Healing at the Soul Level: The Power of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

By Sarah Olynger, LCSW — Trauma Therapist in California

If you’ve been on a healing path for a while, you know that trauma isn’t just stored in the mind—it lives in the body, in the heart, and in the spirit. Sometimes we can talk about what happened for years and still feel like something’s missing. We know the story, but the wound remains.

That’s what led me to begin offering Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)—a practice that invites us to step beyond the thinking mind and into deeper layers of healing.

What Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?

KAP is a therapeutic process that weaves together the clinical and the sacred. It involves the intentional use of ketamine, a legal and well-researched medicine, in a safe, supported environment, guided by a trauma-informed therapist.

Ketamine has a unique ability to quiet the default mode network of the brain—the part that loops in old stories, self-judgment, and fear—and open us to a space of expanded awareness. In this space, we often connect to something bigger: our inner wisdom, the parts of us we exiled long ago, or a sense of peace we forgot we could feel.

This is not recreational. It’s not escapism. It’s a deeply intentional practice of coming home to yourself.

What Happens in a KAP Process?

In my practice, we begin with preparation sessions where we get grounded, build trust, and set intentions. These sessions are sacred containers to align with what you’re calling in—healing, clarity, connection, release.

If you choose to move forward, you’ll meet with a trusted medical provider for screening and to receive a ketamine prescription, often in lozenge or intramuscular form.

During your medicine sessions, you’ll enter a non-ordinary state of consciousness. I’ll be with you throughout—holding space, offering gentle guidance, and supporting your process. Many clients experience a sense of spaciousness, deep emotion, symbolic imagery, or profound insight.

After the journey, we meet for integration sessions, where we explore what emerged and how to root that wisdom into your life. Integration is where the medicine becomes transformation.

Why Use Ketamine for Trauma?

Trauma fragments us—it disconnects us from our bodies, our intuition, our truth. Ketamine can open a doorway to reconnect with those lost parts. It allows us to access the pain without being swallowed by it. It helps us view our stories from a new perspective—sometimes even with compassion, forgiveness, or love.

I’ve seen clients:

• Reconnect with parts of themselves they thought were gone forever

• Access deeply buried memories in a safe, manageable way

• Experience a sense of wholeness or spiritual presence they didn’t know they were missing

• Shift long-held patterns of fear, shame, and disconnection

Is This Work Right for You?

KAP is best for those who feel called to explore their healing on a deeper level—body, mind, and soul. It may be a fit if you:

• Have done traditional therapy but still feel stuck

• Struggle with depression, trauma, or existential pain

• Feel disconnected from your true self or spiritual path

• Are open to altered states of consciousness in a guided, intentional setting

We always begin with a conversation. This is sacred work, and it’s important to move at a pace that honors your readiness and your nervous system.

Where I Practice

I offer virtual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy throughout California, and in-person sessions in Encinitas, CA—a quiet, healing space near the ocean.

Some clients choose to do their sessions at home with support via Zoom. Others prefer to journey in person. Both are beautiful and held with care.

A Closing Reflection

Healing isn’t linear, and it isn’t always logical. Sometimes, the deepest shifts happen when we let go of control and allow something greater to guide us. Whether you call it your soul, your inner healer, Spirit, or simply presence—KAP can help you reconnect with that source of truth within you.

If something in your heart is stirring as you read this, I invite you to reach out. You don’t have to walk this path alone.