Charlie Shockley, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Athens GA
I work to assure that clients feel very safe in the therapeutic relationship. We may use activities like meditation or interventions like laughter to create a safe container. I will share with you skills and research while advocating for you to have access to the most up-to-date and evidence-based resources. Our process will be active and oriented towards achieving your treatment goals vs passive reflective talk therapy. I will inform you of the interventions available to you and help you identify the right treatment fit, while assuring that we make progress towards your goals. The only thing that matters to me is your wellness. If our work together does not meet your needs, I will gladly refer you to the appropriate professional or program.
The primary focus of my work is the intersection of trauma and substance use disorders. I’ve worked in numerous addiction treatment centers and am now the founder of Kind Recovery. I had the enlightening opportunity to work with Ketamine patients beginning in 2018. For me, this was a powerful choice point. I had to ask myself if I could ethically ignore its potential, even in a professional landscape where any mind-altering substance use is stigmatized. My research led me to the surprising discovery that AA founder Bill Wilson’s famous spiritual awakening may have been induced by a psychedelic substance. He was also treated with LSD by the VA for depression and petitioned AA’s board to make LSD an exception to the rule of abstinence. Like me, Bill W. could not ignore the powerful effects of psychedelics to help resolve the spiritual, egoic, and existential difficulties that seem to be at the root of mental illness. Beyond the anecdotal, the evidence for psychedelic medicine’s effectiveness is compelling and developing. I’m pleased to be a part of the first wave of therapeutic options available and plan to act as a local ambassador, connecting clients with effective psychedelic interventions as they are discovered and approved. I’m here to support you on your self-determined path to recovery from substance misuse, trauma or both. Whether your path includes legal Ketamine or illegal psychedelics, I’m grounded in the belief that you have the right to determine what you do with your body.
I provide three interventions at Athens Psychedelic Therapy: Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy using IV Ketamine, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy using oral Ketamine, and Harm reduction Integration Therapy. Harm reduction therapy means providing preparation (before) and integration (after) therapy for individuals who have decided to use other non-legal psychedelics. I can not provide sitting or guiding services for these substances due to their illegality.