May Innerbloom Newsletter
May 13, 2025 12:01 pm
May 2025
At Innerbloom, we’re focusing this month on a crucial—but often overlooked—part of the healing journey: integration. While different ketamine providers take different approaches, we believe integration, including psychotherapy, can be just as important as the medicine itself.
So, what is integration? Simply put, integration is the process of weaving the insights, emotions, and breakthroughs experienced during a ketamine session into your everyday life. Whether through journaling, movement, talk therapy, or mindfulness practices, integration helps you make sense of your experience and take intentional steps toward change.
⭐️ Spotlight: Meet Alisa, LMFT
Healing and integration don’t end when the ketamine infusions do, which is why we’re so grateful to have Alisa as a long-term partner in our patients’ care. Individuals begin their journey at our clinic with Cindy, LMFT, who provides essential preparation and guidance throughout the initial treatment series. From there, Alisa is available to carry the work forward with care and intention, building long-term relationships that support continued growth.
With over 20 years of experience working with individuals facing addiction, trauma, depression, and anxiety, Alisa brings a wide range of advanced skills and therapeutic modalities. These include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic resourcing, psychodynamic therapy, and psychodramatic techniques.
If you’re considering ketamine therapy, we encourage you to reach out to learn more about our holistic approach and how Alisa’s compassionate expertise can both enhance your Innerbloom experience and lead to longer-lasting results.
🧬 Science
Yoga is a powerful integration tool because it reconnects the body and mind, an essential step after psychedelic and ketamine therapy. Research shows that yoga can increase levels of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that helps calm the brain and stabilize mood. It also activates the parasympathetic nervous system—our “rest and digest” mode—while lowering cortisol levels, helping to reduce chronic stress.
In one randomized controlled trial, a 10-week trauma-informed yoga program significantly reduced PTSD symptoms in women with treatment-resistant trauma. Participants showed greater improvements in emotional regulation, body awareness, and overall symptom relief compared to the control group. These findings highlight yoga’s value as a cost-effective and accessible complement to psychotherapy, especially for individuals with trauma histories.
Shout out to Harmony House, my favorite local yoga studio in Pismo!
📓 Integration Workbook
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Psychedelic Integration Workbook is a free resource offering reflective exercises, journaling prompts, and mindfulness practices designed to support emotional processing, memory retention, and personal growth. Whether you're preparing for a session or reflecting afterward, this guide can be an invaluable companion.
👉 Download the MAPS Integration Workbook
🌈 Events
Out of the Darkness Walk
📍 Cal Poly, University Union Plaza
🗓 Saturday, May 17 | 11:00 AM
Join us for this powerful suicide awareness walk supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We’re proud to walk alongside Knowing You Matter (KYM) and others committed to mental health advocacy.
Cancer Wellness Fair
📍 Sierra Vista Hospital
🗓 Friday, May 31 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Stop by our booth at the 3rd Annual Cancer Patient & Survivor Wellness Fair. Don’t miss guest speaker Dr. Heidi Lucas, ND, sharing insights on “Food as Medicine” to support energy, immunity, and gut health.
📖 On the Blog
Mental Health in Pregnancy: Why It Matters:
Discover how chronic stress during pregnancy affects fetal development, mental health, and why early intervention is crucial for mom and baby’s well-being.
Expectations vs. Intentions for Ketamine Therapy:
Understanding the difference between expectations and intentions can help you feel more grounded, empowered, and receptive throughout your ketamine therapy journey, setting the stage for better results.
Innerbloom Recommendations
🩸 Service: Function Health
I wanted to share something I’ve started using and found incredibly valuable—Function Health. Founder Mark Hyman, MD, first popped up on my radar after his appearance on Andrew Huberman’s podcast episode, "How to Improve Your Vitality & Heal From Disease." It’s a membership that gives you access to comprehensive lab testing with over 100 biomarkers, done twice a year.
What I appreciate most is how it translates your data into simple, actionable recommendations—what to eat, what to avoid, and which supplements to consider based on your unique results. It’s a smart solution in a world where getting in to see your PCP is tough enough, let alone getting personalized guidance on things like nutrition, inflammation, hormones, or longevity.
I’m not affiliated with Function Health, but I’ve been impressed by what they offer. You can check it out and sign up using my referral link below.
📚 Book: Brain Energy
This engaging read by Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer explores the theory that mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and even schizophrenia may arise from underlying metabolic dysfunction in the brain rather than merely chemical imbalances. Brain Energy delves into the science of how improving mitochondrial health through diet and lifestyle can significantly impact mental wellness. Admittedly, after reading this book, I tried the ketogenic diet myself for a month and experienced some interesting results!
📢 Stay Connected
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Don’t forget to visit our Blog for the latest news, research, and events.
Thank You!
I appreciate your continued support and for taking the time to read! If you have questions, feedback, or topics you'd like to see covered, reply to this email. I would love to hear from you!
Warmly,
Ray Rivas, MD
Innerbloom Ketamine Therapy, PC
San Luis Obispo, CA
(805) 321-8471
