Celeste Monnette, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Berkeley CA
My work is informed by in-depth psychodynamic therapy, Internal Family Systems, trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, and crisis intervention. I work to create a non-judgmental, non-pathologizing space for clients who are curious, planning, or preparing to explore altered states of consciousness with the use of Ketamine and other psychedelic medicines. Having the opportunity to process and integrate these experiences can help us to better understand feelings, issues, images, insights, perspectives, and spiritual and transformative experiences that can occur in altered spaces. Clients may also want to utilize psychedelic substances to work on processing and healing from difficult experiences that may have triggered trauma, painful memories, and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapeutic integration sessions offer an opportunity to use these experiences to further access the meaning, healing, and insight that can occur in altered states.
I also offer general psychotherapy and work to meet my clients where they are in term of their needs, issues, and desire for healing.
Celeste Monnette, LCSW is the Clinical Director and Lead therapist at Liminal Medicine. Her areas of expertise include trauma-informed care, anxiety, phase-of-life issues, and depression. She is a licensed psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience who has worked as a ketamine-assisted therapist since 2018, and is currently enrolled in the MDMA Therapy Training Program. Grounded in a client-centered approach, I practice from a humanistic, relational lens and my strong belief that healing centers around relationships and connection. I work from a place of warmth, compassion and hope — knowing that the possibility of healing and transformation is always present.
Over her professional life, Celeste has worked closely with clients to help decrease suffering, relieve symptoms, and create lasting change using various modalities. In addition to individual therapy, Celeste has facilitated groups, provided couples counseling, taught workshops, trained therapists, worked closely with physicians and multi-disciplinary teams, and provided clinical consultation. She has also co-authored a 2019 article on Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) that appeared in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
After many years as a psychotherapist, Celeste discovered the incredible power of ketamine to heal and reduce suffering. This changed the trajectory of her professional focus and development, which now centers around ketamine work and psychedelic integration. With the privilege of coming in on the first wave of ketamine being used to treat mental health issues, Celeste brings a deep understanding and unique breadth and depth of experience that is rare. Her warmth, compassion, and empathy has led her to become a sought-after ketamine therapist who is on the cutting-edge of this groundbreaking field.
Through her experience as a Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapist, Celeste has witnessed the vast potential of this treatment to decrease symptoms of many psychiatric, spiritual, and emotional issues. By providing a connection and sense of safety to her clients, she helps them facilitate the transformative power of ketamine into a lived experience.
Individual Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, Group Ketamine Treatment, and Trainings & Consultation