About this Retreat
I am a registered Psychotherapist and Psychologist, with over 9 years of experience in clinical mental health, substance use, trauma, counselling experience, and 15 years of psychedelic healing
experience. Psychotherapist with in-depth knowledge and training Psychodynamic psychotherapy, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), Psychedelic Assisted Therapies, Mindfulness Based
Therapy (MBT), IFS (Internal Family System) and NeuroAffective Relational Model.
As a Psychotherapist, I learnt and use different approaches among which Transpersonal psychology, Person Centred, Jung, Gestalt, Mindfulness, Existential Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Attachment theory, Complex Trauma, Somatic approach, Character styles, Internal Family System, mentalization, Meditation and Mindfulness approach.
I've earned my first bachelor in science 20 years ago. Since then I embarked on a journey to earn my bachelor and accreditation in Psychotherapy in Ireland first and an MA in Psychology in Italy later. In my research I've explored the therapeutic potential of psychedelic within clinical settings.
I've trained in Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with the clinic Polaris in San Francisco and I collaborate with PsyOn in Prague, Czech Republic, the first ketamine clinic to open in Europe.
My interest in expanded states of consciousness began more than 20 years ago when I was introduced to meditation and the use of psychedelics.
My long depression led me to travel and live in South America and be initiated into the practice of psilocybin mushrooms in Huautla de Jiménez, in the lineage of Maria Sabina.
Meditation, psychotherapy and psychedelic therapy are my world and my way of living. My mission is supporting people who decide to embark on a similar pathway.
Sonia Doulton earned her Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy from The Minster Centre, London, and her Master’s in Integrative Psychotherapy from University.
She completed the program in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and the program in MDMA Psychotherapy with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in 2018.
She is a co-founder of Ceremony Health, a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy clinic in Berkeley and facilitates psychedelic integration circles for San Francisco Psychedelic Society. Sonia is intake coordinator at Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy clinic Polaris Insight Center in San Francisco and leads integration groups in the Polaris Insight Training Program, as well as running her private practice.
Sonia discovered non-ordinary states of consciousness early in her life and has been integrating them in her practice as a way to move beyond the natural limitations of traditional psychotherapy. At Soma Institute Sonia guides participants into non-ordinary states of consciousness and integration through music, movement and art.
Details of this retreat
Bringing the journey’s insights into your everyday life!
Integration facilitates the changes psychedelic therapy can provide.
It is the most important part of our long-lasting growth after experiencing an expanded state of consciousness.
All the insights, feelings and emotions, experienced and processed during the psychedelic experience are meaningful in the understanding of our own life. Integration is referred to as bringing different parts of ourselves together in order to achieve a sense of wholeness.
At Soma Institute we work with an integrative approach, using different theories and modalities among which Transpersonal psychology, Person Centred, Jung, Gestalt, Mindfulness, Existential Therapy, Transactional, Somatic approach, Internal Family System, mentalization, Meditation and Mindfulness approach.
One of the most frequently used approaches is grounded in IFS (Internal family system). It allows us to connect and “speak” to the different parts involved in the journey while trying to make sense of them by looking into the feelings, emotions and behaviours associated with them.
Psychedelic experiences have the potential to bring up either traumatic and/or blissful experiences, transforming the way we see others, ourselves and life in general. The integration process provides the possibility to shape those significant experiences and insights into something very tangible which will be reflected and integrated in your everyday life.
Psychedelics can help us to dive into different aspects of our life such as the personal, the relational, the emotional, the spiritual, the professional etc. Having the opportunity to be working with a professional and experienced therapist, gives you the possibility to effectively get a deeper understanding of your new experiences in your healing journey.
When to seek an integration session
An integration session is done after experiencing an expanded state of consciousness. At Soma Institute, we believe in the importance of engaging with a professional support system to achieve an effective and long-lasting integration. We are academically qualified, with a personal solid experience in the use of different entheogens, offering a diverse range of therapeutic skills, and providing safe, non-judgmental and trauma-informed support.
We tune into your needs trying to “meet” you where you are in your own journey!
We do not make assumptions and each person receives individualised support based on their perspective/needs.
Let’s have a look at some aspects of psychedelic integration
We can have a very strong physical or somatic psychedelic experience, enhancing feelings and emotions during the psychedelic journey. In this case, the integration will consider how to better connect with your body such as doing exercises, going for a walk, engaging in some physical activities etc.
We can have a very strong psycho-spiritual psychedelic experience, which can affect our view of the world, life in general, our relationships and so on. In this case, the integration will be more on an existential level, perhaps looking into the meaning of existence, your spirituality, and your relationship with death, finding a way to come to terms with it.
Another aspect to take into consideration is the emotional realm. The first step consists in recognising different emotions manifesting in our journey. The guidance of an expert therapist is pivotal in this process, giving the possibility to engage, process, regulate and understand emotions at a deeper level.
The psychedelic experience without integration is like planting a seed without watering it!
The idea is to create a long-lasting change and a systematic integration session with an experienced therapist can provide exactly that!
*** We can also provide the integration session in Italian and Spanish
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