Ketamine-Assisted and Culturally Attuned Trauma Informed Psychotherapy as Adjunct to Traditional Indigenous Healing: Effecting Cultural Collaboration in Canadian Mental Health Care.

Sherry-Anne Muscat,Courtenay Richards Crouch,Kevin W. Morin,Geralyn Dorothy Wright,Kristy Bergeron,Glenn Hartelius

doi:10.3390/bs11090118

Abstract

Ketamine therapy with culturally attuned trauma-informed psychotherapy in a collaborative cross-cultural partnership may provide a critical step in the operationalization and optimization of treatment effectiveness in diverse populations and may provide a foundation for an improved quality of life for Indigenous people. Decolonizing Indigenous health and wellbeing is long overdue, requiring an equal partnership between government and Indigenous communities, built upon an aboriginal culture holistic foundation of balance of mind, body, social and spiritual realms, and within the context of historical and lived experiences of colonialism. Culturally attuned trauma-informed psychotherapy paired with ketamine—a fast-acting antidepressant that typically takes effect within 4 hours, even in cases of acute suicidality—may be uniquely qualified to integrate into an Indigenous based health system, since ketamine’s therapeutic effects engage multiple neuropsychological, physiological, biological, and behavioral systems damaged by intergenerational complex developmental trauma. Ketamine holds the potential to serve as a core treatment modality around which culturally engaged treatment approaches might be organized since its brief alteration of normal waking consciousness is already a familiar and intrinsic element of healing culture in many Indigenous societies. There is great need and desire in Indigenous communities for respectful and sacred partnership in fostering more effective mental health outcomes and improved quality of life.

Highlights

Indigenous scholars that wellness in native communities can only be achieved by decolonizing healthcare and perceiving wellbeing through a holistic aboriginal lens that enshrines balance between the mind, body, social, and spiritual realms. One approach to this goal may be through culturally attuned psychotherapy to address the underlying emotional wounds of Western colonialism, integrated with an Indigenous restorative health system
Ketamine therapy may be a uniquely valuable adjunct to culturally integrative treatment approaches due to ketamine’s multi-layered biochemical efficacy, its promising potential when combined with trauma and attachment informed psychotherapy and its ability to induce mystical or peak experiences
Because of its therapeutic effects on neuropsychological, physiological, biological, and behavioral systems damaged by intergenerational complex developmental trauma, ketamine may even serve as a core treatment modality around which culturally engaged approaches might be organized

Summary

Introduction

In light of the discovery of unmarked mass graves of thousands of murdered and missing Indigenous children on the grounds of Canadian Indian Residential Schools across the country, implementing a clinical model grounded in traditional Indigenous healing has become more urgent. In light of the discovery of unmarked mass graves of thousands of murdered and missing Indigenous children on the grounds of Canadian In2 of 13 dian Residential Schools across the country, implementing a clinical model grounded in traditional Indigenous healing has become more urgent. Indigenous scholars that wellness in native communities can only be achieved by decolonizing healthcare and perceiving wellbeing through a holistic aboriginal lens that enshrines balance between the mind, body, social, and spiritual realms One approach to this goal may be through culturally attuned psychotherapy to address the underlying emotional wounds of Western colonialism, integrated with an Indigenous restorative health system. Sci. 2021, 11, 118 of medicine wheel teachings, healing circles, ceremony, music, Indigenous traditional medicines, and shamanic healing

Thesis Statements

Ketamine Effects

Insitu Evidence of Ketamine Assisted Trauma Informed Psychotherapy Efficacy

Collaborative Clinical Model

Discussion

My Story

Findings

Sacred