Towards a Peaceful Resolution: Response to Overturning of Roe v. Wade
Michael Ebbinghaus • June 24, 2022
We Need All of Us to Heal
The overturning of a Supreme Court decision that has provided federal protection for women and couples seeking informed choices about family life and the beings they wish to bring into this world is one that hits all of us heavily.
I had heard previously that there were some shortcomings with the methodology and arguments of Roe v. Wade, so I can only hope that this makes way for sturdier protection.
The decision to terminate a pregnancy is complex and varies from individual-to-individual, couple-to-couple. It is not a decision I would wish on myself or anyone, but the reality remains. There is much evidence to support that society benefits when a supportive container is in place to receive the incoming human life, and that it is incredibly detrimental when that container is toxic or nonexistent. When the individuals from the latter situation grow up, the same people that so fiercely advocated for them as fetuses will place their misfortune, traumatized experience, and maladaptive patterns entirely on their heads, denying any involvement because, after all, according to the Newtonian-Cartesian paradigm, we are all separate and totally sovereign unto ourselves (despite enormous evidence to the contrary).
I predict there will be protests and demonstrations that will amount to little. The well-meaning and the furious will take pause from their normal lives to advocate, but sooner or later we will be forced back into the crushing inertia of a “holier-than-thou” system. And this is the crux of the issue, an ongoing legacy of traumatization, tyranny, and rapaciousness venerated by an authority that only wants us to be “saved.” So said the colonizers, so said the Inquisitors as they stripped the flesh from the sinners. We’re doing this for your own good. Don’t you see how very dangerous all this heresy is for your immortal soul?
I feel a wrench in my heart, as many people close to me identify as Christian, and I know there are many Christians that abhor this decision as well as all of the atrocities committed in the name of the Church.
But my fury cannot go unknown.
For centuries, people have operated under a “holy doctrine” to evict people from their lands, to enter without invitation or permission and take far more than what is offered. They have walked into nations where people are physically healthy, perfect, and happy, and attempted to “save” them. Native American boarding schools are primary examples of the kinds of civilized savagery Christians have used to instill the love of Christ, who weeps at their actions.
What’s more, while I look to history to list the monumental heap of atrocities committed in the name of Spirit, I need only look to my own heart to see the pristine lands set to Hellfire. It is all right here, right now. I can never forget the pounding of my heart and the intense fear of pleasure, my first nocturnal emissions interrupted by frantic attempts to stop that blissful surge of divine love, real present divine love, that I had been indoctrinated to believe was sinful. What should have been a joyful eruption ended in terror, shame, and a clamped fist over the head of my penis.
Could there be a more telling symbol for the tyrannical hand of Christianity? What it does to the yoni I cannot conclude. Christ is crucified every time you do the devil’s work in his name.
To my druid ancestors, driven underground and slain by the man we drink ourselves to death for every March 17th, to the countless indigenous wisdoms lost to time but erupting again and again in the perennial philosophy, all you forgotten children raped and thrown into the mass grave, and all those that have been defiled, tortured, killed, and castrated so that you might be deemed worthy, I give my tears, my sweat, heart, my word, my Sword of Truth.
And you, Christians, I imagine many of you will interpret this as a persecution, a danger to your safety. You who force your ideology down the throats of others and cry “DANGER!” when one of them chokes, you will invite Hell upon the Earth and claim it was all the stench of the Non-Believers, maintaining your self-righteousness while the world rots into flame.
Can we avoid creating this future together? This is my anger, but it is also an invitation to resolution. Let us come together, heal one another, see the shadow in all of us.
You cannot escape it, trust me. The shadow will find you, even if it must wait until your dying breath…
Let us break the silence, my brothers and sisters…
Or the silence will be broken with a fist.
