WHAT IS KAP? | Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, TELOS

Meet Our Provider Anna Fletcher

As a psychotherapist, and fellow human being on the path of growth and healing, I find that so much of our work is about learning to let go of what we carry that no longer serves us. While it sounds somewhat simple, the process of letting go can be a long and complex journey, and while talk therapy can be immensely valuable in helping us build insight about where we are stuck, sometimes more is needed to get us where we’re wanting to go. When Ketamine is used as a way of accessing an expanded state of consciousness, it can allow us to connect with something larger and beyond ourselves. It’s a tool that can help us see ourselves within the whole more clearly, and find release from habitual patterns that keep us from what we most want and need. It is my intention to use this tool with great care and reverence, holding a safe and welcoming space for whatever may arise.

My belief is that we are all naturally inclined toward love and healing. My role, most importantly, is to provide safety and unconditional support for my clients as they explore the depths of the inner world and the mystery of the world around us. On the other side of the journey, we work together to process the experience and integrate what was learned into practices and new perspective that can be brought into daily life, supporting the larger journey towards healing and letting go.

I am a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW). My private practice has been open since 2017, following many years of clinical work in community mental health settings. My approach is based broadly in a psychodynamic perspective, as well as a belief that the therapeutic process must always evolve to fit the needs and interests of each client. I pay careful attention to past experiences of trauma, as sources of both pain and strength.

Meet our Medical Team

Rafael Gonzalez-Vizoso, MD

Dr. Gonzalez-Vizoso started his education at Brooklyn College where he earned his BA in chemistry while fulfilling his pre-med requirements, graduating Cum Laude. He completed his medical school education at Harvard Medical School where he also did a year of research in Tropical Medicine.

His internship was done at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, a Tufts University Medical School affiliated program, and his residency in Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center, a Boston University Medical School affiliated program.

He has been board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine since 1996. He has been practicing Emergency Medicine in multiple settings -anywhere from Level 2 Trauma Centers in urban settings to small to medium rural hospitals- since his graduation from residency in 1994. He is currently the Medical Director for Emergency Services at a critical care access rural hospital in Eastern Washington. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Lightshine, a non profit organization dealing with the care of orphans -specifically in the setting of attachment disorder-, and has traveled extensively on behalf of this organization through Central and South America.

After arriving in Seattle in 1996, he taught Introduction to Clinical Medicine at the University of Washington Medical School as a clinical instructor for 5 years. He also engaged in outcomes research as the medical director of Health Research Associates, Inc. where he co-authored papers, wrote grants and lead studies for 10 years. For the past 18 months, he has been interested in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy and has undergone all the appropriate training with The Ketamine Training Center, headed by Dr. Phil Wolfson, a leading authority on ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) and has become certified in this treatment modality.

Dr. Gonzalez-Vizoso’s interest in KAP was sparked by the dearth of options available for mental health patients in crisis as well as people with addiction disorders. This induced him to delve into the latest research in the use of psychedelics for mental illnesses. He has used ketamine as an anesthetic in the emergency medicine setting as aid for painful procedures and rapid sequence intubation for over 25 years and is very familiar with the use and safety profile of ketamine. During his training for KAP, Dr. Gonzalez-Vizoso experienced firsthand the amazing effects of ketamine. In association with veteran, ketamine trained psychotherapists, he has become increasingly active in the field of applying psychedelics in the setting of mental illnesses and hopes to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Besides his interests in medicine, Dr. Gonzalez-Vizoso holds two black belts in two different styles of martial arts, is an avid free diver and spearfisherman as well as an avid cyclist. He is an amateur historian and has serious spiritual and religious pursuits. He also writes poetry but is too afraid to show it to anyone yet.

If you are interested in future trainings or participating in KAT when alternative options become available you can send inquiries to scott.ross@salishseacounseling.com