Linnea Van Kirk, MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
La Quinta CA
Psychedelics are not a choice for everyone, but for those who do take this very personal step, it can be beneficial to have support as you plan for and process the experience. I offer services to those who are just starting out, those who have already begun, and those who may have had a negative experience and need to make sense of it. If you start the full service, we begin by looking at your life-story to identify the problems and events that you feel have had the most impact on you. We explore how to best language your intentions to help you achieve the results you are seeking. You may be thinking about focusing on what is holding you back, and there is great benefit in identifying what is also holding you up. We work together to set your intentions, and after your experience we discuss what happened and process how it has most impacted you. You may begin to identify what is emotionally and mentally valuable to keep, and what is best to let go. It may also allow you to see how your past actions and choices have all played a valuable role in shaping you into the remarkable person you are. When you can change a lifetime of regrets into a treasure-trove of identified strengths, it benefits all areas of life. Through this process you may finally unlock your own potential, not because it will suddenly appear, but because you are finally able to accept that it has been there the whole time. Not everyone has a wonderful experience with psychedelics, and it is important to acknowledge that all experiences will be different. I can not make promises, but I can do my best to help your experience be meaningful for you.
I began my training in 2009 at rural clinic in the high desert communities around Joshua Tree National Park. It was there in the desert that I received my introduction to narrative therapy and came to appreciate the power of a story, and where I found a deeper connection to the energy of the Earth. I began to realize how much more there is to treating mental health than what I had learned in school, and I set out to learn more.
After completing my training in 2015, I took some time to heal my own traumas that had been put off for far too long. In addition to conventional therapy, I started to explore more esoteric practices, including how accessing different levels of altered states can impact mental health. I was introduced to energy psychology, and my own experience with Tapping was life changing. I learned first-hand the importance of utilizing more than one approach to address mental health, especially when dealing with trauma, and I finally understood the meaning of holistic practice. I now embrace this belief in my own practice, and I am honored to be part of this brave, new frontier of mental health services.