For Physicians

Our Programs

Roots to Thrive

Ketamine (group)

A 12 week community of practice program, weaving together the medicines of unconditional positive regard, community, and ketamine assisted therapy to find our way back to wholeness

Highlights

  • 12 weekly virtual community of practice meetings
  • Small group supported by two regulated professionals
  • 3 ketamine-assisted therapy sessions with your small group
  • Multiple integration and education sessions
  • Physician referral required by a primary care physician (Family Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or treating Psychiatrist)
  • Please note: out of province participants are subject to a higher price

Program Cost: $5850 + tax

Roots to Thrive

Psilocybin (group)

An 8-10 week community of practice program, weaving together the medicines of unconditional positive regard, community, and psilocybin assisted therapy to navigate the complexities of end-of-life distress.

Highlights

  • 8-10 weekly virtual community of practice meetings
  • Small group supported by two regulated professionals
  • 1 psilocybin-assisted therapy session with your small group
  • Multiple education and integration sessions
  • Physician referral required
  • Please note:  out of province participants are subject to a higher price

Program Cost: $2800 + tax

Roots to Thrive

Training: KAT Experiential Intensive

Roots to Thrive (RTT) Experiential Training is designed for experienced clinicians and therapists already trained in psychedelic theory and still require a lived experience with psychedelic medicine and want an opportunity to apply theoretical learning to the supervised practice environment by supporting another in non-ordinary states. This 45-hour training intensive is a blend of virtual and in-person sessions for an experience in medicine (ketamine) and supporting another in non-ordinary states.

Highlights

This arm of Roots to Thrive (RTT) programming includes 45 hours of treatment and training in a supervised practice environment (In person weekend on Vancouver Island, BC).

The Curriculum is a blend of virtual and in person:

  • 2 Virtual KAT prep sessions.
  • In person:  offering of 2 KAT experiences as a participant and 2 KAT experiences as a supporter.
  • Virtual Integration session
  • RTT Facilitated sessions:  2 prep sessions and 1 integration session surrounding KAT experiences
  • Peer Facilitated sessions:  One 1:1 prep session and one 1:1 integration session

REQUIREMENTS TO PARTICIPATE: Physician referral form (will receive upon registration), verification of psychedelic medicine theory completion, verification of experience as a mental health practitioner.

MINIMUM PARTICIPATION:  Roots to Thrive is a non-profit organization and requires a certain number of participants to put the training on to ensure we are able to cover our costs.

READY TO REGISTER? go to the apply section and fill in your information.  For program select “RTT Training: Experiential Intensive” and for Cohort select “Training Experiential Intensive: Cohort 1”.  Once you register you will receive a follow up email with further directions.

Email krys@rootstothrive.com with any questions.

Program Cost: $4500 + tax

Program Eligibility

Unique eligibility requirements exist for each of our programs

Roots to Thrive

Ketamine (group)

A 12 week community of practice program, weaving together the medicines of unconditional positive regard, community, and ketamine assisted therapy to find our way back to wholeness

Prerequisites

  • PTSD
  • Depression
  • Substance use disorder
  • Anxiety
  • Disordered eating
  • Disordered sleep

Exclusions

  • Uncontrolled or untreated hypertension (above 150/90)
  • Some hepatic disorders (reviewed case by case)
  • Some kidney disorders (reviewed case by case)
  • Some vascular disorders (reviewed case by case)
  • Presence of active psychotic symptoms
  • Dementia
  • Delirium
  • Inability to tolerate group work
  • Extreme emotional instability
  • Ketamine allergy
  • Pregnancy
  • Medications that reduce the effectiveness of Ketamine:
    • Benzodiazepines
    • Lamotrigine
    • Buprenorphine

Roots to Thrive

Psilocybin (group)

An 8-10 week community of practice program, weaving together the medicines of unconditional positive regard, community, and psilocybin assisted therapy to navigate the complexities of end-of-life distress.

Prerequisites

  • Terminal diagnosis with limited life expectancy
  • Ambulatory
  • eGFR >20 ml/min
  • AST < 3xULN and bilirubin <50 umol/L
  • Emotional distress that has not successfully responded to other treatments: other treatments failed, patient could not tolerate other treatments, patient is unable to access other treatments, or patient refused other treatments for reasons acceptable to our treatment team. 
  • Patient demonstrates comprehension sufficient for understanding the consent form.

