June Innerbloom Newsletter
Jun 18, 2024 12:00 pm
Innerbloom Ketamine Therapy
June 2024
As we welcome the beginning of summer, I hope you find time to slow down, relax, and soak in the long days. This season offers the perfect opportunity to sneak in some more time for wellness and self-care. Whether it's a leisurely walk at sunset, a quiet moment of meditation, or simply enjoying the company of loved ones, let's embrace the slower pace, warmer weather and the chance to play and recharge. Innerbloom has been bustling with new collaborations, making new friends, and exploring exciting new ideas. Read on to hear what we have in store for you!
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💕 EVENTS
New Group Integration Sessions at Innerbloom
Monday, August 26th 5:30 - 7pm
We are thrilled to offer a special opportunity for eight individuals to participate in an exclusive group integration session. This event, guided by Cindy Nelson and Alisa Piette—both certified ketamine-assisted psychotherapists and highly experienced LMFTs—is designed specifically for individuals who have undergone ketamine therapy.
This gathering aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for participants to share their personal stories and progress with ketamine therapy. It's an excellent opportunity for those looking to connect with others in our community who have had similar experiences. Join us to discuss your journey, gain support and foster mental wellness at Innerbloom. Integration is a critical component of psychedelic therapies, emphasizing that while the medicine may act as a facilitator for neuroplasticity, lasting change is cultivated in the work that follows. This process involves reflecting on the experience, understanding its implications, and making intentional changes in behavior, thought patterns, and lifestyle.
Interested? Tickets are low cost, with only eight tickets available per session. Don't miss out on this unique chance to connect and grow together.
Introduction to Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach to Natural Health and Mental Well-being
Monday, July 29th 5:30 - 7pm
We’re excited to announce a new workshop held by local wellness counselor, holistic yoga practitioner and Nourish owner, Victoria Kromhout. Through the ancient healing system of Ayurveda and her devotion to the practice of yoga, Victoria seeks to help her clients to find their own healing path. This event will introduce you to the healing properties of living a holistic lifestyle through the practices of Ayurvedic medicine. Discover your own ‘dosha’ type and how to maximize your individual health and wellbeing.
Curious about Ayurvedic medicine? Check out this blog post to learn more and read about our incredible presenter, Victoria Kromhout.
How can Ayurveda help you restore balance to your mind and body? Sign up to learn more! Tickets are limited, so be sure to secure your seat soon.
Follow us on Instagram @innerbloomkt to stay up to date on upcoming events!
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🗞️ NEWS
California Fails to Legalize Psychedelics: Senate Bill 1012 Update
Senate bill 1012, authored by Senator Scott Wiener, was the latest effort to bring psychedelics into the hands of medical providers in California. The bill sought to establish a regulated framework for the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline.
The bill ultimately failed due to financial concerns. Despite efforts to appeal to Governor Gavin Newsom, who vetoed a similar bill last year, the fiscal impact and California’s budget deficit proved too significant. The high costs associated with setting up the necessary board and maintaining the program led the committee to shelve the bill. Nonetheless, Senator Scott Wiener remains dedicated to the cause and vows to continue advocating for expanded access to psychedelics for therapeutic use.
FDA Advisory Committee Rejects MDMA-assisted Therapy for PTSD
The FDA is expected to decide in August whether MDMA can be used to treat PTSD. Clinical trials have shown promising results. However, "substantial concerns about the validity of the results" of the MDMA clinical trials, possible misconduct, and ethical violations have emerged that could threaten the drug's approval. On June 4th, the FDA held a public advisory committee meeting to address these concerns. Ultimately, the committee voted 9-2 against MDMA therapy, citing insufficient data to demonstrate its effectiveness for PTSD treatment, and 10-1 that the available evidence doesn’t show that the drug’s benefits outweigh its risks.
The advisory recommendations and votes are not binding, but they suggest the likely outcome of the FDA's decision on MDMA-assisted therapy ahead of the August 11th deadline. This outcome represents a significant setback for the potential approval and of MDMA-assisted therapy. Currently, there are only two FDA-approved treatments for PTSD, and the approval of MDMA would signify the first new option in decades.
