Ketamine and Trauma On the Couch presented by Megan Rundel, PhD

In this interactive presentation, we will explore the biological and psychological effects of ketamine on mental health issues, with a special focus on trauma. We will learn about how to carefully and effectively utilize the power of ketamine for patients with different kinds of trauma. Our focus will be on a psychoanalytic understanding of the ketamine experience, as well as practical information on working with this medicine in our own practices.

MDMA and Psychoanalytic Practice: A Fortuitous Alliance presented by Karen Peoples, PhD

Within the broad category of psychedelic drugs, MDMA is considered an “entactogen” for the openness and psychological contact it facilitates within an individual and their internal world. MDMA also enhances relational contact between the individual and others. MDMA releases neurotransmitters and and other chemicals in the brain, creating a sense of physiological ease and safety while facilitating connections between memories, emotions and higher cortical functions. Clinical research trials in carefully contained settings have shown MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MAT) to substantially reduce PTSD symptoms in a significant number of participants. With the anticipated FDA approval of MDMA for use by qualified professionals, psychoanalytic practitioners will likely see increased interest in MDMA therapy among their patients. Clinicians will benefit from an informed perspective on the protocol and clinical process of MDMA-Assisted Therapy. Similarly, psychoanalytic perspectives have much to offer the burgeoning field of MDMA-Assisted treatment. In this presentation, the topics above will be elaborated on, and the therapeutic value of non-ordinary states will be highlighted from a psychoanalytic perspective. The presentation will include interactive discussion on transference and countertransference in referrals to MAT, as well as risks and contraindications of MAT.