Exclusions

  • Treatment in clinical trial where psilocybin would exclude patient from continuing to recieve treatment.
  • Pregnancy or lactation
  • Poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes
  • Currently taking on a daily basis: investigational agents, or  MAO inhibitors. 
    • Patients taking MAO-A inhibitors (especially the irreversible inhibitors) will require a minimum 2-week washout period. The possible concern over serotonin syndrome with these agents is not well documented in the literature, however the long interval before MAO is replenished may warrant a cautious approach based on the patient’s risk factors and warrants oversight from the MRP (Most Responsible Physician)
    • Patients taking MAO-B inhibitors should be assessed on a case by case basis as there is a potential for a heightened response and warrants oversight from the MRP.
  • Active uncontrolled epilepsy. 
  • Cancer has central nervous system involvement. 
  • Paraneoplastic syndrome or a tumor with ectopic hormone production which may place the patient at risk for hypercalcemia, Cushing’s syndrome, or SIADH secretion. 
  • Uncontrolled cardiovascular conditions: uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled angina, a clinically significant ECG abnormality (e.g. QT prolongation). 
  • Uncontrolled vascular disease (such as TIA in the last 3-6 months, stroke with loss in mental status, peripheral or pulmonary vascular disease with active claudication). 
  • Severity of depression or anxiety symptoms warranting immediate emergent treatment with antidepressant or daily anxiolytic medication (e.g., due to suicidal ideation) as these patients would require immediate referral to community psychiatry.
  • Current or past history of meeting DSM-5 criteria for (the following diagnoses must have been confirmed by a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist):
    • Schizophrenia; 
    • Psychotic Disorder (unless substance-induced or due to a medical condition); 
    • Borderline Personality Disorder; 
    • Bipolar I Disorder; 
    • Bipolar II Disorder; 
    • Other psychiatric conditions judged to be incompatible with establishment of rapport or safe exposure to psilocybin. 
    • Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder may be considered after a psychiatric consult.
    • Bipolar I would require more in-depth investigation in relation to the history of manic episodes.
  • Meet DSM-5 criteria for Dissociative Disorder 
  • Concurrent use of illicit drugs causing ongoing intoxication 
  • Unstable housing conditions (homelessness)

Conditions requiring special psychiatric consideration:

  • First degree relatives meet DSM-5 criteria for Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia.

Roots to Thrive

Training: KAT Experiential Intensive

Roots to Thrive (RTT) Experiential Training is designed for experienced clinicians and therapists already trained in psychedelic theory and still require a lived experience with psychedelic medicine and want an opportunity to apply theoretical learning to the supervised practice environment by supporting another in non-ordinary states. This 45-hour training intensive is a blend of virtual and in-person sessions for an experience in medicine (ketamine) and supporting another in non-ordinary states.

Prerequisites

A diagnosis of one or more of the following:

  • PTSD
  • Depression
  • Substance use disorder
  • Anxiety
  • Disordered eating
  • Disordered sleep

Exclusions

  • Uncontrolled or untreated hypertension (above 150/90)
  • Some hepatic disorders (reviewed case by case)
  • Some kidney disorders (reviewed case by case)
  • Some vascular disorders (reviewed case by case)
  • Presence of active psychotic symptoms
  • Dementia
  • Delirium
  • Inability to tolerate group work
  • Extreme emotional instability
  • Ketamine allergy
  • Pregnancy
  • Medications that reduce the effectiveness of Ketamine:
    • Benzodiazepines
    • Lamotrigine
    • Buprenorphine

Intake Process

Step 1

You send in your patient’s referral form.

Step 2

Our intake team meets with the potential participant to ensure they understand the program and have the ability to participate

Step 3

Our mental health team ensures the potential participant fits our inclusion criteria and has the capacity to participate

Step 4

Our medical team ensures it is safe for the participant to have ketamine or psilocybin assisted therapy

Research

Click below to read our most recent research findings.

FAQs

We work collaboratively with the participants’ primary mental health care provider to ensure collaborative safe care. This is a time limited program which compliments other forms of treatment. This is not a substitute for other forms of care and expect participants to maintain a relationship with their care team outside of Roots to Thrive including their referring provider.

  • The program is not yet covered. Some of the physician fees are.
  • WorkSafe has covered some participants.