Ketamine-Assisted Therapy: Journeying Inward

At Soul Strides, ketamine-assisted therapy is a core element of our retreats, offering a unique and deeply reflective experience for participants. Ketamine promotes neuroplasticity, which allows the brain to create new pathways, essential for healing from trauma, depression, and anxiety. Unlike traditional therapy, ketamine can help individuals reach a deeper level of emotional exploration by quieting mental chatter and providing access to areas of the subconscious that are often hard to reach.

During the ketamine journey, participants are supported in exploring their internal landscapes in a safe and nurturing environment. This inner reflection often brings to light personal insights and emotional breakthroughs, which are essential steps on the path toward healing. At Soul Strides, we ensure that each ketamine experience is accompanied by proper preparation and integration, allowing participants to make sense of their inner journeys and apply those insights in their daily lives.

Equus Coaching: Bringing Insights to Life

While ketamine therapy offers profound inward reflection, Equus Coaching brings those insights into external reality. Horses are highly sensitive to human emotions and energy, allowing them to mirror the participant’s emotional state. Guided by this feedback, participants are able to engage with their inner discoveries and bring them into tangible form through their interactions with the horses.

Horses act as emotional mirrors, reflecting participants’ energy and helping them understand subconscious patterns and emotional states. The HeartMath research explains that when individuals enter a state of coherence—where emotions and physiological states are balanced—their internal systems stabilize, radiating more coherent electromagnetic fields. Horses, with their naturally coherent heart patterns, are attuned to these shifts, providing immediate feedback during the Equus Coaching sessions. This interaction allows participants to externalize their internal changes and feel supported in the process of self-awareness and growth.

Group Process: The Wisdom of the Herd

The third pillar of our retreats is the group process, where participants come together in a safe and supportive communal environment. Just as horses operate in herds, the group process creates a “herd” of humans who share in the healing journey together. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences from the ketamine journey and Equus Coaching, allowing them to be witnessed by others while witnessing the journeys of fellow participants.

This communal aspect amplifies the healing process by fostering empathy, connection, and shared growth. The group process provides a container where participants can integrate their individual experiences, reflect on the collective wisdom of the group, and build emotional resilience through the shared support of the “herd.” The group becomes a space where participants can explore new insights and emotional shifts with the understanding that they are not alone in their journeys.

At Soul Strides, we believe that healing should be accessible to all, regardless of financial means. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, our mission is to ensure that the ability to pay does not prevent anyone from accessing the healing potential of our retreats. We invite those who benefit from their transformation to pay it forward, growing our community and expanding our mission of empathy, connection, and lasting positive change.

We are committed to creating a compassionate and inclusive environment where every participant can stride toward their soul’s true potential.

For more information about our transformative retreats, visit the Soul Strides website, learn more about Alison Hunter’s work at Alison Hunter Therapy, and check out the full press release here.

Join us at Soul Strides and discover the healing power of ketamine therapy, Equus Coaching, and the wisdom of the herd. Together, we can create a community rooted in transformation and lasting growth.

What is Soul Strides Journey?

At Soul Strides, we integrate the therapeutic effects of psychedelic therapy—using ketamine—with the wisdom of Equus Coaching (equine-assisted therapy) and the healing power of group process work. Together, these three pillars provide a gentle, supportive environment where participants can experience meaningful transformation in a safe and nurturing space.

• Ketamine Therapy: The ketamine journey offers a space for inward reflection, where participants can gently explore their inner world and connect with deeper layers of themselves, allowing for emotional release and healing.
• Equus Coaching: In the second phase, equine-assisted therapy helps bring the insights from the ketamine experience into conscious awareness. Horses, being highly attuned to human energy, provide real-time feedback and assist in bringing hidden patterns into light with compassion and clarity.
• Group Process: The group process serves as the final pillar, offering the wisdom of the collective in a nurturing and supportive container. Participants share their experiences, witnessing and being witnessed by others, which enhances healing through the shared journey of connection and understanding.

How Soul Strides Came to Be

During the interview, I shared how Alison and I combined our individual passions for these healing modalities. Through Soul Strides, we offer retreats designed to help participants reconnect with their true selves in a supportive and non-judgmental space, guided by the synergy of these three pillars.

The combination of ketamine therapy, equine-assisted therapy, and group process creates a comprehensive experience that addresses the emotional, psychological, and physical aspects of healing in a gentle and integrative way.

Why This Combination Works

Ketamine helps create new pathways in the brain, supporting healing from trauma, anxiety, and depression. Equus Coaching adds a layer of real-time, non-verbal communication with horses, reflecting the participant’s emotional state and helping them bring their inner insights into the world in a supportive manner.

The group process deepens the experience by offering a compassionate and safe space where participants share their journeys with others. The power of being seen and supported by a group helps solidify the healing process, fostering connection and understanding.

Learn More About Soul Strides

In the interview, I share more about how these three pillars work together to create a nurturing and transformative healing experience. You can read the full interview and learn more about this collaboration by following the link below.

Read the Interview with Tricycle Day & Henry Winslow Here

If you’re curious about how ketamine therapy, equine-assisted therapy, and group process can support your healing journey, feel free to reach out. We’d love to share more about our upcoming retreats and how you can join us for this nurturing experience.

At Soul Strides, we believe that by combining these three pillars, we offer an integrative and compassionate path to healing that supports every aspect of well-being.