Yolanda Yturralde, LMFT & LPCC has been a licensed psychotherapist for 25 years in Santa Barbara, California. She is a Trauma-Informed therapist and is trained in IFS, Brainspotting, and EMDR. She delivers both remote and in-person KAP from her bright, spacious office in Santa Barbara, pictured below. You can connect with her through her website.
Why did you decide to become a KAP Provider with Journey Clinical?
“I had a shamanic experience myself and was so moved by the connection and feeling of deep peace that I thought that I would love to offer something like that to my clients. When I discovered Journey Clinical, I was so excited. I realized that I could fit a much more accessible version of that experience into my practice.
I started researching KAP and completed the JC/Fluence certificate, and when I started talking about it with some of my clients, they were very eager to try it – they were waiting for me to finish my training, and when I was ready, I probably had 10 clients that immediately wanted to do KAP. I’ve been delivering KAP in-person and remotely over the last 2 years, and it’s been an absolutely beautiful adjunct to psychotherapy.”
How did you gain the confidence to integrate KAP in your practice?
“I felt extremely confident because Journey Clinical’s KAP education showed me the safety of this treatment. I have been really impressed with the training and support that I received, and I love having an affordable way for my clients to get medicine from a reputable licensed medical professional. With that as my foundation, I was confident enough to deliver it to clients – and other people felt that confidence, and became reassured themselves. I also experienced it myself, alongside a partner, and those experiences were so peaceful and I’ve learned so much from them that now I exude that confidence. I have been a psychotherapist for over 25 years, and this is just the missing puzzle piece that I needed to help more people heal from trauma.”
What types of outcomes have you seen from your KAP clients?
Yolanda shared that as she began transitioning some of her existing clients to KAP, she soon saw impressive patient outcomes:
“Someone came in with panic attacks that were very debilitating. They had been suffering from trauma for 18 years, and just felt so stuck. Initially, they didn’t even want to try the full psychedelic dose. They tried a psycholytic dose, just to test the waters, and sat back and said ‘That’s the most relaxed I have ever felt.’ They were then willing to try the psychedelic dose – and after just one session, they haven’t had a panic attack again after having them on a regular basis.
I’m really seeing the new neural networks that are forming in people’s brains, allowing them to see old problems in a new way and have breakthroughs. I notice people have better relationships; they tell me, ‘I healed with my sister. We’ve been in an impasse for years, and I didn’t even have a relationship with my nieces and nephews. Now we’re all connected at family gatherings, and finally communicating about the issues we’ve had in the past.
It’s just so beautiful to see people having vibrant new ways of being. People that have a lot of trauma have a default mode in their brain that is just set on a certain wavelength that is saying ‘I’m never going to be hurt again.’ KAP really resonates with them, and they feel excited at the possibility of those more protective parts taking a break from tormenting and haunting them.
To have that ability to transform someone’s life who’s been in a world of hurt and suffering, to have joy, creativity, and peace is just precious.”
What is your process for preparing clients for KAP?
“I spend the first few sessions building a relationship and connecting with them. I find myself easily connecting with most of my clients, and try to manage their sharing so that they don’t feel embarrassed from oversharing too quickly. I think generally, people just love being in a beautiful environment, so they feel relaxed in my office looking out at the water and hearing the birds. We connect, and after a few sessions, if they decide they want to do something like KAP, we start setting intentions.”
For Yolanda’s clients, preparation sessions focus on relaxation and laying the groundwork for a positive dosing experience: “We do a lot of intention setting and sometimes hypnosis to regulate eating, sleep, and activity. For a lot of people, they’re dysregulated, and need a sort of autonomic nervous system regulation. I’ll teach them diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness, and use Brainspotting to help them learn tools that they can use in their daily life.”
What are you looking forward to in relation to Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy in your own practice?
Yolanda notes her excitement for offering in-person retreats at her property in Santa Barbara: “I feel it’s very important that my clients get 100% attention and are never alone, so I’m looking forward to expanding. I have a rental unit available for people if they want to come from out of the area and live a mile from the beach. I am planning group retreats where people can stay in a safe space, and feel like they were able to have this transformative experience with total safety and care.”