Psychodynamics refers to the internal processes one has in their psyche, including thoughts, dreams, memories, and emotions. Psychodynamic Psychiatry is woven into the process of Ketamine Psychotherapy. The particular Psychodynamic approaches that I utilize include Hakomi and Somatic Experiencing.

Hakomi is a psychodynamic process that engages present-moment awareness to gently explore mind-body patterns and core beliefs that live outside of one’s habitual awareness. Hakomi involves following these patterns and core beliefs back to developmental experiences where habitual responses were created. By going slowly and gently, an atmosphere of safety evolves where defenses can be examined and willingly yielded. Hakomi accesses the non-verbal levels of the psyche where basic beliefs organize and goes on to re-evaluate the parts of our belief system which limit us. Hakomi provides new experiences which update old belief systems with new ones that are more empowering.

Hakomi is based on principles of mindfulness, non-violence, organicity, unity, and mind/body holism. Hakomi is a Hopi Indian word which means, "How do you stand in relation to these many realms?” Some of the origins of Hakomi stem from Buddhism and Taoism, especially concepts like gentleness, compassion, mindfulness and going with the grain. Other influences come from general systems theory, which incorporates the idea of respect for the wisdom of each individual as a living organic system embedded and interdependent on other systems. The essence of Hakomi is discovering your authentic self.

The other psychotherapeutic approach utilized at Insight Psychiatry is Somatic Experiencing (SE). SE is a form of trauma resolution that focuses on working with the autonomic nervous system to resolve chronic states of flight, fright and freeze. Our bodies respond to overwhelming emotional experiences in a multitude of ingenious ways that serve to protect the core self. But these adaptive behaviors can over time become restrictive and serve as new problems instead of the solutions they once were. Somatic Experiencing invites a deep presence into the current moment and teaches one how to resource into the felt sense of safety in the body, thus allowing one to experientially titrate small amounts of unfelt or unexpressed sensation and emotion. Somatic Experiencing allows for the body to reconnect to its innate healing wisdom by tracking on the level of sensation and impulse, allowing one to complete that which still needs to completed on the level of physiology. 

When Hakomi and Somatic Experiencing is combined with Ketamine Psychotherapy, deep healing and change is made possible. Engaging with your psyche in this manner is profound, and we take great care to assure that you are prepared to take this journey.