Psychedelic Growth

Psychedelic Growth is a psychedelic therapy clinic in Boulder, Colorado, offering ketamine-assisted therapy, psilocybin therapy under the state’s natural medicine law, and integration therapy. Founder and clinical director Erin Carpenter, a licensed clinical social worker, leads a small team.

Approach

Carpenter has over 16 years of experience as an LCSW and over a year of training in psychedelic therapy with ketamine, psilocybin and MDMA, and she is a licensed facilitator for psilocybin. The team includes nurse practitioner Mary Beth Haas and social worker Andrew Mrkvicka, each with 30 years of experience, and counsellor Elizabeth Adams. A ketamine session lasts two and a half hours: about 30 minutes of preparation, about 45 minutes with the oral dose, usually with headphones and eyeshades, and an hour of integration. Psilocybin sessions take place in the clinic with tested mushrooms, and a therapist stays present through every medicine session. MDMA therapy waits until it is legal.

Who it is for

The clinic works with depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD and trauma, relationships, parenting and postpartum concerns, and chronic illness and palliative care. It also offers integration and harm reduction counselling for people using psychedelics on their own.

Practical details

A ketamine course of eight sessions with an intake costs $4,475, and a single session $535; the medical intake and medicine are billed separately. The psilocybin package costs $3,400 for three preparation sessions, a dosing day and three integration sessions. Superbills are available instead of direct insurance billing. Colorado residents can have ketamine sessions and counselling online.

Care and safety

Ketamine is prescribed through the medical partner Journey Clinical after a medical evaluation, and vital signs are checked at each session. Listed contraindications are schizophrenia, epilepsy or other seizure disorders, current lithium treatment and uncontrolled high blood pressure. Clients need a ride home after ketamine and should not drive for about three hours.