Offering our signature "Cultivating Joy" Ketamine-Assisted Mindfulness Retreats to couples, individuals, and licensed mental health professionals.
We are dedicated to working with integrity, love, and commitment at all of our retreats. As a team we value and share each other's unique and extensive practice and professional expertise. We value collaboration, honesty, generosity, sharing, kindness and respect for what we each bring into our programs. Together we make an extraordinary team and we hope you'll join our community.
Together we hold the space for participants to explore the inner landscape of their relationships and the innate intelligence and empathy that can emerge when safety and trust are restored. Ketamine, as we have experienced, is one spoke on the wheel. We introduce couples, individuals and professionals to this powerful medicine with respect and recognition that integration, mindfulness and other mind manifesting non drug practices are also important change agents.
This is a safe, structured retreat for couples led by a staff of licensed and highly experienced therapists and physicians in the beautiful Catskill Mountains at MENLA Retreat and Spa.
~Meet at the intersection of science and spirituality~
This retreat offers a safe, structured environment where couples can deeply explore the nuances of their relationship, including aspects of joy and intimacy. Participants will learn to understand each other’s needs and navigate challenges collaboratively. The retreat emphasizes cultivating an intimate bond through what we refer to as noble communication—clear and compassionate exchanges that lay the foundation for healthy relationships. By developing these communication skills, couples can enhance their connection, leading to greater joy and a deeper sense of unity.
Ketamine is utilized here as a tool to explore profound existential realms, facilitating open and loving communication. Joy, seen as a core aspect of our being, when unblocked, enhances not only our intimacy but also our overall health and happiness. Ketamine-assisted sessions are designed to open mental, emotional, and physical channels, allowing participants to connect with these aspects in a clear, insightful, and accepting way. The retreat also integrates mindfulness and meditation, crucial for regulating emotions and thoughts and fostering the ability to face each moment with balance and grace.
The program is designed to deepen personal and interpersonal connections within a group setting of like-minded couples. Structured, meaningful conversations and guided practices help explore pleasure and intimacy in this nurturing environment. No prior experience with psychedelic medicines or ketamine is required, and all participants begin with a screening call to ensure the retreat is a suitable fit. The combination of ketamine with mindfulness and meditation offers a profound journey into a more conscious and purposeful life. These practices aim to reconnect participants with themselves, enhancing safety, resilience, and vitality in their lives. With an innate capacity for presence, compassion, and recognition of joy's healing power, the retreat emphasizes safety and preparedness for all participants to engage meaningfully with the group and the experiences offered.
Please note: This retreat is not a short-term residential treatment and is unsuitable for anyone experiencing an acute mental health crisis or those with severe, persistent psychiatric conditions. This retreat is not meant as mediation for those considering breakup or divorce.
Steps to Join:
Step 1: Complete the retreat application form. Once we receive your application, you’ll get an email with instructions on how to schedule a screening call with our Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator, Jayne Gumpel, LCSW. This call will be held over Zoom.
Step 2: If both you and our team feel the retreat is a good fit, we’ll ask you to make a 50% deposit of the retreat fee (note: housing costs are not included in this fee).
Step 3: After you’ve paid the deposit to secure your spot, you’ll receive a welcome email with important next steps, including:
You’ll also receive details for the RetreatPortal, where you can find all this information and more to help you prepare for the retreat.
This is a safe, structured retreat led by a staff of licensed and experienced therapists and physicians in the beautiful Catskill Mountains at MENLA Retreat and Spa.
Join us for a safe and structured four-day retreat at the intersection of science and spirituality, guided by an exceptional team of facilitators: Jayne Gumpel, LCSW; Rohini Kanniganti, MD; Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC; and David Gumpel, MA. Together, we’ll explore the profound human experiences of grief, loss, love, and joy.
This retreat is open to individuals from all walks of life, whether approached through a personal or professional lens, and welcomes all levels of experience. If you are interested in exploring the fullness of your being—your enthusiasm and vitality, your spirit, your trust, your openness, and above all, your presence—this may be a transformative weekend for you. Join this retreat if you have a deep desire to explore the heart of grief and loss, as well as love and joy, with yourself, fellow retreat members, your family, friends, and the world.
