Minnesota Psychedelic Therapy Clinic, Institute for Integrative Therapies, Begins Offering Psychedelic Therapy in a Group Setting

TWIN CITIES, Minn., Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Minnesota based psychedelic therapy and advocacy organization, Institute for Integrative Therapies is officially announcing the expansion of group psychedelic assisted therapy to help meet the needs of the Twin Cities, and surrounding communities. Currently, the Institute for Integrative Therapies (IIT) provides Ketamine-assisted therapy and is laying the foundation to provide additional psychedelic therapies, including MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapy, as soon as they become available. IIT co-founder Kyle Keller recently received his MAPS MDMA therapist training certificate (for Parts A-D); co-founder Kyle Ross and lead therapist Kayla Felten have been accepted into the training program and are on track to complete their certificate by the end of 2021. MDMA will likely be available to clinics like IIT in the next 2 years, pending FDA approval.

Mental health struggles in the United States constitute a national health crisis, and rates of depression, anxiety, PTSD and suicide are climbing at an alarming rate. In addition to a crisis of meaning, we have a crisis of loneliness and isolation. While technology and social media have brought us "closer together," such platforms have done so at a dangerously superficial level, and as we have more access to global communication, we are becoming increasingly isolated, estranged and at odds with each other.

We live in a largely individualistic society. In mental health, we commonly target the "individual" and their personal struggles, traumas, histories and psychology. While this approach is vital and often helpful, we sometimes overlook the power of shared experiences and healing through connection. At the Institute for Integrative Therapies, programming is being developed to expand the Ketamine-Assisted Therapy process into a group setting, in order to tap into the potential of communal experiences.

In the field of psychedelic medicine, group psychedelic therapy is undoubtedly a rich area of application and allow for therapeutic experiences that are unavailable in other individualized settings. Through group psychedelic therapy, participants can find a sense of connection, process shared trauma, and to learn from the perspectives and insights of others. At IIT, group participants engage in both individual and group psychedelic therapy preparation and integration sessions. During the treatment session, participants lay on comfortable floor pads, and are tended to by the therapist and physician facilitators. Music playlists are developed specifically for the group and based off of their feedback and input during the preparation phase. After the treatment session, the group reconvenes for a group integration process, where they are able to process their experience, and share with each other the lessons and reflections from their journey.

The Institute for Integrative Therapies recently completed a soft opening for such group therapy, and this foundational work has been overseen by IIT physician Dr. Manoj Doss and lead therapist, Kayla Felten. Kayla specializes in working with religious and spiritual trauma, and these initial groups focused on processing religious trauma, on reclaiming identity and clarifying values and purpose. In discussing the benefits of this approach, Felten explains, "the opportunity to pursue healing and explore the unknown within a community can be especially therapeutic. Having the opportunity to facilitate psychedelic therapy groups for trauma survivors has been a gift and incorporates so much of my passion to hold space for others' spiritual activation, healing and exploration." Upcoming groups will focus on concerns like depression, anxiety, PTSD, existential crises and distress, grief and loss, end of life and LGBTQ experiences.

An additional benefit to groups is the reduced cost.  Currently, IIT groups cost $500 per participant for the active psychedelic medicine session, which usually lasts about 2.5-3 hours. IIT is continuously pursuing new avenues for making psychedelic therapy accessible, and the group therapy approach is one more step in this direction.

About Institute for Integrative Therapies

IIT is a psychedelic therapy, education, and advocacy organization located in Minnesota, and emphasizes the power and role of "set and setting" in optimizing the psychedelic therapy experience. IIT does this through the integration of art, music and design in the therapeutic process. IIT curates personal experiences for each client through creativity and collaboration.

Dr. Manoj Doss is the board-certified, medical director for IIT, and a leader in the emerging field of Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy. Kyle Keller holds a certification in Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy from the California Institute for Integral Studies and is a practicing psychedelic-assisted therapist. He is also the co-founder of Ellie Family Services. Erin Pash is the CEO and founder of Ellie Family Services, and a local leader in mental health education and advocacy. Kyle Ross is the director of community-based services at Ellie Family Services, specializes in complex trauma and is a Ketamine-assisted psychotherapist.

For more information about psychedelic therapy services provided by IIT, please visit the company website at: www.iit-mn.com.

Media contact:
Kyle Keller
[email protected] 
651-307-5148

SOURCE Institute for Integrative Therapies