experiences. Research has shown its effectiveness in treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain, though the psychedelic experience tends to transcend categories, impacting our whole being. KAT offers a profound healing experience, helping individuals explore themselves and their lives deeply in a safe, supportive environment.
How is Ketamine Assisted Therapy different from Ketamine Infusions?
We view ketamine as a tool that provides access to psychological content and states of consciousness that can make therapy much more impactful. In contrast to ketamine infusion clinics, we do not view ketamine as the primary mechanism of healing. Rather, we view ketamine as a substance that can produce pivotal mental states, where the brain is more flexible, and where together we can make progress through therapy and through your efforts toward integration. Whereas ketamine infusion is a passive process with relatively little structure, we help our clients to create a therapeutic set and setting where they are an active participant in their healing. By actively engaging in therapy we find that most clients require many fewer ketamine sessions than when receiving infusions alone.
Can ketamine cure my depression (or PTSD or other condition)?
Ketamine assisted therapy can be helpful for a range of mental health conditions. Most research has focused on depression and bipolar depression, though there is also research pointing to benefits for trauma (including racism related trauma), addiction, and anxiety disorders. We will help you maximize your experience with ketamine by creating a set and setting that is conducive to healing and helping you with integrating the experience afterward.
What help can you provide with a psychedelic experience I’ve had?
We can provide assistance with processing psychedelic experiences. Due to the current legal status of psychedelics, we cannot facilitate such experiences, but we can help you process difficult experiences, integrate beneficial experiences, or share harm reduction strategies for those who plan to continue to partake in psychedelic substances.
How do I know if group or individual services will be more helpful for me?
Feel free to explore this with us! Our motto is “Community is Medicine”. We believe healing work done in the context of relationships holds far more transformative potential. At the same time, not everyone will be ready to jump right in with group work. We can help you decide where to start.
What experience do you have with this work?
Please see the “Expertise” tab above for a list of our professional writing, research, and presentations. Our therapists have extensive training and experience. We have been providing psychedelic integration and harm reduction services since 2017 and some of our staff began providing ketamine assisted therapy as early as 2017 as well.