CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Satori Health & Wellness, Southern Utah’s first ketamine clinic, has opened an office in Cedar City, and we’re accepting new patients. But first, let me tell you how we’re different from other clinics and why I (and my wife, Dr. Rachel Allen) started Satori. It wasn’t for money. It wasn’t for prestige. It was to serve our community.
Satori started in 2019 when I happened upon a tearful colleague at the hospital. She told me her husband’s depression was in a downward spiral. He hadn’t responded to traditional therapy and was contemplating suicide. Desperate for help, she was afraid of the very real chance that she would lose her husband.
During our tenure as faculty members at the University of Utah, we had used ketamine and other anesthetics to treat mood disorders like depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. We realized we were in a unique position to help alleviate suffering in our community.
We were in uncharted territory. A few ketamine clinics had opened across the country, but they almost always left patients alone in a room while under the influence of ketamine, which can produce a profound, non-ordinary state of consciousness. For patients suffering from trauma, a treatment like that could be terrifying and re-traumatizing. We didn’t want Satori to be that kind of clinic.
Our goal from the beginning was to offer one-on-one therapy with the patient and provider as fellow travelers. We wanted to be there with our patients the entire time, holding space through their deepest emotions.
To do this, we went to great lengths to collaborate with the broader mental health community. We created partnerships with the inpatient psychiatric unit and the Doctor’s Volunteer Clinic. We have led therapist training seminars, teaching therapists throughout the country how to use ketamine with their clients. And now we have a team of therapists, doctors, nurses and alternative health practitioners who share our vision.
We take a special interest in the treatment of PTSD. As I said earlier, ketamine therapy has the potential to re-traumatize patients if not done carefully and with adequate emotional support. By sitting with patients during their treatment, we offer them a safe space to release their trauma. We like to think of ourselves as a conduit to healing. The natural healing mechanism lies within all of us. Sometimes, we just need a guide to help us along the way.
As part of our mission, we’ve collaborated with the Doctor’s Volunteer Clinic to provide discounted services to their patients. Through this program, we’ve helped many patients who otherwise would not be able to afford ketamine therapy, thus preventing them from needing inpatient admission to the behavioral health unit.
My colleague’s husband is still with us, doing better than ever. Along the way, we’ve held true to our mission of one-on-one, integrative ketamine therapy.
This mission is taking Satori to Iron County, so patients don’t have to travel an hour each way to get therapy. We found that patients from Cedar City were not completing the full course of ketamine therapy because the logistics of having a driver made it impractical for most patients and their families. To improve success of ketamine therapy for our patients, we decided to bring Satori to them.
Like our St. George office, in Cedar City, a trained provider will sit with you through the entire experience. We have on-site psychotherapy available at both locations as well. Because your mindset and the setting are key components of successful ketamine therapy, our Cedar City office is a calm, meditative space – as opposed to the cold, clinical environment of traditional health care offices.
If you or a loved one has been contemplating ketamine therapy, we encourage you to visit our website at TheKetamineClinic.com and learn how Satori’s unique supportive therapy is different from other clinics.
Written by DR. SCOTT ALLEN for Satori Health & Wellness.
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Resources
- Satori Health & Wellness | Address: 305 N. 500 West, St. George | Telephone: 435-669-4403 | Email: [email protected] | Website.
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