The retreat’s structure is designed for individuals ready to deepen their personal connection and development within a supportive group setting. As humans with the capacity to heal and be healers, we will slow down together, reach beneath our defenses, and revisit the emotions we may have avoided to survive. This process allows us to rediscover pathways to self-care, connection, and flourishing.
Ketamine can facilitate this journey by softening defenses and reducing anxiety, enabling us to reconnect with stillness and love. It opens the mind and heart to what lies within, no matter how lost or disengaged you may feel from this part of yourself. Ketamine often provides clarity and insight, helping you see things in a non-defensive and transformative way. Your choice to use Ketamine during each of three sessions in optional.
At our retreats, we use guided practices, poetry, movement, and loving, expert facilitation to guide individuals back to their inner intelligence. Regardless of what is unfolding moment to moment, we each have the innate capacity and wisdom to be present and to practice compassion and kindness toward ourselves and others. When we attune to our own humanity, we can hold space for others. In this way, the group itself becomes the medicine.
Cultivating Joy is emerging as a transformative and effective model for group work. This retreat integrates evidence-based approaches from mindfulness, hospice, and palliative care models. Combining ketamine with mindfulness and meditation practices can serve as a powerful jumpstart to living a more conscious and purposeful life. As Jon Kabat-Zinn, the renowned mindfulness teacher, reminds us: “There is more right with you than wrong with you.” At our retreats, guided practices reconnect individuals with their inner wisdom, enabling them to approach life with greater clarity and compassion.
Safety is our top priority, and we take great care in the enrollment process. Each participant is carefully screened to ensure they are prepared for a group setting and can experience ketamine safely and constructively. This retreat is not a residential treatment setting and is not intended for individuals experiencing an acute mental health crisis or those with chronic and persistent psychiatric conditions.
Steps to join:
Step 1: Fill out the initial application to attend this retreat. After we receive that, the next step will be to conduct a screening call over Zoom with our Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator, Jayne Gumpel, LCSW (the confirmation email will include instructions on how to book this).
Step 2: If the phone or Zoom screening results in a sense that there is a good fit (mutually decided, of course) you will be asked to make a deposit of 50% of the retreat fee (please note, this does not include the cost of housing).
Step 3: After paying the deposit to confirm your enrollment, you will receive an email with detailed instructions for all your next steps, including scheduling a medical screening appointment, booking housing at Menla Retreat Center, and choosing your Pre-Retreat Preparation Group Video Call with other retreat participants. You’ll also receive a login to our Customer Portal, where you’ll find all this information and more in one place, to help you prepare for the retreat.
Join us at Menla for a gentle, joy inspired, silent retreat consisting of meditation, self compassion, mindfulness and walks in nature with Jayne Gumpel LCSW, Michael Burbank, & David Gumpel MA.
We will begin to gather as a group at 4pm Wednesday for check in and will enjoy our first dinner together at 6pm. Silence will commence around 9:30 pm after the evening introductory session and will continue through Sunday morning when we will break our silence and enjoy our final lunch together with shared reflections.
Cultivating JOY through the lens of silence and self compassion is a noble offering to yourself. Guided meditations and simple mindfulness practices are offered as an invitation to notice and make connections to joy in the midst of it! Attending to and noticing the obstacles arising cultivates space for those moments of joy that may pass by unnoticed. It is not necessary to have meditation experience but it is preferred. This retreat is not a traditional Vipassana silent retreat yet it holds silence as a sacred practice and also includes writing, sitting and eating meditation practices, music with eye shades and a mat, and movement. This is an opportunity to bring joy into your everyday life!
