Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Training Program

These programs are designed to provide interested physicians, psychologists, therapists, nurses, chaplains, and other healthcare professionals with principles and procedures of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in a clinical setting.

Join us for an immersive training retreat, where you will:

• Build upon the training from the modules and develop and strengthen clinical skills through intensive didactic and experiential training
• Increase familiarity with intake, preparation, set and setting, safety monitoring, non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC), and trust in the inner organic healing intelligence
• Learn through direct experience about the medical, biological, psychological, transpersonal, and phenomenological aspects of the ketamine experience
• Integrate experiences in small and large group settings as well as cultivate several forms of nonverbal integration processes through the use of music, art therapy, movement/dance, writing, meditation, and other practices
• Expand community and develop group cohesion within a small cohort
• Engage in short didactics, case presentations, and question-and-answer sessions
• Further develop informed and responsible practices around the therapeutic use of ketamine

Retreats are offered in collaboration with Rainfall Medicine Clinic.

The Level 1 Retreat is an exquisite experience that changed my life and introduced me to new connections, thoughts, and exceptional humans. This workshop/retreat provides a safe and compassionate container for personal and professional learning, growth, and healing. The Polaris staff are outstanding, authentic, caring and creating a magnificent path for ethical ketamine clinician training and education. I have gained increased confidence in practice, access to resources, deepening knowledge/understanding used to improve therapeutic relationship/experience with clients.

- Lori Fox, PMHNP

The highlights of the training for me was working with the group members at the retreats and getting to know each of the Polaris and Rainfall leaders. They are phenomenal at creating a safe container and you get a real genuine sense that these are people who do the work themselves. I’ve become more educated about the medical aspect of ketamine but also much more comfortable discussing the psychospiritual parts of this work, which I have become personally attuned to but felt unsure how to articulate in a clinical way. Personally, the modules shifted my entire worldview. Attending the retreat broke through my own years long depression and stymied my anxiety in ways I did not anticipate could ever be done. I have a long journey ahead of me but the short version is that I now have a basic, fundamental belief not only in the connectedness of our lives but also that everything will be okay. For me, for the people I work with, for the world. It is hard to convey this, so I wrote poetry about it. That comes very close. Professionally, I’ve come to really appreciate the power to change and heal this medicine offers us and the people we work with. This work has such life-changing capabilities… it almost feels like miracle-working, sometimes. There is great responsibility with that. But also, so much hope and optimism that I can offer to the people I see. I didn’t realize psychiatry could feel this way until I did the trainings. Thank you to Harvey, Veronika, Eric, Steve, Ryan and everyone else who helped at the retreat and also each module. Thank you on a professional and personal level. 

- Janine Inez, DNP

Modules 1-5, Module 7, Healing the Healer, Music Module, Rainfall Medical Module, Retreat Level 1