PSIP: Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy in Chicago

What PSIP is

Many people who have lived through trauma develop protective responses: going numb, holding tension, staying on high alert, or pulling away from others. Those responses may once have helped them get through something overwhelming, and they can carry on long after the circumstances have changed.

In PSIP, we explore those patterns carefully through body awareness, emotional experience and what happens between you and your therapist. The therapist is an active participant, helping you notice and explore experiences as they come up, rather than observing from a distance. The approach is meant to support processing trauma-related experiences, especially those involving attachment, dissociation and protective responses. In our experience, it can reach early attachment wounds that don't come with clear memories.

What a PSIP session is like

A session starts with making sure the space feels safe and collaborative. We talk about how you're feeling, what you're hoping for, and how much experiential work feels manageable today.

As the session goes on, your therapist may invite you to notice physical sensations, emotions or impulses as they arise. You might notice tightness in your chest, a heaviness, an urge to withdraw, or difficulty making eye contact. Rather than rushing to interpret these, we get curious about them. Your therapist might ask:

• What are you noticing in your body right now?

• What happens when you let yourself notice that sensation?

• How do I seem to you right now?

The somatic side means paying attention to what your body is experiencing, not relying only on understanding it in words. The relational side means noticing what comes up between you and your therapist, such as a fear of being judged, difficulty accepting support, or an urge to disconnect when someone is emotionally present. We explore these within the therapy relationship, with attention to consent, pacing and your sense of choice.

The goal isn't to force an emotional release or push you into overwhelming material. It's a carefully paced process.

How PSIP works at Mind's Eye

1. Initial assessment. We start with a thorough look at what you need and what you'd like to work on.

2. Preparation sessions. We plan the work together so you feel safe and prepared, beginning with somatic processing sessions without medicine.

3. PSIP sessions. Sessions that focus on body awareness and on what happens between you and your therapist, which can include movement and mindfulness. Some involve legally prescribed ketamine and some don't.

4. Integration. Follow-up sessions, including one-to-one (dyadic) sessions, to process what came up and bring it into your daily life.

Does PSIP involve psychedelics?

It can. PSIP may involve medicine only when it's legally prescribed and clinically appropriate. At Mind's Eye that means ketamine, prescribed by a medical provider who decides whether it's safe for you. Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic and its use in therapy is off-label. We don't offer any other psychedelic medicine.

PSIP or ketamine-assisted psychotherapy: which do I need?

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is the broader process of bringing ketamine into therapy. PSIP is one specific therapeutic model that can be used within that process. The difference is mainly in how the therapy is approached.

In ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, we may focus on preparation, setting an intention, the medicine experience and integration, and the therapist may offer a supportive presence while you have an inward experience. In PSIP, the therapist takes a more active role in somatic and relational processing, paying close attention to body sensations, emotional responses, protective patterns and the relationship itself.

Which suits you depends on your history, your goals, how stable things feel right now and how you've responded to therapy before. Someone seeking ketamine treatment mainly for depression may do well with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy without intensive trauma processing. Someone working with complex trauma, dissociation or attachment difficulties might explore whether a somatic and relational approach like PSIP fits. We'll work it out with you in a consultation.

Who PSIP may suit

• People working with complex trauma, dissociation or attachment wounds

• People who understand their patterns well but find talk therapy hasn't changed them

• People whose difficulties go back to early relationships, including childhood emotional neglect, where there may be no single memory to start from

Training in PSIP

PSIP requires training beyond a therapist's core clinical education. The Psychedelic Somatic Institute offers an apprenticeship-style program that combines theory, experiential sessions, observation and supervision. Its certification distinguishes a Certificate of Completion from a more advanced Certificate of Mastery, which involves more observation, individual supervision and personal PSIP sessions.

Sharon Steckler, MSW, LCSW and Agi Corona Semrad, M.Ed., LPC are trained in PSIP through the Psychedelic Somatic Institute and are listed in its therapist directory.

Cost and insurance

PSIP sessions usually last 2.5 to 3 hours and are billed at our hourly rate of $165. PSIP isn't covered by insurance; related assessments and integration sessions are billed to insurance where your plan covers therapy. See insurance and fees.

Questions about PSIP