Alistaire McKemy, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Psychedelic-Assisted Therapist
Staunton VA
I am here to be a reflective surface for you to examine yourself, your thoughts, and your feelings. I'm not here to enable or sugarcoat, but I also don't seek to criticize or blame you for your struggles. First, we'll gain clarity on what your pain points are and start to unpack their origins, roots, and impacts on your life. Then I'll provide you tools to address those pain points, pulling from somatic interventions like Somatic Parts work to more traditional interventions like Narrative therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Motivational Interviewing. I believe in having a toolbox approach- take what works, leave what doesn't. I actively solicit feedback at the end of every session to help better narrow our focus and ensure you are getting the most effective use of your time with me. Regardless of what you've been through, you deserve to feel better.
Like many called to helping professions, my life was profoundly impacted by my experiences with my own mental health and the series of failures I encountered in the healthcare system while trying to get help. These failures became the driving force for me to become the clinician I wished I'd had- client centered, trauma-informed, and someone who sees clients as holistic people and not just names on a caseload. After having incredibly healing experiences with psychedelics when mainstream interventions had failed me, I dedicated my practice to providing psychedelic-informed care to those also traveling this healing path. Working with a clinician who has first hand experience with medicine/journey work creates deeper trust and understanding to help you get the most out of your psychedelic sessions. I graduated in 2018 from VCU's School of Social Work with my MSW and have held positions as a pediatric intensive outpatient therapist, a medical social worker in home health and hospice, clinical investigator for the DOJ, and have been in private practice since 2021.
Traditional Talk Therapy: $150/hr
-Extended sessions available (1.5hr/2hr) upon request. Extended sessions are private pay and offered at a reduced rate from single hour sessions, as insurance does not cover sessions longer than 1hr. Extended sessions are suitable for those who feel traditional 50min sessions don't allow enough time to explore their pain points and receive needed support.
Preparation and Integration Package: starting at $1200
-Appropriate for individual medicine/journey work such as those traveling out of country or working independently. This includes a minimum of 2 preparation sessions and 4 integration sessions on a weekly basis, with additional and continuing sessions available on request.