The Juicy Details: My Journeys With Ketamine and Psilocybin

I’ve shared a lot of meaningful information about ketamine therapy over time, and I’m excited to expand on that. I’m currently setting up an office space where I will be able to facilitate ketamine-assisted therapy. Over the past year, I’ve been completing a certification program focused on psychedelic dosing, medication management, and integrative healing practices. As part of this work, I’ve traveled to Colorado and Oregon to learn how to safely care for people receiving ketamine and psilocybin. I’ve also experienced these medicines myself as part of my training, which has allowed me to better understand their therapeutic potential on a personal level.

Because of this, I want to take some time to share pieces of my own experiences. And yes—you probably want the details. You want to know what it was like and how it helped me, right?

My experiences with ketamine came first, both oral and intramuscular. Ketamine has been legal for medical use in New York since the 1970s. In my personal training journeys, I always had a supervising therapist, a safe space to recline, an eye mask, and music. That environment created a sense of grounding, safety, and spaciousness.

Ketamine works by antagonizing the NMDA receptor, which significantly enhances neuroplasticity. Because of that, it can help you reevaluate your personal narrative, revisit forgotten memories, and develop new ways of relating to yourself and the world. This increased neuroplasticity may last for months beyond the session as insights continue to unfold. Most people find ketamine to be peaceful and well tolerated. Two key considerations are avoiding driving afterward and staying well hydrated for the rest of the day.

My experiences with psilocybin came next. This past week, during training in Oregon, I participated in two facilitated psilocybin journeys. Psilocybin is not yet legal for therapeutic use in New York, though legislation has been drafted and may be reviewed in the next legislative session.

Psilocybin works as a serotonin-receptor agonist, which also promotes neuroplasticity and shifts activity in the default mode network. This can support the formation of new neural pathways and create space for new insights about oneself and one’s life. Psilocybin experiences can be highly visual and may evoke emotionally meaningful imagery or symbolic reenactments that promote resolution and healing.

My own experiences were gentle. I saw vivid visuals connected to old memories and was able to revisit them with music and an eye mask. At times, psilocybin journeys can bring up difficult sensations or emotions—often connected to internal barriers or unresolved experiences. In my case, I had some stomach discomfort and even a mild allergic reaction during one session. With support, I was able to regulate my anxiety and work through it, which ultimately helped me develop new coping strategies and neural patterns that I can carry forward.

Please let me know what other questions that I can answer for you. Utilizing these tools has allowed me to remember my hidden, exiled parts. It has helped me more forward in leaps and bounds on my healing journey.

These medications support individual meaning making, resolution of trauma, and the development of new and healthier thinking patterns. It has even helped me to remember and heal from trauma that I had forgotten. Please let us know if you have any questions or are interested in these treatments for yourself!

Dr. Faith Carini-Graves DNP PMHNP-BC