All participants are encouraged to commit to the full program, including a live zoom preparation session prior to the retreat.This is especially important for participants who have yet to experience a silent retreat.A full digital detox is highly encouraged, and at a minimum no cell phones will be allowed in the conference center or at meals. Finding freedom from our phones will feel liberating after the initial moment of letting go. In the evenings after our silent dinners, we will have an opportunity to listen to evening discussions and contemplate their relevance to our lives.Mindfulness allows for a balanced awareness of negative thoughts, enabling individuals to observe their feelings without becoming overwhelmed or overly identified with them. This aligns with Dr. Tara Brach’s teachings on radical acceptance, suggesting that embracing our present experience with compassion leads to deeper self-awareness and growth.In essence, self-compassion during a silent retreat is essential, facilitating a nurturing space for exploration, acceptance, and personal transformation.A capacity for self regulation, self reflection and self care is appreciated. The group experience is a safe and sacred opportunity to connect to one’s self and to the reality that we are all connected. This retreat is co hosted by MENLA.org and AccessMindfulness.org
Join us for a safe and structured four-day retreat at the intersection of science and spirituality, guided by an exceptional team of facilitators: Jayne Gumpel LCSW, Diana Fosha PhD, Mark Green MD, David Gumpel MA, and Lisa Wang MD. Together, we’ll explore Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), ketamine-assisted work, and mindfulness.
This immersive experiential retreat and training is designed for professionals seeking deep healing, renewal, and transformation through the integration of Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), ketamine-assisted work, and mindfulness. Primarily, this is a participant retreat; secondarily, it is a training opportunity. Participation offers valuable learning experiences. This is a safe, structured retreat led by a staff of licensed and experienced therapists and physicians is located in the beautiful Catskill Mountains at MENLA Retreat and Spa.
What is AEDP?
Developed by Diana Fosha, PhD, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) is a healing-centered, attachment-based therapy that integrates neuroscience, affective neurobiology, and transformational theory to support deep emotional processing. AEDP is based on the understanding that healing happens through relationship and the co-regulation of emotions in safe, attuned connections.
Grounded in the latest neuroscience research, AEDP harnesses neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself through experience. The therapy focuses on undoing aloneness, activating core affect, and harnessing positive neuroplasticity to rework painful emotional states into experiences of safety, connection, and integration. AEDP’s four-state model maps out the process of emotional transformation:
1. Defense & Resistance: Protecting against emotional pain.
2. Accessing Core Emotions: Tapping into deep feelings stored in the nervous system.
3. Transformational Processing: Allowing healing waves of emotion to integrate the experience.
4. The Emergence of the Authentic Self: A deep sense of joy, connection, and wholeness.
This retreat is both a personal healing experience and a professional training opportunity, offering a unique approach to blending AEDP principles, ketamine work, and mindfulness practices.
What You’ll Experience:
• AEDP-Informed Healing: Learn to tap into the innate capacity for transformation, embracing emotions as pathways to deeper connection and vitality.
• Ketamine Sessions: Three optional dosing sessions with SL Ketamine. Supported by experienced facilitators, participants explore expanded states of consciousness, uncovering insights, and releasing barriers to joy.
• Mindfulness & Somatic Awareness: Develop present-moment awareness, learning to attune to your body, heart, and mind with compassion and curiosity.
• Relational Practices: Engage in guided dialogues and practices to co-regulate, connect, and deepen emotional resilience.
• Community & Reflection: Share space with like-minded professionals, exploring how to integrate these transformative experiences into your personal and professional life.
The Neuroscience of Joy and Transformation
AEDP, ketamine, and mindfulness all work by engaging neuroplasticity—our brain’s ability to reorganize itself in response to new experiences. Research shows that deep emotional connection, safety, and presence can shift implicit memories stored in the nervous system, creating new pathways for resilience and joy.
Who is This For?
This retreat is open to clinicians, healers, and helping professionals who want to experience their own deep healing while cultivating tools to bring back to their work.
Come As You Are
Joy is your birthright—not a luxury, but a way of being that can be reclaimed. Come sit with us, breathe, and rediscover the aliveness, awe, and tenderness that have always been within you.
Safety is our top priority, and we take great care in the enrollment process. Each participant is carefully screened to ensure they are prepared for a group setting and can experience ketamine safely and constructively. This retreat is not a residential treatment setting and is not intended for individuals experiencing an acute mental health crisis or those with chronic and untreated psychiatric conditions.
