Sunny Strasburg, LMFT is certified in Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy by the California Institute of Integral Studies. She has been trained in psilocybin therapy by Compass Pathways and Synthesis. Mrs Strasburg was trained in MDMA by Michael and Annie Mithoefer through MAPS and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy by the Ketamine Training Center. Sunny works with Dr. Phil Wolfson, author of The Ketamine Papers. She is also a Lead Trainer at the Ketamine Training Center, and hosts KAP retreats. Mrs Strasburg serves as a consultant for licensed practitioners. Sunny has been interviewed and given keynote presentations for the Trauma Research Foundation, EMDRIA Worldwide, The Seminar, ShrinkRap Radio and the K Dome.
IN PERSON • LOS ANGELES, CA • OCTOBER 11 – 16, 2022
Open to Health Care Professionals
Click here to read more and watch Sunny speaking about Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.
There is immense potential with Ketamine for patients who are depressed, anxious and suffering from PTSD. MDMA and psilocybin assisted therapy is promising because these medicines have other potentials that Ketamine may not offer. Legal restrictions in the United States exist outside of the narrow availability of use in Phase 3 FDA trials. Illegal underground use is not recommended not only because there are potential criminal and legal consequences, but additionally most “guides” offering these options are not psychologically trained to pre-screen inappropriate candidates, support people if trauma comes up while under the influence of these substances, nor able to help clients integrate what occurred during the journey.
Ketamine soothes the brain stem and amygdala, and works on the kappa -opioid receptor system. Ketamine is a dissociative drug and tends to soothe the nervous system rather drive insight and spiritual awakenings. Psilocybin works on the 5HT2A receptor sites and the “default mode network”. MDMA also works in the 5HT2A receptor sites, but also involves other neurotransmitters such as oxytocin and serotonin. Both of these substances create opportunities for deep insights and curiosity. The mystical and visionary experience with high doses highly correlates to patients gaining a greater meaning to their suffering. With appropriate assistance from a mental health provider specifically trained in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, the client may gain significant relief from trauma.
In the lecture, “How Do Psychedelics Work in the Brain?” from the Breaking Convention Convention in 2013, research using fMRI presented by Robin Carhart-Harris and others asserts the classical psychedelics, such as psilocybin, down regulate the default mode network and creates new, expansive ways of self reflection. The posterior cingulate cortex is the central controller of the brain for global brain function and relates to sense of self. The higher the client reports disintegration of ego, the more down regulated the default mode network and posterior cingulate cortex. In the study by Roland Griffiths et al, Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial according to one of the researchers, William Richards, mystical experiences correlated to higher dose, i.e; “Becoming the Divine”, rather than the lower dose, visionary experience,“Being at the foot of the Divine in awe”. This tends to induce a sense of meaning to the suffering that accompanies cancer. I suspect the same would apply to any kind of suffering, including that which accompanies complex and single episode PTSD.
In addition to psilocybin, in the study, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of PTSD; study design and rationale for phase 3 trials based on pooled analysis of six phase 2 randomized controlled trials, and additionally by the live trainings at MAPS Part B by Annie and Michael Mithoefer details the reduction of distress from PTSD in MDMA assisted therapy sessions. A fascinating lecture offered by Dr. Ben Sessa from the Psychedelic Science 2017 conference titled, MDMA Therapy- A Child Psychiatrist’s Perspective spoke about how childhood trauma creates a heightened fear response. Dr. Sessa asserts that MDMA is the
antithesis of trauma, soothing the amygdala and creating insight. He is currently studying the use of MDMA in the treatment of addiction through the lens of treating the underlying childhood trauma which drove the addiction in the first place. Studies are published almost daily about the positive impact psychedelics have on mental health.
Sunny Interviews Mitch Horowitz about Magick and Psychedelics….
Sunny Strasburg, LMFT and Dr. Phil Wolfson Interview Alex and Allyson Grey…
Sunny Strasburg, LMFT and The Women of Ketamine Panel Discussion
Sunny is a Certified EMDR Practioner. Mrs Strasburg also utilizes EMDR with Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. Sunny has presented at the EMDRIA Worldwide Conference on EMDR and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and taught EMDR with Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy in training and consultation. Sunny co-leads trainings with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, who has completed research on the effectiveness of EMDR. This approach can adapt to a broad spectrum of issues.
