James Kalupson, MA, AMFT, APCC
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Los Angeles CA
Above all else, I emphasize the quality of the relationship between myself and my clients, an approach which is strongly associated with positive therapeutic outcomes in both the clinical research literature and my own professional experience. Experiences of trust and safety are the bedrock upon which every therapeutic process is built, and by co-creating an empathic, attuned space for dialogue, a therapeutic environment emerges in which genuine insight and transformation can occur. Distressing experiences such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD are approached not as symptoms to fix or eliminate, but as signals of deeper misalignment which becomes the focus of our exploration together.
The therapeutic modalities towards which I gravitate honor the human psyche by embracing the common (yet no less bewildering) experiences with which we are all familiar (and that psychedelics tend to amplify), which includes the phenomenon of dreams, the role of symbols, myth, and metaphor, and the reality of existential questions that accompany each of us on our journey. In addition, a high emphasis is placed on learning to engage with the direct experience of feeling in the body as opposed to seeking the intellectual and cognitive solutions that often contribute to the problems in the first place.
My path to being a psychedelic therapist & facilitator is a consequence of my own personal experiences with the capacity of psychedelics to dramatically alter the course of one’s life. My early experiences with recreational experimentation (in conjunction with my attendance of music festivals and raves) introduced me to the bewildering power of the psychedelic experience in both its positive and and negative aspects. On one hand, the radical expansion of self-awareness emerging from my experiences illuminated my future and my potential in ways that I never could have imagined. The same self-awareness, on the other hand, brought attention to deep psychological wounds - many of which I didn’t even know I carried and was completely unprepared to encounter.
My early attempts to make sense of these experiences confronted me with the stigma and shame associated with the criminalized aspects of experimentation, and bringing my psychedelic experiences to my first therapist was met with dissmissive judgement. My search for integration and healing led me to the world of life coaches and spiritual “gurus”, where I witnessed (and personally experienced) many of the exploitative, unethical practices for which these spaces have earned a reputation. In many ways, my journey to becoming a psychedelic therapist was driven by the desire to become the person I could not find as I sought the integration and support that I desperately needed.
In 2023, I completed a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and published my master’s thesis, “Symphonies of Consciousness: A Depth Psychological Investigation into the Role of Music in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy”. I currently work at MycoMeditations, where I am humbled to work closely with guests attending high-dose psilocybin-assisted retreats as a facilitator and psychotherapist. In addition am currently registered in the state of California as both Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#139967) and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (#14029), and maintain a traditional psychotherapy practice serving adults and adolescents of California.
I offer traditional psychotherapy for residents of California, which often occurs on a weekly basis via telehealth. Integration of psychedelic experiences in this respect is often in the context of broader and deeper issues that are uncovered, explored, and processed as part of an in-depth therapeutic process.
In addition, I offer psychedelic integration support as a standalone service for individuals who are seeking short term support for either a planned psychedelic experience or one which has already occurred. These services are tailored specifically to your experience and typically involves three to six sessions, but can be less or more depending on factors which are unique to your situation.