Steps to join:
Step 1: Fill out the initial application to attend this retreat. After we receive that, the next step will be to conduct a screening call over Zoom with our Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator, Jayne Gumpel, LCSW (the confirmation email will include instructions on how to book this).
Step 2: If the phone or Zoom screening results in a sense that there is a good fit (mutually decided, of course) you will be asked to make a deposit of 50% of the retreat fee (please note, this does not include the cost of housing).
Step 3: After paying the deposit to confirm your enrollment, you will receive an email with detailed instructions for all your next steps, including scheduling a medical screening appointment, booking housing at Menla Retreat Center, and choosing your Pre-Retreat Preparation Group Video Call with other retreat participants. You’ll also receive a login to our Customer Portal, where you’ll find all this information and more in one place, to help you prepare for the retreat.
Jayne is the founder of Relationship Resources LLC. Jayne is a psychotherapist, trainer, and teacher with 30 years of experience working with couples, individuals, and groups in New York City and Woodstock, NY.
Jayne is a professional clinical trainer in Psychedelic Integration Psychotherapy, is a member of the Woodstock Therapy Center’s Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) team, and has completed MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).
Jayne describes meditation as a core life practice, is a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and she includes mindfulness practice as a foundation of her work with clients.
She is additionally trained in Imago Relationship Therapy and Gestalt Psychotherapy. Jayne is a co-founder of accessmindfulness.org, a 501c3, along with her son David. Her passion is supporting clients on their journey towards inner wisdom and healing from trauma to have more rich and satisfying lives and relationships.
David is a co-founder of Relationship Resources. He is an Integral Master Coach and a qualified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through UMASS medical school.
David is the co-founder of Access Mindfulness (www.accessmindfulness.org) a 501c3 that brings mindfulness programs to schools and youth services organizations.
Currently Director of Training Operations at Fluence, he provides guidance to Fluence trainers, leads experiential trainings and ensures the successsful implementation of Fluence’s many offerings on psychedelic therapy. David was previously a study coordinator for the MAPS sponsored MDMA-Assisted Therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder study in New York City.
As a coach, David teaches mindfulness to clients in private practice and to groups in corporate settings. Find him online at ebcpathways.com and at www.fluencetraining.com
Matthias is a board-certified Family Physician with an active practice in the Hudson Valley. Matthias received training in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy at the prestigious Ketamine Training Institute and is a team member of the KAP team at the Woodstock Therapy Center. Matthias became inspired to do psychedelic psychotherapy work after experiencing indigenous medicine ceremonies in Peru with the Shipibo people. Since then he has deepened his knowledge of shamanic practices with training at The Four Winds Academy. Matthias feels passionately about couples work, particularly using ketamine as a tool for building trust and intimacy.
He has been married 32 years and has raised two children with his wife Susan. They have lived in the Hudson Valley since 1999 after training as a rural physician in the Scottish Highlands. Matthias is a 200h certified yoga teacher and has completed Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as an active meditator. He has recently became a student in sound healing and enjoys trail running with his two German Shepherds.
Seema is a board certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist with a clinical interest in the intersection of spirituality and psychiatry. She integrates principles of mindfulness into her work with patients and teaches on topics of mindfulness and mental health.
For the past 10 years she has served as assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine and at the NYU World Trade Center Health Program treating first responders who suffer from mental health conditions related to events of 9/11.
Seema has experience in leading mindfulness-based skills groups for stress reduction and wellness. She co-edited a book published by the American Psychiatric Association titled "Becoming Mindful: Integrating Mindfulness into your Psychiatric Practice" She has been a study therapist in research examining the effects of psilocybin on depression and existential anxiety related to end-stage cancer diagnosis.
She is currently a study therapist in a MAPS trial examining the effects of MDMA assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD. Seema offers psychopharmacology treatment and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in her private practice.
Seema is a member of the Woodstock Therapy Center.
