Cultivating the Joy of Sexuality & Intimacy: a Ketamine-assisted Retreat for Couples

Cultivating the Joy of Sexuality & Intimacy: a Ketamine-assisted Retreat for Couples | October 2023

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October

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Menla with Guest Facilitators: Sylvia Rosenfeld LCSW and Tammy Nelson PhD

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This is a safe, structured retreat 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 couples retreat is rooted in fostering effective communication . This immersive experience empowers couples to explore the nuances of their relationship, understand each other's needs, and navigate challenges together. It's about cultivating an intimate bond through shared understanding and open dialogue, that we call noble comunication. We believe that clear and compassionate communication forms the foundation of healthy relationships. By honing these skills, couples can enhance their partnership, leading to increased pleasure, shared joy, and a profound sense of connection.

This retreat utilizes ketamine as a conduit to delve into the depths of our existence, facilitating a safe and loving communication of the sexual and intimate needs and experiences in your relationship with your partner. Sexual energy is the fundamental energy of our being; when it's impeded, we are unable to attain our full potential. As sexual energy flows, life follows suit, influencing not only our sexuality, but also our health and happiness.

We invite you to break old patterns and habits by discovering your own impediments to joy and well being in spite of ongoing stresses and distractions of everyday life, and by the accumulated weight of trauma, alienation and cultural forces which can impede our access to joy, pleasure, presence and connection. Ketamine assisted sessions may help you open the doors of the mind, heart and body to what lies within, however lost or disengaged you may feel from these parts of yourself. Ketamine is an effective and safe medicine that can assist you to become aware in a new, clearer way, often with reduced defensiveness and increased insight and self acceptance. Mindfulness and meditation practices are taught and practiced throughout this retreat; these are skills we need for improved self regulation of emotions and thoughts, and can support the ability to meet each moment with equanimity and grace.

The retreat is structured to help individuals to step into realms of deep personal and interpersonal connection in a group setting with like-minded others. Participants who have, or wish to develop skillful means to navigate non-ordinary states of consciousness and a commitment to depth psychological/embodied work in a group setting are invited to apply for this retreat. No experience with psychedelic medicines or Ketamine is necessary for admission. All applications begin with a screening call to determine if this retreat is a good fit for you.

Combining Ketamine with mindfulness and meditative practices offers a deep dive into a more conscious and purposeful life. These guided practices are designed to bring you home to yourself and to bring safety, resilience and aliveness into your life experience. Regardless of what is unfolding moment to moment, we each have an innate capacity and inner wisdom to choose to be present, to practice compassion and kindness with ourselves and recognize the healing power of pleasure and joy in our lives.

As noted, participation in this retreat begins with an initial screening interview (conducted by Jayne Gumpel), followed by a more extensive conversation and application process.

Safety is a core priority, including the exploration of what safety means for each individual. We strive to be certain that every individual attending has the readiness to be in a group setting and to experience Ketamine in a safe and constructive manner. Please note: this retreat is not a brief residential treatment. It is not meant for anyone suffering from an acute mental health crisis, nor is it for those with severe and persistent psychiatric conditions.

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‍Steps to join:

Step 1. Fill out the initial registration form and we will contact you for the phone or Zoom screening call. This 15 minute screening call is designed to determine if this retreat is a good fit for you, to answer questions you might have, and so forth.

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 (not room and board).

Step 3. After a successful screening you will be assigned to one of the physicians attending the retreat for a medical interview. This interview is 60 minutes. There is a $500 fee for this couples medical interview paid directly to the medical provider. This fee includes the cost of prescribing the ketamine to you, which is done on an individual basis. This medical assessment is essential and may include our speaking with your psychotherapist or prescribing psychopharmacologist.

Step 4. After your deposit is received, a zoom preparation session will follow, with one of the group facilitators. The purpose of the preparation session is for us to get to know you better and provide education to you regarding the retreat. We will assign the session after receiving your deposit.

Step 5. When the steps above are completed, you will need to reserve your room accommodations (private or semi-private room) and board (delicious vegetarian and vegan meals) at Frontdesk@MENLA.org. You will be provided a code to register.

Step 6. You will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement that delineates our request that you hold the names/identities of other participants as confidential. There will also be an Informed Consent document which we ask you to read carefully and sign. This process (Informed Consent) describes risks inherent in participation in retreats such as this one. Additionally we will be requiring you to sign a standard indemnity release form, which is required by the Menla Retreat guidelines.

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