CANNABIS-ASSISTED SOMATIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

The emerging field of psychedelic-assisted therapy is opening new pathways for trauma healing, self-exploration, and personal growth. Cannabis-Assisted Somatic Psychotherapy (CASP) offers a unique approach, combining the mindful use of cannabis with practices like intention setting, meditation, gentle breathwork, and guided self-inquiry to support inner exploration and healing. It’s a sacred space—set apart from the everyday—where distractions are minimized, vulnerability is welcomed, boundaries are honored, and something meaningful is invited to unfold.

Each CASP session is a unique experience, tailored to your individual needs and intentions. Whether you're seeking healing, clarity, connection, release, or simply a deeper relationship with yourself, a CASP session offers a safe and supportive space to listen and grow from within. I hold this work with reverence, integrating modern principles of ethical and trauma-sensitive care with deep respect for the ancestral Buddhist lineages and Indigenous wisdom that inform many of the practices I draw from.

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 thousands of years as a sacred plant medicine, revered for its ability to expand awareness, support inner exploration, and open the heart to spiritual experience. While often overlooked in the modern psychedelics movement, cannabis is one of the most accessible and versatile entheogens, providing a unique pathway into altered states of consciousness.

Unlike recreational use, cannabis in this context is treated as a plant teacher and ally—a gentle yet powerful catalyst that can help soften defenses, quiet mental chatter, and deepen your awareness of what’s happening within. Its effects can feel very similar to stronger psychedelics and entheogens—including psilocybin or MDMA—while offering greater agency about the pace and depth of the session. You remain in choice throughout the experience, while the structure and guidance of the session provide a supportive container for insight and transformation to unfold.

CASP is not considered an approved or evidence-based treatment for any mental health conditions, and there are risks involved. For example, cannabis may surface unaddressed trauma and activate anxiety, paranoia, or dissociation. These “symptoms” can often be worked through with compassionate awareness and the support of a therapist, and they generally resolve as the psychoactive effects of cannabis wear off.

We’ll review the potential risks and benefits in greater detail, assess for risk factors, and plan for your safety as part of the intake and preparation process. However, when used with mindful intention and therapeutic guidance, cannabis can support the therapy process as:

  • A Gateway to Expanded Awareness – Heightening sensory perception, creativity, and deep states of meditation.

  • A Mirror for Self-Inquiry – Illuminating unconscious patterns, emotional blockages, and insights into personal growth.

  • A Nervous System Regulator – Supporting relaxation, embodiment, and the release of stored tension or trauma.

  • A Connector – Strengthening relationships with oneself, others, and the natural world.

  • A Teacher – Providing wisdom when approached with humility, patience, and an open heart.

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 gain insight.

  • 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 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.

WHAT TO EXPECT

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. Intake and Preparation Sessions – Before engaging in cannabis-assisted work, we will meet for an intake session to discuss safety and logistics, and at least one preparation session (possibly more) to build safety and trust, clarify your intentions, and develop mindfulness skills for navigating non-ordinary states of consciousness.

  2. Medical Evaluation – During the intake and preparation phase, you will also meet with a medical doctor to evaluate whether there are any medical contraindications for participating in CASP.

  3. Cannabis-Assisted Sessions – Each CASP session is designed to provide a safe, supportive, and meaningful experience. CASP sessions typically include:

    • Arrival and Intention Setting – Guiding into present-moment awareness and getting grounded in your intention for the session.

    • Imbibing Meditation – Option for ingesting cannabis mindfully with respect, a clear intention, and connection to resources.

    • Guided Meditation & Body Scan – Exploring your intention in the present moment through mindfulness and body awareness.

    • Mindful Journeywork — Alternating between periods of internal reflection, guided inquiry into your experience, and interactive processing, often accompanied by music. Read more below about mindful journeywork.

    • Closing & Integration — Taking time for reflection, grounding, and self-care before bringing the session to a close.

  4. Integration Session – Within one week of a CASP session, we will meet for an integration session to reflect on the experience, process insights, and explore how to apply them to daily life.

WHAT IS MINDFUL JOURNEYWORK?

Mindful journeywork refers to the practice of turning inward with mindfulness and a clear intention to explore your thoughts, emotions, memories, beliefs, body sensations, and other aspects of self. It’s a process of self-inquiry and healing that often involves altered states of consciousness to access deeper layers of your inner world. It’s called “journeywork” because it’s not just passive reflection—it’s an active, unfolding experience that requires presence, courage, and a willingness to engage with what arises internally.

When approached as a plant teacher and ally, cannabis pairs beautifully with the practice of mindfulness to support journeywork. Mindfulness invites us to slow down, turn inward, and meet our moment-to-moment experience with curiosity and compassion. Cannabis can gently amplify this process by softening the grip of habitual thinking, heightening sensory awareness, and loosening the boundaries between body, mind, and spirit. It often brings what’s just below the surface into clearer view—not to overwhelm, but to be seen, felt, and released or integrated with care.

Rather than taking us “out of” ourselves, conscious cannabis use can bring us deeper into the body and into relationship with the parts of ourselves that long for awareness and acceptance. In this way, cannabis doesn’t replace the work of mindfulness—it supports it. It can open subtle inner doors, while mindfulness gives us the tools to walk through them with steadiness, discernment, and heart.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATION

Integration refers to what happens after a CASP session—how you make sense of what arose, incorporate insights, and apply them to your life. Cannabis can open doors, reveal patterns, and soften defenses—but it’s the ongoing integration process that allows those insights to truly take root and create embodied, lasting change. Strategies to support integration may include:

  • Mindfulness & Self-Reflection – Tracking emotions, sensations, and thoughts with curiosity.

  • Embodiment Practices – Staying grounded and present as new awareness unfolds.

  • Exploring New Possibilities – Allowing what you discovered to shift how you relate to yourself, others, and the world around you.

Integration is not about rushing to “fix” or interpret your experience. It’s a gentle unfolding—a way of staying in relationship with what you’ve learned and who you’re becoming.

FEES AND INSURANCE

Intake, 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 Somatic Psychotherapy 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, mindfulness-based, transpersonal, and trauma-sensitive orientations to the therapeutic process and operates within a harm reduction philosophy. As a harm reduction program, With the Flow Psychotherapy, LLC, acknowledges the prevalence of cannabis and psychedelic use in our society and educates its clients in safe and responsible use practices. CASP is designed to reduce the potential for psychedelic harm and maximize potential benefits through education and guided experiences. Clients will learn mindfulness-based skills that support them in turning towards difficult experiences or emotions, rather than using cannabis to numb or turn away from them.

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.

SET YOUR INTENTION AND BEGIN THE JOURNEY

If you’re 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.