Palo Santo Psychotherapy Blends Clinical and Holistic Mental Health Care

Exploring Palo Santo Psychotherapy and Wellness

In recent years, more mental health professionals have been integrating alternative and holistic approaches into traditional talk therapy treatments. This has given rise to progressive modes of therapy like ecotherapy, naturopathic psychotherapy, and nature-based counseling among others. One such provider taking this integrative route is Palo Santo Psychotherapy and Wellness based in San Francisco, CA.

Palo Santos Therapeutic Offerings

Founded in 2015 by marriage and family therapist Dr. Veronica Lopez, PsyD and functional nutritionist Olivia Audax, Palo Santo Psychotherapy and Wellness offers clients diverse options for tackling mental health conditions. Their services include:

• Individual, couples, and family psychotherapy
• Ketamine-assisted therapy
• Psychedelic integration therapy
• Naturopathic mental health support
• Somatic therapy
• Life coaching
• Group therapy and classes
• Corporate wellness programs

Palo Santos Therapeutic Approach

Unlike conventional therapy clinics, Palo Santo doesnt adhere to a rigid, one-size-fits-all structure. They custom-design a personal treatment plan for each client based on:

• Their symptoms, diagnosis, experiences
• Treatment goals
• Lifestyle, preferences, values
• Metabolic needs, physiology
• Holistic wellness evaluation

By getting an extensive assessment of body and mind, they determine how to blend both alternative and clinical techniques for optimal results whether that includes talk therapy, ecotherapy time in nature, somatic experiencing, nutrition plans or psychedelic-assisted sessions.

Ketamine-Assisted Therapy at Palo Santo

One of Palo Santo's particularly unique offerings is medically-supervised ketamine therapy paired with psychotherapy for enhanced outcomes. Ketamine is an anesthetic medically administered at sub-anesthetic doses to treat mental health conditions like:

• Major depressive disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Anxiety disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Suicidal ideations

During ketamine sessions, clients experience a dreamlike, detached mental state allowing them to process traumatic experiences, limiting beliefs, or entrenched thought patterns with fresh perspective. Integration therapy pre and post-sessions anchors their realizations into everyday life.

Other Key Palo Santo Therapies

Along with ketamine-assisted therapy, Palo Santo incorporates other alternative modalities into client sessions including:

Ecotherapy

Spending therapeutic time immersed in nature whether hiking, gardening, or quiet reflection. This lowers stress hormones, elevates mood boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin, and promotes psychological healing.

Somatic Therapy

Using the body-mind connection to raise bodily awareness regarding trauma, emotional triggers, thought patterns or behaviors negatively impacting health and relationships.

Life Coaching

Setting intentional short and long-term life goals then determining actionable steps towards manifesting personal, professional, financial or relationship aspirations.

The Benefits of Palo Santos Integrative Approach

Carefully combining both clinical and alternative therapeutic techniques equips Palo Santos therapists to treat root mental health issues prompting symptoms along with the downstream impacts those problems create relating to lifestyle, relationships, health behaviors, work performance, life balance and more.

Specifically, benefits of Palo Santos integrative model include:

Comprehensive Wellness Support

From counseling to somatic healing to medical psychedelic sessions, Palo Santo customizes diverse therapies for robust mental health support while also coaching healthier daily functioning given lifestyle closely influences wellbeing.

Treating the Whole Person

Rather than only focus on symptoms tied to a diagnosis, Palo Santo maps out an in-depth profile of each client encompassing backstory, trauma, physiological health, nutrition, beliefs, environment, support network and more to understand barriers to thriving.

Ongoing Patient Education

Palo Santo therapists dont simply instruct clients what to do between sessions. They have meaningful conversations explaining how certain therapies help rewire the brain, balance hormones, process memories or instill empowering beliefs for lasting change.

Personalized Guidance and Accountability

Clients receive tailored action steps to progress healing uniquely suited to enhancing their strengths while overcoming their challenges. Therapists proactively follow-up on progress between visits.

Palo Santo Founders Philosophies on Mental Health

In a 2021 interview, Palo Santo co-founders Dr. Lopez and Audax shared core perspectives shaping their clinics integrative therapy approach including:

Mental Health Requires Ongoing Care

Lopez emphasizes that wellbeing is a lifelong, winding journey rather than a one-stop solution. Clients move gradually toward self-actualization and thriving through consistent therapeutic check-ins, behavior changes, expanded self-awareness and crisis support during setbacks.

Lasting Change Emerges From Within

True healing begins from inside-out through transforming consciousness and self-perception notes Audax. Therefore, Palo Santo prioritizes helping clients know, accept and believe in their inner wisdom using modalities like mindfulness, somatic therapy and holistic counseling.

Body, Mind, Spirit Wellbeing are Connected

Because physiology, thoughts, emotions and purpose profoundly impact each other, Palo Santo designs treatment plans supporting clients physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. This facilitates lasting improvements.

As a result of these perspectives honoring whole person wellbeing, Palo Santo stands out as a truly comprehensive psychotherapy and wellness center.

Palo Santo Client Reviews and Testimonials

On sites like Yelp, ZocDoc, Google and Psychology Today, Palo Santo earns consistent 5-star reviews with clients highlighting:

Accommodating Therapist Availability and Flexibility

Unlike large clinics, clients never wait weeks between appointments. Therapists readily offer extra sessions if clients face sudden life challenges and need more frequent support.

Soothing Treatment Atmosphere

Reviewers describe Palo Santos therapy spaces as warm, welcoming, calming and beautifully designed to relax clients from first arrival until check-out.

Genuine Therapist Attentiveness and Empathy

Clients feel genuinely heard, seen and emotionally accompanied on their healing journey thanks to therapists compassion and presence during vulnerable discussions.

Given this deeply supportive atmosphere and pioneering integrative therapies, its clear why clients continually rate Palo Santo so glowingly as a mental health destination facilitating lasting wellbeing.

Palo Santo Continues Expanding Care Offerings

As alternative therapies gain clinical validity and widespread interest grows in using holistic models to treat mental illness, Palo Santo actively explores additional offerings integrating psycho-spiritual healing elements such as:

Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy

Pending FDA phase 3 clinical trial outcomes proving safety and efficacy, they hope to provide psilocybin therapy for clients with treatment-resistant depression, end-of-life anxiety or addictions.

Mahamudra Meditation

This Tibetan Buddhist practice reveals innate awareness of non-conceptual wisdom states. It repatterns neural networks associated with trauma, fear or distorted thinking over time.

Practitioners of Indigenous Medicine

Palo Santo wishes to collaborate with healers trained in ancient plant-medicine traditions to offer psychedelic-supported mental health care aligned with specific cultural worldviews.

By proactively seeking emerging therapies resonating with their goal of whole person wellbeing, Palo Santos providers demonstrate deep commitment to expanding how psychotherapy looks, feels and functions via an integrative model.

Conclusion

Through diversifying talk therapy approaches using techniques like nature immersion, ketamine therapy, health coaching, somatic experiencing and more, Palo Santo Psychotherapy and Wellness empowers lasting mental health improvements unreachable through conventional clinical means alone. Their integrative methods, five-star client reviews and trailblazing offerings cement their standing as one of Californias most pioneering wellness clinics.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.