Clare McBee, LICSW

Clare McBee is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) in Boston, offering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic integration from an office at The Meeting Point Collaborative in Jamaica Plain. The practice, Liminal Bodies Counseling + Training, is LGBTQI+ affirming and works with adults aged 18 and over.

Approach

McBee now offers only short-term trauma work of three to six months, combining EMDR, Internal Family Systems, somatic methods and KAP, and no longer takes on long-term talk therapy. For KAP, a partner prescriber, Journey Clinical or Whitley Wellness, assesses medical suitability, sets the dose and prescribes the ketamine. Clients bring the prescription to the office and take it sublingually, holding it in the mouth for about 20 minutes, in a session of around three hours. McBee trained in the MAPS MDMA therapy programme and holds certificates in KAP, EMDR and IFS, after a clinical social work degree from the University of Chicago.

Who it is for

The practice focuses on trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming clients, trauma in its many forms, people living with HIV, intimate partner violence, and recovery from substance use through harm reduction. People doing their own psychedelic work can come for preparation and integration.

Practical details

McBee is licensed in Massachusetts and Vermont. A one-hour session costs $200, a few sliding-scale places start at $90, and three Massachusetts plans are accepted, including Blue Cross Blue Shield. A KAP session is estimated at $400 to $500 out of pocket, plus $50 to $100 for the ketamine. Preparation and integration can be held online, while the medicine session is preferably in person. The practice is currently full and keeps a wait list.

Care and safety

A KAP course includes at least three one-hour preparation sessions and three integration sessions, the first on the morning after the medicine session. KAP is not advised during active psychosis or mania, high blood pressure or heart and lung problems may need medical clearance first, and benzodiazepines should be avoided on the day.