WHAT IS KAP? | Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, TELOS

Meet Our Provider Duncan Benjamin

In my work as a therapist, I help people tune into the story of their life, build awareness of the ongoing impact of present and past suffering, and find ways to move past or let go of that suffering in the body and the heart. For many of us, that work involves coming to terms with the pain of our childhoods, and sometimes even the legacies of trauma in the generations that came before us. I have found that an essential part of this healing is being in touch with the parts of us that are real, alive, authentic, and honest. I hope to help my clients find strength in themselves and their communities, honor their pain, and move forward as wiser, more compassionate versions of themselves.

My work is informed by attachment- and trauma-informed perspectives, relational psychodynamic approaches, acceptance and commitment therapy, and humanistic/existential approaches. My approach focuses on authentic healing and growth over the management and reduction of symptoms. I believe diagnoses can be an important part of labelling and exploring the human experience, so long as we continue to explore the pieces that don’t fit neatly into these boxes. I strive to create spaces and relationships that are open and affirming to all identities. Psychedelic medicine can be an exceptional tool for moving through trauma and finding new ways of being with ourselves and the world when approached thoughtfully and intentionally. For those who choose to explore psychedelic medicine, I provide a non-judgmental space to help understand what we each bring into such a journey, and to make sense of what we bring back.

I have had the privilege of growing up among and between cultures all over the world, most notably in south-east Asia and western Europe. Although I was born in California, it’s hard for me to name one part of the world that I call home. I completed my undergraduate degree at University of California Santa Barbara and my doctorate in clinical psychology at Roosevelt University in Chicago before coming back to the west coast to practice in Seattle/Tacoma. Curiosity and a love of learning and exploring are driving forces in my life, and I fill my free time with all manner of things. Some of my favorites are cooking, rock climbing, consuming podcasts, gaming, reading, and connecting with our cities and the nature that surrounds them.

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