Jeffrey Guss is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and researcher with specializations in psychoanalytic therapy, addictions and psychedelic therapy. He was Co-Principal Investigator and Director of Psychedelic Therapy Training for the NYU School of Medicine’s study on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of cancer related existential distress, and is currently is a study therapist on studies of Psilocybin-Assisted treatment of Major Depressive Disorder and MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. Dr. Guss is interested in the integration of psychedelic therapies with contemporary psychoanalytic theory and has published in Studies in Gender and Sexuality and Psychoanalysis, Culture and Society. He co-authored a paper on the influence of therapists’ first hand experience with psychedelics on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy research and is an Instructor and Mentor with the California Institute of Integral Studies’ Center for Psychedelic Therapies. He maintains a private practice in New York City.
Saundra is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, School of Nursing, at The University of Texas at Austin, and a psychotherapist in private practice. Her research explores the connection between wellness-enhancing practices and improvements in disease and wellness markers, as well as its anti-inflammatory effects. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of the WILD 5 Wellness Program and co-author of a well-received workbook written for those interested in improving their mental wellness, WILD 5 - A Proven Path to Wellness. WILD 5 is an evidence-based wellness intervention that combines five elements of wellness (exercise, mindfulness, sleep, social connectedness, nutrition and positive psychology “practices) into an easy-to-follow program.
Dr. Jain is co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS) exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She serves as a member of the Psych Congress Steering Committee providing direction regarding educational gaps/needs for mental health practitioners, and Sana Symposium providing psychedelics education for mental health and addiction professionals.
In her words: “Client care, education, and research light me up. Engaging in group work paves the way for meaningful connections with others and fosters a deeper connection with our authentic selves, forming the bedrock of genuine healing. Embracing a life centered around wellness practices and being part of a supportive community is my path.”
Mark Green, MD is a psychiatrist specializing in addictions. He completed his residency and addictions fellowship at Cornell before conducting research into stress and addictions at Rockefeller University. He has been on Faculty at Cornell, Vermont and Harvard, and lectured nationally on harm reduction, evidence-based treatment, opiate treatment and psychotherapies. Mark has run outpatient and residential programs and systems in several states. Until recently Mark owned and operated Psych Garden in Belmont, MA, which provided evidence-based, family-focused and harm reduction treatment. Mark is a certified therapist and supervisor in training in AEDP and has trained in ketamine assisted psychotherapy with Phil Wolfson; the MAPS study for MDMA for PTSD; has taught ketamine assisted psychotherapy at Harvard conferences, the Boston Psychedelic Training Center, and at multiple retreats.
Tammy Nelson, Ph.D., is a renowned expert in the field of sex and couples therapy. She is a TEDx speaker, the host of the podcast The Trouble with Sex, and the author of six books, including Getting the Sex You Want and Open Monogamy: A Guide to Co-Creating Your Ideal Relationship Agreement. She is a Board Certified Clinical Sexologist, a Certified Sex and Couples Therapist, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Certified Imago Relationship Therapist, andthe founder and Executive Director of the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute. She has been featured in hundreds of press articles including in the NY Times, Washington Post, NY Times Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine, and is a guest on radio, podcasts, and on television in the US and around the world. She can be found atwww.drtammynelson.com
Lisa Wang is a board-certified adult psychiatrist and psychotherapist based in New York City. She takes an integrative approach to treatment that incorporates psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and other complementary treatment modalities including ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. She facilitates both individual and group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Her clinical interests include spirituality, healing from trauma, and sexuality and gender issues.
She is trained as a psilocybin-assisted psychotherapist through Compass Pathways and has been a lead therapist on studies of psilocybin for treatment resistant depression and body dysmorphic disorder at New York State Psychiatric Institute. She is a site physician for the MAPS-sponsored Phase 3 Clinical Trials of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. She is also an assistant trainer with Fluence. She is also the NJ medical director for Journey Clinical.
She has been a practicing Tibetan Buddhist for the past 15 years and has experience teaching mindfulness in classroom settings and in her therapy office. She aspires to bring her experience from the cushion as a meditator to all aspects of her work.
Sylvia Rosenfeld LCSW is an Imago trained, AASECT certified Sex Therapist, with more than 40 years of experience working with couples and individuals who want to enhance their sexual and emotional connection.
