Ketamine Assisted Therapy Retreat for Parents
Monday April 6 - Tuesday April 7, 2025
Join therapists Amy Ruben and Ellie Lotan in this intimate retreat at the beautiful Urban Adamah Farm in Berkeley, CA. Open to all parents of children 10 and under who live in CA, OR, NY, and MA.
The retreat will include:
2 dosing sessions
Somatic Experiencing, Internal-Family Systems, and Expressive Arts Therapy- informed offerings
Ritual, song, movement, art, and nature integration throughout
Meals and lodging
Virtual pre-retreat prep and post-retreat integration sessions
Cost: $1200 + cost for assessment and rx through Journey Clinical. Read more about JC cost here, including insurance coverage.
**Early Bird Discount: Register by March 1 and get $200 off!
Sliding Scale spots available for BIPOC parents.
A percentage of the fees goes towards paying Shumi Land Tax through the Segorea Te Land Trust.
Limited to 8 participants.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
About Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP):
We are offering ketamine as part of this retreat to facilitate participants’ connections with their Selves and a reduction of symptoms related to anxiety, depression, trauma, and other struggles common to parenthood. Ketamine is a safe, legal, and effective medicine that, when used in conjunction with therapy, can accelerate personal growth through its ability to support neuro-plasticity, while also having anti-anxiety and anti-depressant qualities. Through producing new neural connections, ketamine supports us to see old patterns in new ways. Many describe it as a mental reset. During the weekend you will give yourself the gift of time to slow down, rest and go inward to explore, while in community with other parents. In preparation for the retreat, participants will be medically approved and prescribed ketamine lozenges by a psychiatrist at Journey Clinical.
For Nursing Parents:
The Journey Clinical medical team recommends at least 12-24 hours of pumping and dumping before resuming breastfeeding after KAP. Participants will be able to discuss specific individualized instructions with their Journey Clinical prescriber during the intake or follow up consultation, as the risks and benefits are a case by case decision.
Team:
Amy Ruben, LMFT (she/her)
I am a LMFT in CA and OR, living and practicing in Portland, OR, with my partner and two young children. I have a private psychotherapy practice where I draw from a range of approaches to support each client’s unique healing process, including Somatic Experiencing, polyvagal-informed practices, EMDR, expressive arts, IFS and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). I offer individual and relationship therapy, and am deeply passionate about supporting clients through big life transitions, such as the life-altering experience of becoming a parent (including working with fertility journey warriors!)! I ground my therapeutic practice in an anti-oppression and pro-liberation lens informed by feminist, queer, and consent-based theories. I am an LGBTQIA+, kink, and poly/CNM affirming therapist. I hold an MA in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Somatic Psychotherapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), and a Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Therapies from Naropa University. I am honored and humbled to be a co-creator of the New Parent Diaries!
Ellie Lotan, LMFT (she/her)
I am an LMFT licensed in MA, NY, and CA, living and practicing in Northampton, MA, where I live with my partner and 4-year-old. I have a private psychotherapy practice where, weaving tools from IFS, somatics, and expressive arts, I approach therapy as a weekly collaborative ritual in which clients become more skilled at listening and giving voice to their inner knowing. I offer individual and relationship therapy, and especially love working with people going through life transitions - whether that be in becoming a parent, losing a loved one, or a career or relationship shift. I offer Ketamine Assisted Therapy, both virtually and in-person. I am honored to be a creator and steward of the New Parent Diaries, and am so moved (and greatly humbled!) by the ripe-for-transformation journey that is Parenthood. I am an LGBTQIA+, kink, and poly/CNM affirming therapist. I hold an MA in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).