Helodia Dastine, LCSW

Helodia Dastine, a licensed clinical social worker and psychoanalytic psychotherapist in New York City, offers ketamine-assisted psychotherapy through her group practice, The Deep-Seeded Truth Psychotherapy. She also works as a sex and relationship therapist and is licensed in New York and New Jersey.

Approach

She earned her Master of Social Work at Fordham University, did her psychoanalytic training at New York’s Training Institute for Mental Health, and later completed a Doctor of Social Work at Simmons University with a focus on antiracism, diversity and equity. Her further training covers EMDR, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and MDMA-assisted therapy. Sessions explore unconscious patterns, early experiences and relationships, and can include dream analysis and mindfulness. The practice calls its approach decolonised and makes room for herbs and ancestral plant allies alongside therapy. She also teaches at the Columbia and Fordham graduate schools of social work.

Who it is for

Much of her work is with BIPOC and LGBTQAI+ clients facing trauma, grief, racial bias, substance use, questions of identity, or difficulties with intimacy and relationships. The practice favours long-term therapy aimed at root causes.

Practical details

Fees have been listed at $250 to $300 a session, and the first consultation is free. The practice is in network with Aetna, Cigna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare, gives superbills for other insurers, and asks for 24 hours’ notice to cancel. Sessions take place in person and online.

Care and safety

Ketamine treatment starts with a written intake and an assessment by the practice’s prescriber for medical clearance. At least two preparation sessions follow, then sessions of 1.5 to 2.5 hours with sublingual lozenges, with at least two integration sessions after the first one. The practice recommends committing to a minimum of three ketamine sessions.