WHAT IS KAP? | Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, TELOS

Meet Our Provider Leigh Shaw, LSWAIC

“What you seek is seeking you.” -Rumi. Listening to our innate wisdom, recognizing our place in the nature of things and understanding our inner conflicts with compassion can set in motion healing that can liberate our lives. Supporting people on their path of growth is a powerful experience I am honored to be a part of – be that in the context of talk therapy, mindful somatic (body-based) attunement and reconnection or ketamine assisted journeying.

When I started to explore what kind of work would allow transformation, creativity, and compassion to be at the heart of what I do every day – I became a therapist through the systems oriented and anti-oppression lens of a clinical social worker. My work experience includes a background in the arts and clinical therapy practice with youth and families, community mental health, body liberation and eating disorder recovery and now a growing private practice with focus on strengths-based parts work and mindful somatic attunement.

With Telos I am excited to be able to offer an additional and unique approach to the soulful work of personal development through ketamine assisted journeying. Sometimes it is a non-ordinary state of consciousness that brings us home to a deeper remembrance of who we really are and our power to create meaningful change in our life. Should you choose the pathway of psychedelic journey support, I would venture to ask the question, is this a pathway that is also calling to you? Take care dear humans, travel safely!

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