Her passion with her clients and in her own life is to cultivate mutually satisfying and deeply loving relationships.
Sylvia is currently participating in the Fluence ketamine assisted psychotherapy certificate program
Donna is a psychotherapist with over 20 years experience working with adults, children, adolescents, couples, and groups. She is the Director of the Woodstock Therapy Center and the Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Program at WTC.
She is also the Director of a new Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Certificate program. Donna has spent her career working with diverse clients in multiple settings.
Donna’s current private practice includes KAP, Psychotherapy, and Psychedelic Integration Psychotherapy. In addition to KAP training Donna has completed training in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Donna has a background in the creative arts.
She was a sushi chef, caterer, and enjoys painting and gardening. Donna is inspired in her work as a psychotherapist to help us move toward individual and collective transformation.
Board Certified in Psychiatry. Voted one of the Best Psychiatrists of Tampa Bay in 2022 & 2023 from the Tampa Magazine award program.
Julia is a Swiss trained psychiatrist and psychotherapist for adults, adolescents and children working for over a decade in a private practice in Geneva, Switzerland. She is a graduate of the CIIS Certificate Program in Psychedelic Therapy and Research (2021 Boston Cohort) and has completed the five-part training in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with the MAPS organization. She is the Founder of the Compassionate Care Center in Geneva, Switzerland, providing legal compassion focused psychedelic assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD, depression and existential distress in patients with terminal illness. She turns to poetry as a daily meditative and meaning-making practice. Julia is an avid Wim Hof breathwork practitioner enjoying year round open water swimming in Lac Léman.
Rohini is a Boulder based Board Certified Family Physician. She has served in hospice and palliative care for over a decade, currently as Associate Medical Director at Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care in NC. She completed a fellowship in Integrative Psychiatry through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute, and serves at the Integrative Psychiatry Centers, as well as leading Physician support for the Experiential aspect of the IPI Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Training. She is a hybrid of science, art and sacred, and is always ready to play
In her words “I am called "the patient whisperer" by colleagues. I am a physician who brings insight, intelligence and love to patient care, and humor and innovative thinking to my teams. I am a leader who is deeply present and curious, searching for underlying patterns and concerns to resolve conflict.”
Dr. Andrew Tatarsky has worked with people who struggle with drugs and their families for over 40 years.
A leader in the field, Dr. Tatarsky developed Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (IHRP) to address the spectrum of risky and addictive behavior. As the Director of Clinical Programming at Freedom Institute, Dr. Tatarsky will integrate the IHRP framework into the organization’s abstinence-based programs to develop a comprehensive, individualized, harm reduction-informed addiction treatment program. He is also responsible for the development and facilitation of internal and external IHRP training programs for individual practitioners and organizations.
A renowned clinician, educator, author, and advocate, Dr. Tatarsky aims to reinforce a re-humanized view of problematic substance use and provide a continuum of care that extends help to all those who need and want it. The principles of IHRP are described in his book, Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: A New Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Problems, which has been translated into three languages. Dr. Tatarsky has also led over 100 training, consulting, and teaching presentations across 20 countries.
Before joining Freedom Institute in 2024, Dr. Tatarsky served as the director of the Center for Optimal Living in New York City, which he founded in 2011. He has also worked as a consultant to a broad range of behavioral health organizations and practices.
Dr. Tatarsky holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the City University of New York and is a graduate of New York University’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. He is a long-time member of the Medical and Clinical Advisory Panels to the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and has contributed to the OASAS regulations that support a harm reduction approach.