While we’re disappointed about the setback, there’s still hope for those suffering from PTSD. Ketamine is already accessible, legal, safe, and highly effective! A recent outcomes study on IV ketamine for treatment-resistant PTSD reveals that 75% of participants experienced clinical improvement, with 62% achieving symptom remission. These impressive results rival those of MDMA studies and significantly surpass traditional treatments such as SSRIs and talk therapy.
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⚗️ SCIENCE
A recent study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry examines how ketamine affects sleep 😴 in individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Key Findings:
- Baseline Differences: Participants with TRD exhibited lower total sleep time and shorter REM latency compared to healthy volunteers. This indicates that individuals with TRD may miss out on important phases of deep sleep, which are crucial for restorative sleep and overall mental health.
- Ketamine's Impact: After receiving ketamine, participants with TRD exhibited increased deep sleep (delta power) and quiet wakefulness (alpha power) during the night. This indicates that ketamine helps regulate and enhance various aspects of sleep quality throughout the night.
- Reduction in Suicidal Ideation and Depression Severity: Ketamine led to a significant decrease in suicidal ideation and depression severity as soon as one day post-infusion.
💡 What This Means: These findings underscore ketamine's potential in modulating sleep-related neurobiological changes in depression, contributing to its rapid antidepressant effects. While research on ketamine's impact on sleep disturbances is still ongoing, we have observed many of our patients reporting that they feel more rested, with some experiencing significantly better sleep following ketamine therapy. It's exciting to see science uncover the mechanisms behind these observations.
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⭐️ NEW TESTIMONIAL
Relief after just one IV infusion for generalized anxiety disorder! Read the whole heartwarming testimonial here.
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📖 ON THE BLOG
Preparing for IV Ketamine Therapy: Understanding the Psychedelic Experience: To maximize the benefits of this therapy, thorough preparation is essential. This includes understanding the process, collaborating with a psychotherapist, setting clear intentions and goals, adopting healthy habits, and learning grounding practices like mindfulness and breath work.
An Overview of Ketamine Therapy for the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders and Pain: Are you interested in ketamine therapy but unsure where to start? Over the past two years, I have been working on a comprehensive overview that includes updated studies, my clinical experiences, and useful information for anyone wanting to learn just about everything related to ketamine therapy. I am committed to keeping this resource updated as we learn more about this evolving and innovative therapy.
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🎧 MEDIA
How to Find Your True Purpose & Create Your Best Life
American psychoanalyst Dr. James Hollis and Dr. Andrew Huberman have a wonderful discussion about discovering one's unique self and purpose. Dr. Hollis shares a story where depression broadsided him while he was "cruising along in my 30s, having achieved everything I wanted", at a time when he "should" have been happy and fulfilled. Yet his declining mental health catapulted him into a new journey of serving his soul and following his calling. My favorite quote from Dr. Hollis is, "Depression is like a well, and at the bottom of the well, there's always a task, there's always an issue, the identification of which can lead one into a new place in one's life, a different journey."
Developed by neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris, the Waking Up app has become my go-to for meditation. Having tried several meditation apps like Headspace and Calm, I find Waking Up to be the easiest to integrate into a daily routine. The introductory course is excellent for learning the basics, especially for beginners. Additionally, they offer a free trial and provide access for anyone who cannot afford it through a scholarship program.
From right to left, Dr. Rivas, Cindy, Dr. Chernow, Alisa, Libby and our therapy dog, Eli outside Taste Craft Eatery in San Luis Obispo.
Thank You from the Innerbloom Team
...for your continued support and for taking the time to read! If you have any questions, or topics you'd like to see explored or introduced in future discussions, please feel free to reply to this email.
🌟 To stay up-to-date on news, research, and blog posts related to ketamine and Innerbloom, be sure to check the Blog tab on our Website and follow us on Instagram to get a glimpse into our daily practice of safe and effective practice of ketamine therapy. Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Ray Rivas, MD
Innerbloom Ketamine Therapy, PC
San Luis Obispo, CA
(805) 321-8471
