WHAT IS KAP? | Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, TELOS

Meet Our Provider Dawn Dickson

Greetings! As a Jungian psychotherapist, I have the privilege of accompanying my clients in their exploration of the inner landscape of psyche and symbol. This type of therapy dovetails beautifully with the seeker’s journey using ketamine and other psychedelics as we explore the rich world of archetype, dream images, mythology, complexes, and the numinous. I am dedicated to the path of individuation – a process that involves the shedding of past conditioning so that we might live a more authentic and honest life. We know that the psychedelic experience has the capacity to quiet the Default Mode Network of the brain, that part of the brain that can lead to rigid and repetitive thinking, obscuring the spaciousness needed for a deep connection to self, others, and the cosmos. I seek liberation for my clients and myself from this constricted mind-set, a liberation that might allow for more joy, expansiveness, spontaneity, and wonder. Psychotherapy and the psychedelic journey are alchemical processes of transformation, where split off parts of the self are placed into a sacred container (the therapy or journey space) to be “cooked,” providing the opportunity to create something altogether new within the Self.

I am trained in psychodynamic theory and practice, shamanic psychology, mindfulness-based end-of-life care practitioner work, attachment-focused Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and sand play therapy. We live in a beautiful yet challenging world, and as such, traumatic experiences are common. I provide trauma-informed psychotherapy to help clients navigate the turbulence trauma can bring. I believe that parts of the self are split off when a trauma occurs, so I see psychotherapy and the psychedelic journey as a kind of soul retrieval process. I completed a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy training with Telos Transformational Therapies in 2022. I have been a seeker of psycho-spiritual practices since 1998 and have worked with indigenous healers in the U.S. and the Peruvian Andes. I hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology (1991) and a master’s degree in social work (1993) from the University of Washington.

I have a deep love for this earth we have the honor to inhabit. I am enthralled by the written word and have a large library in my home (which can sometimes turn into piles of books on the floor and furniture!). I have travelled extensively and love music and the culinary arts. I cherish the relationships I have cultivated and believe that laughter is powerful medicine. I am deeply interested in all matters of the soul and would be honored to accompany you on your journey.

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