Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Complex Trauma: The Client Experience

03/20/25 • 45 min

In this episode...

Many people struggling with trauma feel stuck — trapped by memories they can’t fully recall yet deeply affect their daily lives. Traditional therapy can take years to untangle the layers of emotional pain, and even then, some wounds remain deeply buried. How can you unlock those hidden experiences to begin healing?

After enduring childhood and institutional trauma, today’s guest accessed years of suppression through ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. This healing process requires more than engaging in a few ketamine sessions; instead, you must navigate resurfaced trauma through self-awareness, a strong support system, and body-based healing techniques to process the body’s response to trauma. When considering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, the guest recommends keeping an open mind and building relationships with trusted professionals.

In the latest episode of Living Medicine, Dr. Signi Goldman hosts an anonymous client to discuss the impact of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy on healing trauma. Together, they share misconceptions about ketamine therapy, the guest’s experience revisiting trauma during altered states, and how she developed resilience through integration work.

In this episode...

Previous Episode

The Use of Touch in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Tricky Topic

Dr. Signi Goldman, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist and the Co-founder and Medical Director of Living Medicine Institute, which offers psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy training programs. As a certified provider for psychedelic-assisted therapy and research, she has practiced in various clinical settings, including hospital systems and alternative treatment settings. Dr. Goldman also serves as a Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist for Concierge Medicine and Psychiatry’s Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Program for Mental Health.

Dr. Sandra (Sandy) Newes, PhD, is a licensed psychiatrist and the Co-founder and Programming Director of Living Medicine Institute. With over 25 years of clinical experience as a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist, she specializes in anxiety, chronic stress, trauma, and recovery. Dr. Newes has provided ketamine-assisted psychotherapy through Concierge Medicine and Psychiatry since 2019. She is also an educator and speaker offering workshops, events, and education on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and the intersection of nature connection, trauma, and mental health.

In this episode...

Touch in therapy is a complex and often controversial topic, especially in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, where clients are in highly vulnerable states. While some therapists fear the ethical risks of using touch, avoiding it altogether can mean missing a critical tool for grounding and healing. How can practitioners navigate this delicate balance while ensuring client safety and trust?

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy trainers Dr. Signi Goldman and Dr. Sandy Newes emphasize the importance of clear consent, ethical considerations, and trauma awareness. While some clients — particularly women with trauma histories — may be more cautious about physical contact, others may seek out safe, grounding touch from male therapists as part of their healing process, so therapists should balance masculine and feminine energy accordingly. For clients who are hesitant about direct touch, Dr. Goldman and Dr. Newes suggest allowing them to place a hand on their own body first, with the option for the therapist to add gentle contact on top if desired.

In today’s episode of Living Medicine, Dr. Signi Goldman and Dr. Sandy Newes of Living Medicine Institute discuss the ethical use of touch in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy sessions. Together, they talk about somatic touch interventions, strategies for working with veterans and first responders, and how to match touch intensity to emotional distress.

Next Episode

MDMA, Ketamine, and Other Tools for Working With Trauma

Veronika Gold, LMFT, is the Co-founder of Polaris Insight Center, a clinic offering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, integrative psychiatry, and integration services. She is a lead trainer at Polaris Training Program. She served as a sub-investigator and co-therapist, educator, and consultant at the Lykos clinical trials for the treatment of PTSD with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, Veronika specializes in treating trauma, anxiety, stress, transition, self-esteem, employment, and relationship issues.

In this episode...

Too often, psychedelic-assisted therapy is reduced to a clinical buzzword or a quick-fix intervention, stripping it of the depth and relational care it requires. As more people seek healing through non-ordinary states, there's growing confusion — and sometimes harm — caused by untrained providers and disjointed treatment models. What does it take to offer safe, ethical, and transformative psychedelic-assisted therapy?

With deep experience in trauma work and non-ordinary states, Veronika Gold emphasizes the importance of a strong therapeutic relationship, proper training, and personal experience with psychedelics. Ketamine treatment without therapeutic intervention can cause lasting damage, so Veronika advocates for relational, trauma-informed care that honors consent, somatic awareness, and integration over time. Rather than rushing to gain the patient’s insights during ketamine therapy sessions, therapists should remain cautious and curious, integrating somatic intervention techniques as needed.

In this week’s episode of Living Medicine, Dr. Sandy Newes hears from Veronika Gold, LMFT, the Co-founder of Polaris Insight Center, who talks about trauma-informed psychedelic therapy. Veronika shares her perspective on the role of non-ordinary states in healing, the distinction between MDMA and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and how she uses therapeutic touch during psychedelic therapy sessions.