Sunny is trained in Internal Family Systems. She co-leads clinician trainings with Dr. Richard Schwartz, who developed Internal Family Systems. Mrs Strasburg creates and hosts retreats with Dr. Schwartz activating leaders in becoming more Self led. IFS is greatly potentiated by the use of psychedelics and she teaches,consults and trains licensed clinicians on the use of combining psychedelic assisted therapy with Internal Family Systems.
Mrs Strasburg received her Masters of Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpenteria, California. Pacifica’s graduate program specializes in Jungian Archetypal Psychology. Sunny authored her Masters Thesis as an illustrated Dream Journal. This was accompanied by a thesis on the Hero’s and Heroines’ Journey as it follows the trajectory of the four archetypal elements according to Drs Edward Edinger and Marie Louise von Franz. Sunny interweaves archetypal psychology into her therapy and retreats. Dreamwork compliments psychedelic therapy beautifully. Mrs Strasburg works with her clients to engage with the symbolic content which often emerges and animates the content of psychedelic journeys.
Mrs Strasburg offers hourly consultation to licensed mental healthcare workers. Case consultations, overview of psychedelic assisted therapy and utilizing tools such as EMDR, archetypal psychology, meditation and Invocation, and Internal Family Systems are topics covered. We discuss preparation, set and setting, proper space holding, creating safety and consent and in depth integration. Note that clinicians must be at least Masters level and licensed to practice psychology or medicine.
Mrs Strasburg offers training in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Sunny is a Lead Trainer at the Ketamine Training Center. She also offers modular training, virtual video presentations and lectures to educational programs. Watch for her upcoming offerings on the NEWS page, send her an EMAIL with inquiries to have her train your licensed healthcare team, or see KTC upcoming trainings at the Ketamine Training Center HERE…
Mrs Strasburg offers online learning programs for both licensed mental healthcare clinicians, as well as therapy clients and patients wanting to learn more about therapy and psychedelic assisted therapy, and Ketamine Assisted Therapy.
Sunny Strasburg, LMFT is the cofounder and owner of PsyAssist with DJ and musical composer, David Starfire. PsyAssist was recently acquired by TRIPP, Inc. Sunny is now the Clinical Director of Operations at TRIPP, Inc overseeing psychedelic and clinical development and research. The news was recently reported in this article published in Forbes. TRIPP PsyAssist develops virtual reality and mobile tools to support therapist supported psychedelic journeys.
Sunny started the company PsyAssist, LLC with David Starfire in 2020 which was acquired by TRIPP, Inc. in 2021. Mrs Strasburg authors and presents voice guided invocations for psychedelic assisted psychotherapy sessions. She offers these live at retreats, individual therapy sessions and trainings.
Music guided experiences are an integral part of therapy with psychedelics. The mind and body are more sensitive to music so it’s important to listen to music created specifically for the protocols. Using certain keys, scales, modes, tempo, and sequence is essential for guided psychotherapy with psychedelics. The combination of organic instruments, virtual instruments, analog synths, and nature sounds is used to balance the mind for a harmonious journey. Brain entrainment using binaural beats is also used, which in this study, shows that using binaural beats can calm the mind and guide the patient to a relaxing state of mind.
The meditations in the PsyAssist app are designed to enhance and supplement psychedelic journeys.Each meditation presents an opportunity for deeper introspection and self reflection in support of personal growth.
You can get even more out of your ketamine therapy sessions by listening to the meditations between sessions. This will help you reflect on and process the experiences that you had during your sessions.
I have written and recorded meditations with music by composer, David Starfire that cover a broad spectrum of topics.
•The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk M.D. Amazon
•More information on EMDR:
•EMDR Frequently Asked Questions
•How AIP (Adaptive Information Processing) works.
•Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Dr. Peter Levine. Get it here: Amazon
* How to Heal Your Attachment Wounds by Diane Poole Heller
* Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
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