Episode 50 - Beyond Cookie-Cutter Protocols: Inna Zelikman's Comprehensive Approach to Ketamine and Psilocybin Therapy
MAPS-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner Inna Zelikman shares how her personal psychedelic healing journey transformed her approach to individualized ketamine and psilocybin patient care.
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Show Notes
What happens when a 20 year mental health veteran has her own existential crisis then undergoes her own psychedelic therapy? In Inna Zelikman's case, it completely transformed how she practices medicine.
Inna Zelikman, RN, MS, ANP, PMH-NP, is the Director of Integrative Mental Health at Recovery Without Walls and a MAPS certified MDMA practitioner. Five years ago, her own psychedelic healing journey changed everything about how she sees and treats patients. Now she's challenging the cookie cutter protocols that dominate our field in favor of what she calls an "organic" approach to treatment.
In this conversation, Inna shares her comprehensive patient assessment strategies, the medication categories that secretly block healing (even though they're not contraindications), and why some patients have profound psychedelic experiences but can still struggle.
From consulting with psilocybin centers in Oregon to treating ketamine addiction, Inna offers a nuanced perspective on the complexities of psychedelic medicine and why proper preparation, support, and integration actually matter for lasting results.
What You'll Learn:
🔹 Why doing your own healing work changes how you practice: Inna's personal journey and how it transformed her ability to truly see patient needs
🔹 Comprehensive assessment before treatment: evaluating family dynamics, support systems, and trajectory of care
🔹 The hidden medication barries: CNS depressants that don't contraindicate psychedelics but stall healing and integration
🔹 Set and setting beyond the treatment room: why the therapeutic container includes entire support systems
🔹 Real world psilocybin consulting: challenges and solutions for complex patients seeking therapy in Oregon
🔹 Psychedelics in recovery landscape - Understanding the historical bias in traditional recovery communities and emerging shifts toward acceptance of psychedelic therapy as legitimate treatment
Key Takeaways:
・Healthcare providers who address their own trauma may provide more effective patient care
・Ketamine therapy dosed based on individual patient response could benefit patients who don't improve with standard twice-weekly protocols
・Sleeping pills and benzodiazepines may prevent psychedelic therapy success even when not contraindicated
・Patients may need 1-4 weeks of integration support during the neuroplasticity window for optimal results
・Comprehensive patient assessment including family dynamics and support systems may improve treatment outcomes
・Traditional recovery communities may be slowly shifting attitudes toward psychedelic therapy, though bias still exists against viewing these treatments as legitimate healing tools rather than drug substitution
Episode 50 show notes:
00:00 Teaser - How Healing Informed Patient Care
00:28 Episode Introduction
02:16 What Drew Inna to Psychedelic Medicine
04:38 The Problems with Modern Psychiatry
07:38 Inna's Personal Transformation Story
11:53 The Hero's Journey to Healer's Journey
16:02 How Personal Healing Transformed Patient Care
17:08 Comprehensive Assessment Process
20:20 Beyond Cookie-Cutter Protocols
22:32 Ketamine Therapy Dosing Philosophy
26:00 Psilocybin Work and Vision Story
28:52 Oregon Psilocybin Industry Challenges
31:33 Set and Setting Beyond the Room
33:07 Patient Screening and Assessment Criteria
35:17 The Hidden Medication Problem
42:31 Managing Complicated Cases
49:33 Patient Examples
55:43 Psychedelics in Recovery and AA
1:00:04 Rapid Fire Personal Questions
1:03:18 Contact Information and Services
1:04:49 Closing Thoughts
1:05:56 Resources
Thanks for listening
📋 Educational Disclaimer: Content for licensed healthcare professionals only. Does not constitute medical advice. Always consult qualified professionals for specific patient care decisions and regulatory requirements.
Connect with Inna Zelikman RN, MS, ANP, PMH-NP:
📝 Complete show notes with resources and links, please visit www.ketaminestartup.com/podcast/episode-050
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