Debra Droggitis-Sherk, PhD, LMFT
Certified KAP Practitioner, Depth Psychotherapist, Psychedelic Integration Therapist
Santa Barbara CA
My work with clients centers on meeting them where they are at on their individual path, helping them to activate their own inner healing potential. We work together to unpack one's history, content, behaviors, relational patterns and parts of the self that have either been squelched, unexpressed, or expressed in maladaptive ways. Together we work to connect with those parts of the self and reimagine them in new ways, unlocking one's true authenticity and full, healthy expression. Through this inner work and healing, clients often experience a re-emergence of not only a truer sense of self, but also a re-entering and re-experiencing of their relationships in newer, healthier, and more mutually satisfying ways.
My name is Debra and I am the founder of Mandala Dreaming. I have been practicing psychotherapy and dreamwork for over 18 years. After 12 years of private practice psychotherapy with individual clients, my practice has shifted primarily toward the integration of alternative states of awareness through various arts-based, nature-based, and applied shamanic practices including ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), dreamwork, integrated energy medicine, IFS "Parts" work, guided imagery and music, as well as psychedelic preparation and integration.
At Mandala Dreaming, we take a holistic approach to mental health, recognizing that physical, emotional, and spiritual health are interconnected, working primarily with individual adults and groups from a diverse range of gender, sexual, ethnic, socioeconomic, and spiritual backgrounds. Based on a trauma-informed, psycho-spiritual model of growth-promotion, preparation, harm-reduction, and integration, our work centers on exploring the seen and unseen through non-ordinary states of awareness. From these perspectives and within such realms, we support and facilitate healing and growth collaboratively and compassionately.
My services include individual and group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, dreamwork, shamanic healing, integrated energy medicine, and end-of-life support. I work with a diverse range of individuals, age groups, and presenting problems with common issues of concern, including:
* Feeling overwhelmed with life's demands, life stages, and life transitions
* Feeling stuck creatively or energetically
* Experiencing high levels of stress or anxiety
* Grief, loss, and trauma
* Existential concerns around end-of-life, (loss of) connection, (loss of) meaning and purpose
* Confusion around spirituality, identity, or vocation
* Difficulty with relationships at home, school, or work
* Persistent feelings of loneliness, sadness, or depression
* Curiosity or fear around visionary experiences or spiritual emergence
* Questions or intuitions around one's birth or pre-birth experiences
Conveniently located near UCSB and SBCC, I have extensive experience working with undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students struggling academically, interpersonally, or vocationally.