Psychedelic Integration with Alexa Iya Soro
Psychedelic Integration is about so much more than just processing the content of your journey. It's an ongoing process of embracing all that you are, all that you can become, and learning how to live your most purposeful life. Integration involves uncovering and honoring your core values, true passions, and deepest pain, guiding your life towards the north star of your personal truth.
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With a highly personalized and heart-centered approach, Alexa empowers you with the tools and practices essential for continued growth and self-discovery.
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Through both talk therapy and experiential mindfulness, Alexa utilizes modalities such as Depth Psychology, Internal Family Systems, Relational/Cultural Therapy, and Yin Yoga Therapy. She incorporates techniques like nervous system entrainment, neuroscience-psycho-education, and the appropriate implementation of mythology, ritual, and ancestral connection.
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Alexa serves as a psychedelic integration counselor, creativity coach, grief companion, ceremony facilitator, and death doula. She draws on her Master’s in Holistic Counseling & Eco-Expressive Arts, a Bachelor’s degree in Humanistic Psychology from Brown University, and over ten years on the path of ritual healing, grief processing, and plant medicine.
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Learn more about Alexa's background and credentials.
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Keywords: Internal Family Systems (IFS), Depth Psychology, Spiritual Guidance, Nervous System Regulation, Emotional Literacy, Neurobiology of Change
The Sacred Counsel Approach ​​
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Identifying core beliefs and cultural frameworks in the context of the journey setting
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Crafting meaningful intentions and managing expectations
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Practical strategies for resilience and adaptability
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Tool for self-regulation and internal resourcing
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Techniques for understanding and applying non-ordinary experiences in ordinary life.
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Developing an actionable plan for implementing change, with accountability support
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Plans for long-term growth, community support, and identifying the next steps on your journey.​​​​​​
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Upon registration for a multi-session plan, you will be directed our booking calendar.
At the end of your first call, you and Alexa and will a time for your subsequent calls.
We try to remain flexible to accommodate life's unknowns.
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​​​ Areas of Focus:
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Emotional Processing: Assisting individuals in navigating and integrating complex emotions experienced during psychedelic journeys.
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Neuroplasticity Education: Understanding how psychedelics can promote brain changes that facilitate healing and personal growth.
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Mindset and Intention Setting: Establishing a positive and constructive mindset before experiences to enhance therapeutic outcomes.
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Safe Integration Practices: Techniques for incorporating insights gained from psychedelic experiences into daily life.
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Educational Workshops: Offering information on psychedelics, their effects, and the science behind their therapeutic potential.
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Nervous System Regulation: Providing techniques to cope with daily stressors, anxiety, and depression. Supporting individuals experiencing depressive symptoms or mood fluctuations.
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Trauma Healing: Facilitating the safe exploration of past traumas and developing coping strategies by resourcing from your environment.
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Relationship Healing & Couples Counseling: Providing tools to bring clear awareness to relationship patterns, enhance communication, and resolve conflicts in personal and professional relationships.
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Exploring Animistic Modalities and the Unseen Realm: Building sustaining supportive relationships with spiritual and natural allies of your local land, as well as developing intuition.
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​​ What To Expect:
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Personalized, Compassionate Support: Engage in tailored sessions that meet your unique needs and goals, ensuring a truly personalized journey.
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Trauma-Informed Care: Benefit from a compassionate approach that recognizes and respects the impact of trauma, fostering a safe and healing environment.
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Empowerment: Cultivate a stronger sense of agency and confidence as you navigate life's complexities, empowering you to take charge of your healing journey.
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Integrative Approach: Experience a comprehensive blend of traditional therapeutic methods, Functional Medicine, and psychedelic experiences that facilitate holistic healing.
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Present-Moment Focus: Utilize gestalt theory to emphasize healing and processing in the present moment, enhancing self-awareness and personal growth.
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Coping Strategies: Access effective, practical tools and techniques for managing stress, anxiety, and emotional challenges, tailored to your specific situation.
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Holistic Healing: Develop your unique pathway to wellness through the integration of plant medicine and diverse therapeutic practices, designed to support overall well-being.
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Luciano
Rhode Island, USA
"Alexa is an immensely talented therapist. She really helped me think outside of the box I had created around my life, and helped
me discover things about myself I probably never would have found otherwise."
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​Neuroplasticity & The Science of Psychedelic Integration
The days and weeks after a psychedelic experience is when neuroplasticity is at it's highest, meaning this is optimal time for creating new neuropathways in the brain. New neuropathways translate to new ways of thinking, new perspectives, and a chance to re-examine long-held beliefs about ourselves and others. In other words, psychedelic integration therapy helps you rewire your automatic, default behaviors and emotional reactions that don't always serve us well in life.
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Psychedelics like ayahuasca, psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and others have shown remarkable effects on neuroplasticity. Recent studies suggest that these substances can promote the growth of new neurons and synapses, particularly in areas linked to mood regulation and emotional processing, like the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Research published in Nature in 2021 demonstrated that psilocybin increases the expression of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is crucial for neuron growth and survival. Another study in Cell Reports in 2022 found that psychedelics can enhance the connectivity between brain regions, leading to more flexible thinking and improved problem-solving abilities. These findings indicate that psychedelics may not only provide therapeutic benefits for mental health conditions like depression and PTSD but also encourage a more adaptable and resilient brain over time.
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The psychedelic integration process is unique to each individual and can take many forms. It may involve capture insights, creative expression through art or music, meditation to foster mindfulness, or engaging in discussions with trained professionals who understand the nuances of psychedelic experiences. Scientific literature highlights the role of therapeutic integration in enhancing emotional regulation and facilitating personal insights (Nutt et al., 2019). Our experienced team at Sacred Counsel provides a safe and supportive environment where you can explore your feelings and thoughts related to your journey. Through open dialogue and compassionate guidance, we help you navigate the complexities of your experiences, empowering you to find meaning and direction. This process often includes setting goals for personal growth and developing tools for managing challenges, ensuring you feel equipped to move forward with confidence.
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The Research
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The neural basis of psychedelic action (Nature Neuroscience)
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The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteers (Frontiers in Human Neuroscience)
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Increased low-frequency brain responses to music after psilocybin therapy for depression (Journal of Affective Disorders)
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Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression (Frontiers in Pharmacology)
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Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal (Cell Reports Medicine)
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Therapeutic use of psilocybin: Practical considerations for dosing and administration (Frontiers in Psychiatry)
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Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo (Neuron)
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Psychedelics and Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review Unraveling the Biological Underpinnings of Psychedelics (Frontiers in Psychiatry)
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Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression (The New England Journal of Medicine)
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Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder (JAMA Psychiatry)
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The costs and benefits of psychedelics on cognition and mood (Neuron)