The Sentient Soul

What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy? Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is a modality that uses low dose ketamine alongside talk therapy to access non-ordinary states of consciousness, helping clients process trauma, depression, and anxiety in a new and deeper way. One of the most common complaints about traditional psychotherapy is that it can take a very long time for unconscious material to surface, even after a solid relationship has formed with your therapist. While there are techniques we utilize in our practice that do not require substances (e.g. dreamwork, sentence completion, automatic writing/drawing, etc.), the introduction of intentional medicine work can reliably shift one into an altered state of consciousness, catalyzing access to unconscious material. After a brief introductory period, you will take ketamine under supervision from your therapist either in-office or virtually in the comfort of your own home. The therapist will guide you to take your own journey as well as direct you towards areas that might benefit from exploration in an alternate perspective. Learn more What is Ketamine? Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic acting primarily on the glutamate neurotransmitter system. This differentiates it from the traditional psychedelics like LSD and psychedelic mushrooms which are much more prominent in the serotonin system. Ketamine increases neural plasticity, meaning that the brain becomes more flexible to change, open to new insights and behaviors. Ketamine has been used for over 50 years as a surgical anesthetic. It has no impact on the respiratory system, making it one of the most safe and effective medicines available. It is classified as a WHO top 10 essential medicine, and it is so safe that it is still the anesthetic of choice for children. It is a schedule III medication approved for off-label use in assisted psychotherapy, meaning a healthcare professional must be supervising in some capacity. Screening is essential, see below for more information. How KAP Works One of the things we like to stress is that the medicine is taking you to a place within yourself. It is not the ketamine "doing" anything other than relaxing your emotional defenses and allowing for exploration of consciousness. That said, you will feel a degree of relaxation in your body as well as your mind, which allows things which we keep buried to come up to the surface. By shifting into an alternate state of consciousness, we are able to sublimate many of the barriers we have in place that remain opaque to us. Oftentimes simply allowing this material to surface creates greater harmony, and you ma find yourself saying "Oh - this is what I've been afraid of for so long? It's not so big and scary after all." This is not always the case, of course. The nature of what is hidden can also be very painful, which is why the presence of the therapist as well as the therapeutic relationship is imperative when first working with alternate states of consciousness and healing trauma. What Does KAP Treat? Ketamine's claim to fame comes from its potent and immediate anti-depressive effect . While this requires lifestyle change and further exploration - greatly benefitted by depth psychotherapy - this can be incredibly helpful to those experiencing treatment resistant depression. It does this primarily through breaking up rigid neural networks (enhanced neuroplasticity), limiting one's ability to ruminate. Ketamine for depression can be powerful, indeed. In a meta-analysis of over 2,500 patients, it was found that 45% of people had significant drops in clinical depressions inventories, with 30% in remission. The benefits were often sustained at 6-month follow up. Ketamine-assisted therapy can be helpful for those who experience post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD . The clinical evidence here is quite strong, with multiple meta-analyses and an open label study showing durable and significant reductions in PTSD symptoms in as many as 69% of respondents and up to six-months' follow up. Ketamine for trauma is widely studied and efficacious. Anxiety is also significantly reduced after brief KAP treatments. In a glimpse, ketamine can treat: Treatment-resistant depression PTSD and trauma-related symptoms Anxiety and existential distress Addiction and maladaptive coping Spiritual exploration or life transitions What Does Treatment Look Like At Ebb & Flow Depth Psychotherapy, we believe in the importance of a strong therapeutic relationship to help sustain the positive effects from ketamine treatment. To this end, prior to any medicine session, there are 6-8 preparation sessions (this can be reduced to 2-4 if you are already working with another therapist). From there, we will conduct two initial dosing sessions with an integration session in between each. We would then conduct another 6-8 dosing sessions, also with an integration session in between each. Our Approach During each session, you will be gently guided into your body utilizing a simple meditation or, if preferred, ambient music. We utilize sublingual lozenges, tablets which will be dissolved and swished in the mouth for 10-12 minutes, then spit out. This offers a psycholytic approach rather than a psychedelic approach. We prefer the psycholytic approach for two main reasons: 1) This helps to make ketamine-assisted psychotherapy more affordable, as the presence of a medical professional such as an RN is not needed as they are in IM (intramuscular) or IV (intravenous) injections. 2) Psychedelic ketamine therapy can be effective, but in our hustle and bustle world, the subtle work often gets overlooked, and it is the subtle work that carries us the farthest. If you’re seeking a full psychedelic experience, I often recommend doing so on your own time and terms, ideally in nature or a supportive setting. There are few practitioners I would trust to guide me through such an experience, and they come at an extraordinary financial cost more often than not. With psycholytic ketamine therapy, we are nudging gently and entering into an altered state but not breaking open the doors of reality. Through the experience and through the journey you've taken thus far, which includes your triumphs and your traumas, we will expand not only on who you are but who you are meant to be. Your exuberant and mature presence is sorely needed in this world, and it requires reconciliation of our darker nature and highest aspirations. Who is KAP for? Ask yourself now: "Am I in a place where I am ready for deep self-exploration?" "Am I open to the idea of letting go of things which both pain and comfort me?" "Can I remain off of substances and away from process addictions (such as pornography, over-eating/bingeing and purging, sex, etc.) for at least three days?" You may not be ready for KAP if: Are experiencing active psychosis or mania Have untreated Bipolar I or II disorder Have a personal or family history of schizophrenia Are currently struggling with active substance dependence If you are in a grounded place and ready to make shifts in your life, KAP may offer the support you've been looking for. Ketamine Therapy In Austin, TX - How to Get Started Contact me today for your free consultation to see if ketamine assisted depth psychotherapy might be right for you. Myself and the fine clinicians over at Journey Clinical are ready to help you find deeper meaning in life and be the change in the world you wish to see. We conduct ketamine-assisted therapy in Austin, Texas as well as virtually all over the state. Reach out to us today!