Diana Fosha, PhD, is the developer of AEDP™ psychotherapy, a healing-based, transformation-oriented treatment model. And she is Founder and Director of the AEDP Institute. For the last 20 years, Diana has been active in promoting a scientific basis for a healing-oriented, attachment-emotion-transformation focused trauma treatment model. Fosha’s work focuses on integrating positive neuroplasticity, recognition science and developmental dyadic research into experiential and transformational clinical work with patients. Her most recent work focuses on promoting flourishing as a seamless part of the AEDP therapeutic process of transforming emotional suffering. Drawing on affective neuroscience, attachment theory, mother-infant developmental research, and research documenting the undreamed-of plasticity in the adult brain, AEDP is an experiential clinical practice which reflects the integration of science,research and practice in psychotherapy.Based in New York City, where she lives and practices, Fosha has been on the faculties of the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology of NYU and St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Medical Centers (now Mount Sinai) in NYC, and of the doctoral programs in clinical psychology at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University and at The City University of New York.She is the author of The Transforming Power of Affect: A Model for Accelerated Change (Basic Books, 2000);co-author, with Natasha Prenn, of Supervision Essentials for Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (APA, 2016); 1st editor, with Dan Siegel and Marion Solomon, of The Healing Power of Emotion: Affective Neuroscience, Development & Clinical Practice (Norton, 2009), and editor of the 2021 book on AEDP, Undoing Aloneness and the Transformation of Suffering into Flourishing: AEDP 2.0 (APA, 2021). Diana is the author of numerous articles on AEDP’s attachment-emotion-transformation focused experiential treatment model. She has contributed chapters to, among others, Clinical Pearls of Wisdom: 21 Leading Therapists Offer their Key Insights, edited by M. Kerman (Norton, 2009); Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders: An Evidence-Based Clinician’s Guide, edited by C. Courtois & J. D. Ford (Guilford, 2009); Healing Moments in Psychotherapy, edited by Dan Siegel and Marion Solomon (Norton, 2013); Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy: Accelerating Transformation, edited by Loizzo, Neale & Wolf (Norton, 2017), Moments of Meeting in Psychoanalysis: Interaction and Change in the Therapeutic Encounter, edited by Lord (Routledge: 2017) and The Comprehensive Handbook of Psychotherapy, Volume 1: Psychodynamic and Object Relations Therapies, edited by J. J. Magnavita (Wiley, 2002). Four DVDs of her live AEDP clinical work, including one documenting a complete 6-session treatment, and one on clinical supervision, have been issued by the American Psychological Association (APA). Learn more and purchase here.
Dan is a board-certified psychiatrist in private practice in New York City.
Dan completed his residency at MGH/McLean in Boston, where he received the Hackett Award for academic research. He subsequently completed a public psychiatry fellowship at Bellevue Hospital.
As a former English literature major who gravitates toward subjectivist and hermeneutical understandings of the mind, Dan is a “throwback” to the days when psychiatrists were versed in psychotherapeutic theory and methods, in addition to psychopharmacology. Upon discovering and training in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy since last year, Dan has been most thrilled to work with a medicine that can facilitate and enhance the psychotherapy process.
Dan recently opened a group psychiatry practice in the city called Acheron, where he trains therapists and treats patients using conventional and psychedelic psychiatry methods.
Dan lives in Park Slope with his spouse Amanda, a neuropsychology professor at Cornell Neurosurgery, and his two young sons, Jonah and Gabriel.
Michael G. Burbank has been a student of Robert Thurman and HH the XIV Dalai Lama for over 25 years, since his undergraduate years studying Eastern religions and cultures at Columbia University in the 90s. In February of 2002, he was invited to help the Thurmans and Tibet House start the newly acquired Menla retreat. Over the years, he worked variously as Menla's dishwasher, housekeeper, maintenance assistant, Front of House Manager, and Assistant Director, and since 2013 he has served as Menla's Director.Michael received the Kalachakra Tantra initiation from His Holiness the Dalai Lama twice--in 2003 and 2017--in Bodh Gaya, India. An avid life-long student and practitioner of Buddhism, Michael teaches classes at Menla and occasionally co-leads retreats. He is working in conjunction with a team of entrepreneurs and mindfulness teachers to launch Mindwell Labs, a for-profit mindfulness tech company intended to further the efforts of Tibet House US/Menla nationwide through a cutting edge health app that monitors anxiety. In his spare time, he works on spiritually-based screenplays and graphic novels, including most recently as letterer and co-author of Man of Peace: the Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama with William Meyers and Robert Thurman.