Shannon Russell, LMHC

Shannon Russell, a licensed mental health counsellor (LMHC) based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, runs Wellness Journey Counseling, where she offers ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) alongside trauma-focused therapy. She sees clients in person and by telehealth.

Approach

Russell has worked as a psychotherapist for over a decade and trained in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy at the Integrative Psychiatry Institute, which certified her. She is EMDRIA trained and holds a second certificate, in evidence-based treatment, focused on caring for clinicians. She works mostly from the body upwards, with EMDR, ego state therapy, Internal Family Systems, ACT and KAP, and calls her style trauma-informed and warm, with some humour. On a medicine day the client reclines with eye shades, headphones and a set playlist, with blankets, scents and refreshments on hand; the experience is talked through afterwards, and an integration session follows the next day.

Who it is for

She describes her ideal client as someone ready to go deeper, and works with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, past trauma, existential crises and college mental health.

Practical details

A 55-minute intake costs $175, a 55-minute therapy session $150 and a three-hour KAP session $525. She does not take insurance but offers a sliding scale and works as an out-of-network provider. A free 15-minute consultation comes first.

Care and safety

At intake a psychological assessment decides whether KAP is suitable. A prescriber, either the client’s own or one she works with, then carries out a full medical evaluation and, if the client is cleared, prescribes sublingual ketamine to bring to the session.