Link for Google Drive for Assignments:

 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O_AEtQYpCLd-UKDA5SyRRFjY8Eg3AfZm?usp=share_link

Here is the Zoom Link for all classes:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84326806974?pwd=Hnsr8VnXN9G1PlYRcVek6SJrjJlloh.1

Who are you?

Meet your fellow travelers... 

Please hold the identities of each of your classmates as confidential.

In addition to Drs. Sandy Newes, Signi Goldman and Meidad Goldman as core staff, our assistant teaching staff member for this cohort will be Dr. Yael Baldwin, Ph.D.

Yael is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Asheville, NC, and a graduate of the Living Medicine Institute’s certificate program in psychedelic psychotherapy as well as the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She specializes in psychodynamic and existential approaches to enhancing our relationships (to self, others, and the world) while working through trauma, loss, and life transitions and is also a psychedelic-assisted therapist currently offering Ketamine-assisted therapy. Yael is also a Professor Emerita from Mars Hill University where she was the chair and professor of clinical psychology for almost twenty years. She has been researching, writing, teaching, and practicing a variety of mental health treatments, from psychoanalysis to meditation and psychedelics, for over two decades. Dr. Baldwin is on the board of the Western North Carolina Psychologists Association and is an international author and speaker. We are thrilled to have Yael joining us for this cohort!

Our amazing admin assistant, Charlotte Huggins, will be helping with logistics and coordinating clinic scheduling, billing issues, and other administrative needs. If you have trouble accessing any of the links in on this page, or have questions, you can reach Charlotte at [email protected].  

Contacts for Core Staff are:

Sandy: [email protected]; 828-545-0437

Signi: [email protected]; 828-215-9966

Meidad: [email protected]; 828-575-4065

Wednesday Classes will be on the following dates from 4-6 pm EST:

1/22
2/5
2/19
3/5
3/19
4/2
4/16
4/30

Attendance is Required for these days.  For the alternating Wednesdays, please plan for recommended peer gatherings, scheduled in the same time slots, as you are able.

Full Schedule:

•  1/22/25:Virtual Teaching Meeting, 4-6 p.m.
• Self-schedule between 1/23/25-2/4/25:Individual IV session at assigned dose.
• 2/5/25:Virtual Teaching Meeting, 4-6 p.m.
• Self-schedule between 2/6/25-2/18/25:Individual IV session at assigned dose.
• 2/19/25:Virtual Teaching Meeting, 4-6 p.m.
• Self-schedule between 2/20/25-3/4/25:Individual IM session at assigned dose.
• 3/5/25: Virtual Teaching Meeting, 4-6 p.m. 
• Saturday, 3/15/25: Group Nasal (IN) Training, 9:00-5:00, Asheville, NC in person.

•  

• 3/19/25: Virtual Teaching Meeting, 4-6 p.m.
• Self-schedule between 3/20/25-4/1/25:Individual  IM session at assigned dose.
• 4/2/25: Virtual Teaching Meeting, 4-6 p.m.
• Self-schedule between 4/3/25-4/15/25:Individual SL session at assigned dose.
• 4/16/25: Virtual Teaching Meeting, 4-6 p.m.
• Self-schedule between 4/17/25-4/29/25:Individual SL session at assigned dose.
• 4/30/25: Final Virtual Meeting, 4-6 p.m.

Things to Do:

1. Start scheduling your experientials. (Not included if auditing).  The dates for zoom lessons, as well as the 2-week periods during which you will need to have experientials scheduled, are noted above and are also on the course description page on the website. Please make sure those are on the books during the assigned date ranges.  We have allowed two week intervals for convenience, but note that the earlier you do your experiential sessions (during the assigned ranges) the better, as this gives you more time to have your homework write ups posted in time to be read before classes. We ask that all homework be uploaded at least 3 days before classes when at all possible. If you're not sure yet what "homework" means, don't worry! We'll be going over all of that at our first meeting. Information about expected time needed for homework in a typical 2 week period, as well as other details, are available on the website for reference. 

-If you are not in driving distance of the Asheville area, you are most likely planning your experientials in partnership with a clinic near you. In that case, you are responsible for contacting that clinic to arrange those appointments. If you are planning to fly to Asheville for any of those sessions, you will need to let Charlotte know so we can put you on the clinic schedule.

-If you live in the region and will be using our Asheville clinic, we will need to start scheduling you in clinic slots in the next 2-3 weeks to ensure you have spots confirmed. Please reach out to Charlotte so she can set that up for you. Local or regional participants have the option of sitter pairing, which will require coordinating with your sitter pair for the scheduling. We will be sending local participants a separate email with this information in the next 3 days, so you can move forward.

2. Plan for the March retreat day. (Not included if auditing). Our intranasal group experience will be a full day event, beginning 9:00 a.m. and ending in the evening after dinner, location at a rental property in Asheville. Out of town trainees will need to reserve rooms the night before and after the event.  For local participants, arrival before 9:00 is fine in the morning, but you will need a room for the night of the event unless you have the ability to be picked up.   There is no need to reserve rooms at this stage, and we will discuss it further with all of you, but plan to make travel plans as needed. The cost of the retreat day, minus lodgings and travel, is included in your course tuition, and more details will be provided.

3. Make sure you can access the Google Drive folder here:

 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O_AEtQYpCLd-UKDA5SyRRFjY8Eg3AfZm?usp=share_link

We will be using this to review each other's write ups, and being able to access it will be required. Let us know if you have any trouble, so we can assist you. (Not required if auditing). 

4. The video curriculum is accessed through the green button at the top of this page. Please make sure you can access it. The first four videos (LESSONS 1, 2, and 3 as well as Sandy's introduction to her background) are required viewing prior to our meeting the first week. They are short but important!  You will be assigned the rest as we progress through the curriculum. 

Things to Know:

1. Plan for activities most Wednesdays.  Though only the scheduled Wednesdays are required for your certificate, you will have homework small groups that will meet once between sessions. It is usually most convenient for your small group to use the same Wednesday time slots, so consider holding that time open when you can.  These meetings greatly add to the learning experience.  

2. This is a confidential container. We will be asking each of you to commit to confidentiality in our first gathering.  This is an intense journey, and small cohorts supporting and trusting each other is an amazing way to enrich your experience. 

3. We will explain more about homework write-ups when we gather. But for your reference, your homework folder contains sample write-ups from prior cohorts, used with permission, to give you an idea of the types of content we assign. 

4. As a reminder, because of the often intense nature of this type of training, we ask that you have a therapist or integration coach to support you during the training period.  If you don't have this in place, let us know so we can refer you to someone. We are a training container, not a group therapy experience. And though we expect to support you in both your professional and personal journey, that does not substitute for someone who can focus on full, clinical support for your process. 

5. Lastly, consider creating some extra reflection and self care time in your calendar while we are together in this work, if that is possible for you.  Be aware that you may have less bandwidth for other projects, when you're planning the next months. Be kind to yourself!

We look forward to seeing you all next week, and we'll be sending out a zoom link for our first meeting on the 22nd at 4:00 EST!

The Staff Team