CANNABIS-ASSISTED SOMATIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

The emerging field of psychedelic-assisted therapy is opening new pathways for trauma healing, self-discovery, and personal growth. Cannabis-Assisted Somatic Psychotherapy (CASP) offers a unique approach, combining the entheogenic use of cannabis with Mindfulness-Based Somatic Therapy.

CASP is not considered an approved or evidence-based treatment for any mental health conditions. However, when used with mindful intention and therapeutic guidance, cannabis has unique properties that can help enhance emotional awareness, deepen connection to the body, loosen mental defenses, and support integration of past experiences. Clients often report that they gain access to emotions, sensations, and patterns that may be difficult to reach in ordinary states of consciousness, all within a safe and supportive therapeutic container.

I offer CASP sessions in-person at my office in NW Portland. This work is also available online (by Zoom) for clients located anywhere in Oregon or California. I offer CASP in two ways:

  • As part of an ongoing therapy relationship with my long-term clients.

  • As an adjunct for individuals who are already working with another therapist. If you are currently in therapy and believe this work could support your process, I can coordinate with your therapist to incorporate CASP within your existing therapeutic journey.

WHY WORK WITH CANNABIS IN THERAPY?

Cannabis has been used for millennia as a sacred plant ally, revered for its ability to expand awareness and deepen introspective states. While often overlooked in the modern psychedelic therapy movement, cannabis is one of the most accessible and versatile entheogens, offering a uniquely gentle yet profound pathway into altered states of consciousness.

  • For some, cannabis may support relaxation and nervous system regulation, allowing for greater ease in exploring challenging emotions or memories.

  • Others may find that it heightens sensory perception and brings greater clarity to internal experiences.

  • It may also awaken intuition, imagination, and creativity, helping you approach personal challenges with fresh perspectives or uncover new possibilities for growth.

  • Some people experience a heightened sense of connection to something greater—whether that’s a deeper connection to their inner self, a sense of unity with nature or the cosmos, or an awareness of the sacred in all things.

Compared with other psychedelics, cannabis allows for greater flexibility and agency, meaning clients can often move fluidly between deep internal states and real-time therapeutic processing during a CASP session. In this way, cannabis can open the door to profound insights and experiences that are personally meaningful and transformative.

WHO IS THIS WORK FOR?

CASP may be a good fit for you if:

  • You feel stuck in traditional talk therapy and are looking for a different way to access emotions and insights.

  • You have a sense that your body holds unprocessed emotions or trauma that are difficult to access through words alone.

  • You are interested in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness in a safe, therapeutic setting.

  • You have experience with cannabis and want to engage with it mindfully as a plant ally for growth and healing.

  • You are navigating life transitions, grief, trauma, or deep self-exploration and want a structured yet intuitive approach to processing your experience.

Cannabis is more than just a therapeutic tool—it is a plant ally with a long history of ceremonial, medicinal, and spiritual use across cultures. Engaging with cannabis in this work is an act of reverence, honoring its capacity to expand awareness and reconnect us to the wisdom held within our bodies and the natural world.

HOW DOES CASP WORK?

CASP follows a structured yet flexible process designed to help you prepare, explore, and integrate your experience in a way that feels grounded and intentional. A typical cycle includes:

  1. Preparation Sessions – Before engaging in cannabis-assisted work, we meet for 1–3 preparation sessions to clarify your intentions, establish a foundation of trust and safety, and develop mindfulness skills and somatic resources for navigating non-ordinary states of consciousness.

  2. Cannabis-Assisted Sessions – In these sessions, cannabis is used as a resource to deepen self-awareness, emotional access, and body-based processing. These sessions include:

    • Intention Setting – We begin with a grounding conversation, clarifying your intentions, needs, and desired focus for the session.

    • Imbibing Ritual – Consuming cannabis mindfully, with clarity of purpose, connection to resources, and reverence for the plant.

    • Guided Meditation & Music – Supporting relaxation and presence.

    • Deep Inner Exploration — Engaging with emotions, body sensations, images, and memories as they arise while staying grounded in your intention for the session. This may include both deep internal states and real-time therapeutic processing. You can read more about my therapeutic approach here.

    • Closing & Integration — We close with a gentle return to baseline, reflection, and initial integration of the experience. Follow-up support is available to help you ground and apply insights in meaningful ways.

  3. Integration Session – After a CASP session, we meet for an integration session to reflect on the experience, process insights, and explore how to apply them to daily life.

TYPES OF CASP SESSIONS

CASP sessions typically fall into two categories, depending on the level of depth and processing desired:

  • Psycholytic Sessions (2 hours) – Consciousness is lightly altered, allowing for more active, real-time therapeutic processing while still benefiting from the expanded awareness that cannabis offers.

  • Psychedelic Sessions (3 hours) – Consciousness is more significantly altered, with deeper immersion into emotions, sensations, and unconscious material. Much of the processing occurs during the integration session afterward.

Sessions are designed to be safe, supportive, and tailored to your needs.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATION

The true power of CASP lies not just in the experience itself, but in what comes after. Integration is the process of making sense of what arose, incorporating insights, and applying them to your life. Cannabis can open doors, but integration is what allows true transformation to take root. This is why post-session reflection and continued therapeutic support are essential.

  • Mindfulness & Self-Reflection – Continuing to track emotions, sensations, and thoughts in daily life.

  • Embodiment Practices – Finding ways to stay grounded and present in your body as new patterns emerge.

  • Exploring New Possibilities – Using insights to shift behaviors, relationships, and self-perception.

LAND, CULTURE, AND LINEAGE

I live and work in Portland on the traditional lands of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River. As a practitioner in the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted therapy, my approach integrates modern principles of ethical and trauma-informed care with ancestral and sacred traditions. I practice with gratitude for the Indigenous wisdom upon which many of my therapeutic techniques are based. Read more here.

FEES AND INSURANCE

Preparation and Integration Sessions are standard 50-minute individual therapy sessions. Clients may be able to use HSA/FSA benefits or seek insurance reimbursement for out-of-network mental health services.

Cannabis-Assisted Sessions are longer, lasting either 2 or 3 hours. Clients pay an hourly rate based on their base rate for a standard therapy session. Clients will not be able to use HSA/FSA benefits or seek insurance reimbursement for these sessions.

Before participating in a CASP session, clients are required to participate in a medical evaluation with a doctor to ensure safety. This service incurs a separate fee, which is managed by the doctor’s office.

You can read more about fees and insurance here.

HARM REDUCTION PHILOSOPHY

CASP integrates somatic, trauma-informed, mindfulness-based, and transpersonal orientations to the therapeutic process and operates within a harm reduction philosophy. As a harm reduction program, With the Flow Psychotherapy acknowledges the prevalence of cannabis use in our society and educates its clients in safe and responsible use practices. CASP is designed to reduce the potential for harm caused by cannabis use and maximize its benefits through education and guided experiences. Clients will learn mindfulness skills which, when paired with the cannabis experience, support them in turning towards and confronting difficult experiences or emotions, rather than using cannabis to numb or turn away from their difficult experiences.

SET YOUR INTENTION AND BEGIN THE JOURNEY

If you are curious about Cannabis-Assisted Somatic Psychotherapy, I invite you to reach out for a consultation. We can discuss your interests, answer any questions, and determine if this approach feels aligned with your needs.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this page is provided to support individuals in making educated choices about their care. I comply with all local and state laws (Oregon and California) in providing these services. I do not promote illegal activities or provide resources for obtaining illegal substances or services.