Bonnie Shanser, MA, LPC, LMHC, SEP

Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor
Bellingham WA
Our sessions can be: Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy- Using ketamine to access non-normal states of consciousness to support mental and emotional state shifts to previous experiences. Where ketamine becomes emotionally therapeutic is at doses that allow for notable or complete absence of anxiety and depressive symptoms. This ‘state’ shift is largely located in the default mode network of our brain where our psychological guards and defenses reside. This creates a trance-like state in which our conscious mind is allowed to traverse our memories and emotions without the weight of fear or anxiety of doing so. Dance/movement & Body Oriented- Build awareness of how emotion and sensation play a constant role of informing how we feel, act, move in, & make sense of the world. Our bodies keep the history of our lived or unspoken experiences. The more we connect, the more we can experience its wisdom & depth. Nature Based- Many of us are drawn to connect with nature in some way. Whatever your connection is - a higher power, an outlet, a space to ground, or a source for some wisdom to be expanded - we can begin exploring your relationship with the natural world. Somatic Experiencing- A trauma healing modality that uses a body-oriented approach to working with painful experiences and their imprints on our nervous system. Somatic Experiencing interoception and proprioception as core elements of navigating and moving toward healing trauma and stress disorders.
Bonnie took her first step into this in this realm in 2004 old as a wilderness therapy instructor. After 5 1/2 yrs in this position she decided to deepen in this line of work and began her studies at Fairhaven College and Western Washington University, graduating with an Interdisciplinary degree she constructed titled Psychosomatic Wellbeing and Nature-based Education. She continued on to graduate with her MA in Clinical Mental Health and Somatic Counseling from Naropa University and has further emphasized her work through dedicated treatment in trauma resolution training. She holds additional certificates as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and will be certified this September by Psychedelic Research & Training Institute.
In- office therapy Online/ tele-health Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy Somatic Experiencing (90 min sessions) Nature-Based settings