Mental Health Clinic in Santa Rosa Announces Affiliate Therapist Program

Santa Rosa, California -

Be the Change in Mental Health (BTC), a mental health clinic in Santa Rosa, CA, has announced an Affiliate Therapist Program. They now have a training program for licensed therapists to bring their patients to the clinic and treat with their medical team. This provides a way for psychotherapists from Santa Rosa and neighboring areas to have access to the benefits of medication-assisted psychotherapeutic modalities. Any licensed psychologist, marriage and family therapist (MFT) , or licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who has already been trained in ketamine assisted psychotherapy may apply for credentials at BTC.

Dr. Marisha Chilcott of BTC says, “The term ‘psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy’ refers to the use of a mind-altering medication during a psychotherapy session. The medication helps to open the patient’s mind to the new ways of thinking or feeling that the therapy is helping the patient achieve. While psychedelics for therapeutic healing have only recently come back into western medicine, they are increasingly well supported by research and scientific evidence, and also have a rich history in other cultures dating back thousands of years. Being a psychedelic-assisted therapy program means that we have integrated psychedelic medicine with psychotherapy to treat conditions like depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and trauma.”

The psychedelic medication used is ketamine, which is a dissociative anesthetic drug that has unique effects on the mind and body. A series of research done in the early 2000s showed the effectiveness of ketamine as an antidepressant and it is currently used “off label” for treating mental health disorders, which means its use is completely legal under medical supervision.

It is important to point out that the use of ketamine is combined with psychotherapy. It is psychotherapy that prepares the patient for the experience and then integrate that experience with the person’s new way of feeling and looking at the world. Simply taking the psychedelic medication without the guidance provided by a trained therapist is not likely to make a difference in the long term feeling and thinking of the patient when not under the influence.

The treatment protocol provided by BTC is intended to help people who are suffering from treatment resistant mental health conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder, trauma, and depression. However, it is not recommended for those who have: an allergy to ketamine; a history of psychosis; a recent traumatic brain injury; or been using or have used methamphetamine.

Meanwhile, BTC also provides transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation. The NeuroStar® TMS employs targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate certain parts of the brain that have been observed to be under-active in those who are suffering from depression. This is an FDA approved non-invasive, non-drug therapy that may help a person get long-term relief from the symptoms of depression.

During the TMS session, the patient is asked to recline comfortably in a treatment chair and asked to be awake and alert the whole time. The entire session will only last for 18 minutes and depending on the recommendation of the doctor, the TMS treatment can be completed in six weeks or less. Results can be expected within four to six weeks.

BTC is a California non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that provides pioneering therapies for people suffering from treatment-resistant mental health conditions. They offer psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and NeuroStar® Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in a safe, medically-supervised, and legal way. Medical physicians and licensed therapists are tasked to deliver these services that are focused on the hardest to treat mental health problems, such as suicidality, intractable depression, anxiety related to mortal diagnoses, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Treatments are performed based on strict scientifically proven protocols, by licensed professionals, according to the rules and regulations of the California Board of Medicine, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), and the Department of Justice.

Those who are interested in learning more about ketamine assisted psychotherapy in California and other services provided by BTC can check out their website or contact them on the phone or through email.