Love as Medicine

Relational Healing, Boundaries, and Integration in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD

Overview

In this co-facilitated session, a clinician and client will share their collaborative journey of healing, offering a deeply personal and relational perspective on the transformative power of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Together, they will illustrate how relational safety, connection, and love—understood as a transpersonal healing force beyond the individual—served as the foundation for healing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Rooted in an integrated, relationally-focused, trauma-informed approach that combines attachment theory, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and psychedelic-assisted therapy, this session explores how the therapeutic relationship becomes a dynamic conduit for healing. Relational attunement between therapist and client not only amplifies the healing potential of psychedelics but also creates a space for clients to access profound self-compassion and inner wisdom, unlocking the capacity for deep transformation. This trauma-informed framework ensures the work remains client-centered, prioritizing emotional safety, regulation, and empowerment throughout the healing process.

This presentation will also address the delicate balance of embodying love as a therapeutic force while maintaining ethical boundaries, especially within the heightened vulnerability of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Psychedelics, rather than being standalone tools, function as amplifiers of the healing initiated through relational and transpersonal connection, allowing clients to connect with something greater than themselves.

Through live dialogue, the clinician and client will demonstrate how love as a transpersonal force can transform trauma, nurture resilience, and inspire growth. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to integrate these insights into their own work, cultivating presence, compassion, and relational safety to facilitate safe, ethical, and transformative psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand how relational safety and attunement amplify the healing potential of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) for clients with PTSD.
  2. Explore the role of love as a transpersonal healing force in creating a trauma-informed therapeutic framework that fosters self-compassion and inner transformation.
  3. Learn actionable strategies to balance love as a therapeutic force with clear ethical boundaries, particularly within the heightened vulnerability of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
  4. Gain insights from a clinician-client collaboration on integrating attachment theory and relational practices into psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Relevance and Differentiation

  1. Unique Co-Facilitation: This session stands apart by featuring both the clinician and client, offering a rare dual perspective on the therapeutic process. The collaborative format provides relatable, lived insights into healing and the transformative power of relational safety.
  2. Focus on Relational Healing: Unlike many presentations that emphasize technical or pharmacological aspects of psychedelic therapy, this session highlights the human connection as central to healing, with psychedelics acting as amplifiers rather than standalone tools.
  3. Addressing Love and Boundaries: The session reclaims “love” as a therapeutic force, framing it as compassion and presence while providing clear guidance on maintaining ethical boundaries—an essential but often overlooked aspect of this work.
  4. Integration of Trauma-Informed Practices: Grounded in attachment theory and trauma-informed principles, the presentation offers a client-centered approach that prioritizes emotional safety, empowerment, and relational attunement.

Key Themes to Emphasize

  1. Love as Medicine
    • Define love as a transpersonal healing force rooted in compassion, presence, and universal connection.
    • Discuss its role in fostering self-compassion, resilience, and growth within psychedelic-assisted therapy.
  2. Relational Attunement and Safety
    • Highlight how the therapeutic relationship acts as a co-creator of healing, providing a secure foundation for clients to explore and process trauma.
    • Emphasize the importance of relational attunement in creating a client-centered, trauma-informed framework.
  3. Ethical Boundaries in Vulnerable Spaces
    • Explore the heightened vulnerability in psychedelic-assisted therapy and how therapists can balance love and ethical boundaries.
    • Discuss strategies for managing transference, countertransference, and maintaining professional integrity.
  4. The Client-Therapist Collaboration
    • Share the lived experience of a client, illustrating how relational safety enabled them to access their inner healing intelligence.
    • Show how the clinician and client co-navigated the therapeutic process to foster transformation.
  5. Integration as Transformation
    • Explain how KAP, combined with attachment theory and IFS, supports clients in internalizing relational healing and self-compassion.
    • Highlight the role of integration practices in turning insights from psychedelic sessions into lasting change.

Proposed Format

  1. Introduction (5 minutes)
    • Brief overview of PTSD and the potential of KAP for trauma healing.
    • Frame the role of relational healing and love as foundational to the process.
  2. Narrative: The Clinician-Client Story (20 minutes)
    • The clinician and client share their collaborative healing journey, emphasizing pivotal moments of relational attunement, compassion, and transformation.
    • Discuss the integration of attachment theory, IFS, and trauma-informed practices.
  3. Discussion on Love and Boundaries (10 minutes)
    • Define love as a therapeutic force, distinct from romantic or personal love.
    • Explore the ethical considerations of embodying love in therapy, with practical strategies for maintaining boundaries in psychedelic-assisted work.
  4. Practical Takeaways (10 minutes)
    • Create relational safety and attunement in KAP.
    • Integrate love and presence while maintaining professional boundaries.
    • Apply trauma-informed principles to psychedelic-assisted therapy.
  5. Interactive Reflection and Q&A (15 minutes)
    • Engage the audience in a reflective exercise to connect with their own understanding of love as a healing force.
    • Open the floor for questions and discussion, encouraging attendees to explore how these principles can apply to their own practices.

Takeaways for Attendees

  • An understanding of how love, relational safety, and attunement can transform PTSD treatment within a psychedelic-assisted framework.
  • Practical tools to balance compassion and boundaries in therapy, particularly when working in vulnerable spaces.
  • Insights from a real clinician-client partnership, illustrating the profound impact of collaborative, relational healing.

Sample Research Supporting Love in Therapy and Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

  1. Dr. Adèle Lafrance’s Contributions
  2. Relational Healing in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
  3. Ethical Considerations in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
  4. Support for Common Factors in Therapy
    • A robust body of research highlights the importance of common factors such as the therapeutic alliance, empathy, goal consensus, positive regard, and genuineness in achieving positive therapy outcomes across modalities. These elements significantly contribute to client engagement and transformation.
      https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-70554-5_29

Any questions?

EMAIL JAY