psychedelic somatic interactional psychotherapy (PSIP)
At Elument, our clinicians are trained in a variety of psychedelic approaches to help best fit what a client may need. Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy is a unique and cutting-edge approach to releasing the stored trauma, emotions, and discomfort in our bodies. Let us help you get back to a place of openness, reduced tension, and feeling free in your body.
what is PSIP?
Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy, or PSIP, is a new psychedelic therapeutic approach designed to help clients heal trauma by accessing non-ordinary states of consciousness to help process and resolve where the trauma is stored in the body.
This therapy uses somatic (body-focused) interactional psychotherapy to guide clients through their felt experiences, allowing them to connect with and process deeply held emotions and memories. By facilitating a very supported and compassionate space, PSIP helps clients tap into the body’s natural ability to heal, promoting profound emotional releases and transformation.
In PSIP, the therapist works closely with the client to address trauma in a deeply interactive way, using legally available psychedelic substances such as ketamine to enhance therapeutic outcomes. Through body awareness and somatic processing, clients can explore their trauma in a safe, grounded manner, uncovering the roots of their emotional pain and fostering lasting change. This integrative approach empowers individuals to reconnect with their inner resources, leading to healing and personal growth.
getting to the root of it
As humans we store past experiences both in our mind and our body. A lot of that storage is fine or even feels good – however some large-scale research such as the ACE study suggest that most of the symptoms for which people seek treatment are not random bad wiring or biochemical imbalances.
Anxiety, depression, addiction, and PTSD symptoms are frequently adaptive responses to childhood experiences. We are leaving the paradigm of symptom suppression and management and focusing on resolving root causes with psychedelic therapy. Your ability to feel and engage these symptoms is integral to healing them.
who can benefit from PSIP?
The simple answer is just about everyone can benefit from PSIP. We all have past events and trauma stored in our bodies and nervous systems. We can work on the beliefs associated with that from a cognitive level and come to a better place, however until we work out the somatic aspect, we’re still storing some of the irrational and charged past.
For clients interested in PSIP, know that we’re leaving the paradigm of suppressing symptoms with medications, present moment coping, and avoidance. Our goal is to truly resolve the root causes of the bodily reactivity with what’s stored in us. That feeling of intense shame when someone pokes fun at us, the overwhelm and spike in adrenaline we feel getting in the car after a wreck, or other similar reactivity.
PSIP can be a starting point for anyone who wants to go down the path of somatic releasing. That said, it can also be especially helpful for people who have tried cognitive approaches to resolving trauma that haven’t been beneficial, or as beneficial as they had hoped.
the PSIP process
At Elument, we truly believe you have the innate ability to heal. Your system has that built in for your mind and psyche just as much as it does for your body to heal a cut. With this, we bring therapy and wellness approaches that work with this innate ability to heal.
With PSIP, we access that innate healing through the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in a very interactional, somatic, and relational session. Unlike a lot of psychedelic therapies with a very internal experience, music, and eye shades, PSIP is designed to activate the ANS to bring up what’s stored in the system, process it, and release it. This happens in close connection to a therapist that you have a trusting and safe relationship with.
Sessions are usually around two hours and may or may not involve medicine (ketamine and/or cannabis). There’s not a set number of sessions for this, since every system stores the past differently and processes it out present day differently. Some people have more or less trauma, they store it in different places, they have different levels of dissociation, and different levels of readiness. Regardless, we create a tailored plan that evolves with you.
how is PSIP different?
Our comprehensive therapy process begins with an initial consultation and continues with tailored support through our holistic psychiatry services.
As clients engage in ongoing holistic psychiatry support, we weave in a variety of services tailored to their needs. This includes regular psychiatric check-ins to monitor progress, adjust medications if necessary, and discuss therapeutic strategies. We integrate complementary therapies—such as Hakomi Therapy--as appropriate and in a way that honors you.
Throughout the journey, you will be supported by a multidisciplinary team dedicated to fostering a holistic and healing environment. This continuous, personalized support ensures that clients receive comprehensive care that addresses all aspects of their mental health and well-being, promoting lasting change and resilience.
PSIP at elument
Starting and following through with PSIP begins with an initial comprehensive intake where one of our therapists will sit down with you to learn more about you and what you’re looking to get out of your time with us. Based on this conversation, we craft a plan tailored to your wants and needs. We'll then work closely together with you to adjust and evolve the plan over time as appropriate, creating a collaborative path forward.
ready to get started?
Schedule a free consultation to learn more about PSIP and your path forward.
