A somatic, attachment-centered pathway into deeper healing​​

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At Empower Women Counseling, ketamine-assisted therapy is offered as an integrative extension of the somatic and attachment-based work already happening in the room. For many clients—especially those carrying complex trauma, chronic stress, or long-standing patterns of emotional pain—ketamine can gently open the nervous system, soften rigid defenses, and support profound breakthroughs that are often difficult to access through talk therapy alone.

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Ketamine is a legal psychedelic medicine known for its rapid antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects. When paired with EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS/parts work), trauma-informed yoga principles, and nervous-system-based somatic therapy, it becomes a powerful catalyst for transformation. Clients often describe the experience as a widening of internal space—an invitation for wounded parts to feel safer, more connected, and more available for healing.

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Why Ketamine?

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Ketamine works by briefly altering consciousness and enhancing neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new pathways and release old ones. This increased flexibility helps clients step out of entrenched emotional loops, access deeper layers of the unconscious, and reconnect with parts of themselves that have long been protected or hidden.

Many clients experience:

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• Relief from depression and anxiety symptoms

• Softening of long-held protective strategies

• Increased access to embodied emotions

• A deeper sense of self-compassion and connection

• Greater regulation throughout the nervous system

• ​Because ketamine’s active effects last only 45–60 minutes, it fits beautifully into a therapeutic frame and pairs seamlessly with EMDR resourcing, somatic tracking, breathwork, and attachment-focused exploration.

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​Ashley Hartman has completed the training with the Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy Institute, which allows the sessions unfold with care and safety. Ashley works with two local nurse practitioners in the area who tailor a specific protocol to the clients individual needs. 

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A Somatic & Attachment-Focused Approach

 

​Women who carry developmental trauma, attachment wounds, or chronic stress often find that traditional approaches don’t fully reach the places where trauma lives.  In my work, ketamine is never the standalone intervention—it is woven into a grounded, relational, body-based therapy process. Throughout your journey, we integrate:

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• Somatic awareness to help the body become a safe place to return to

• Attachment-based exploration to nurture internal repair and deeper self-trust

• Trauma-informed yoga and breathwork to support nervous-system regulation

• EMDR and Ketamine-Assisted EMDR (K-EMDR) for processing traumatic memories with gentleness, precision, and support

• IFS/parts work to help wounded parts feel witnessed, welcomed, and unburdened

​This combination invites healing not only cognitively, but emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

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Two Pathways for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

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1. Psychedelic KAP

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A higher dose of ketamine is used to create a more expansive, altered state of consciousness. Clients may experience:

• Vivid imagery

• A sense of spaciousness or disconnection from the body

• Access to deep emotional or unconscious material

• Relief from rigid mental patterns

• A profound sense of insight, clarity, or symbolic meaning​

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This method is often well-suited for clients who feel stuck, overwhelmed by looping thoughts, or ready for a more transformative, non-ordinary experience. Sessions last 2–3 hours and are followed by integration sessions rooted in somatic grounding, attachment repair, EMDR, and parts-based inquiry. These take place in my office in New Lenox, IL. 

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 2. Psycholitic  KAP

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A lower dose is used, creating a gentler shift in consciousness. Clients typically remain engaged, emotionally present, and able to move fluidly between inner experience and therapeutic dialogue.

This approach is ideal for clients who want:

• A softer, more supported entry into ketamine work

• To stay connected to the body and emotions

• To integrate EMDR, breathwork, or somatic tracking during the session

• To access deeper material without the intensity of a full psychedelic experience

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Psycholytic KAP sessions last 75–90 minutes and blend beautifully with somatic interventions, attachment work, and Ketamine-Assisted EMDR. These sessions take place either virtually or in my New Lenox office.

 

Safety, Support, and Integration

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Ketamine is considered very safe when used in a therapeutic setting. Side effects are temporary and usually involve shifts in perception, sensations of floating, or a gentle softening of boundaries between self and body—all of which can support therapeutic depth when held with care.

The true healing happens in the integration phase—where we weave the insights, sensations, and emotional openings into your embodied life. Integration sessions often include somatic grounding, EMDR resourcing, trauma-informed yoga practices, and parts-based reflection to help your system anchor, soften, and grow.

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*At this time KAP is only offered by Ashley Hartman*

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