Pregnancy, Postpartum and Perinatal

Mental Health Counseling

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

Beth Brown, LICSW, PMH-C, RPYT, EMDR Certified

Certified in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (IPI)
Pentucket Perinatal Mental Health Coalition
North Shore MA, Seacoast NH

Community Served

I work with women in their childbearing years who are trying to conceive, are currently pregnant/postpartum or have small children. I currently only see regular therapy clients virtually using a HIPAA compliant telehealth platform called Simple Practice. However, I do see Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy clients in person at Arise Wellness in Newburyport, MA.

I am licensed in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire; you must be located in either state at the time of our appointment.

I specialize in treating the following:

Infertility, Loss and Grief

Sometimes, our reproductive journey does not go as planned. I use a well-researched trauma intervention called EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) to address and reduce stress related to fertility treatments, pregnancy loss and worries about the future. When trying to get pregnant and while pregnant, stress management is essential in helping your body to be at its best to conceive and carry a baby. And while grief takes time and space to heal, we can use EMDR can help smooth the way so that there are no roadblocks in the natural processing of loss.

Birth Trauma/Past Trauma

Traumatic experiences overwhelm our normal coping strategies and can lead to increased stress, depression, disappointment and fear. We can work to alleviate your symptoms and you can feel more in control of your life again.

Perinatal Depression/Anxiety/OCD

Are you pregnant or postpartum and feel sad, lonely, overwhelmed, irritable, angry, exhausted, restless, anxious, guilty, worried, out of control or are you thinking scary thoughts? You may be suffering from a perinatal mood disorder. It is estimated that 1 in 7 women suffer from Perinatal Depression, Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive. You are not alone. It’s not your fault. The good news is that these mood disorders are treatable. You will not feel this way forever. We can work together to alleviate your symptoms. You can begin to feel more like yourself, improve your confidence and enjoy life again.

“It’s in your power to create change in your life. Figure out what you need, then go after it.”

Healing requires us to slow down and be present.

THIS is the answer you have been seeking.

It has the power to transform how you feel in your body, your interactions with others, your work, play, and emotions.

It’s as simple as slowing down, being present and observing the sensations in your body.

Your body is naturally equipped to heal itself, following a specific pre-determined sequence of releasing stress. However, in our fast-paced world, we often resist this natural process by pushing away discomfort. Yet, if we allow it, healing unfolds organically.

This is easier said than done. Over time, we build up defenses to prevent this natural healing from occurring. We become experts at overthinking and avoidance. Imagine the urge to devour all the M&Ms in the drawer. What if, instead of giving in, you simply sat still and observed? You’d likely begin to notice uncomfortable sensations in your body – tightness in your chest or  jaw, a jittery feeling all over, a sinking feeling in your belly, tension in your throat.

What if I told you that these sensations are actually part of the nervous system’s normal stress processing? Animals do it instinctively, and we can too. But it requires slowing down and being present with what arises.

The modalities that I use in therapy, listed below, facilitate this natural process.

THIS is the path to healing.

Offerings

Pre-Pregnancy Prep: Paving the Path to Parenthood

Are you contemplating starting a family and want to ensure you’re bringing your best self to the journey of parenthood?

Let’s face it, none of us emerge from childhood without some emotional baggage. But here’s the thing: you have the power to break generational cycles and unhelpful patterns learned from your own upbringing. With a tailored array of cutting edge therapy techniques, we will dive deep into your past experiences to release the weight of old wounds that linger in your body. Together, we’ll liberate you from the heaviness, fear, and struggle, allowing you to step into parenthood with confidence and clarity. Through exploration and tailored treatment plans, we’ll identify and soften the defenses holding you back, paving the way for healing and integration.

It’s time to shed the burden of the past and embrace the opportunity to create a new legacy of wholeness and resilience for yourself and your future family.

Consider asking your loved ones to support your journey! Gift cards are available to facilitate your path towards healing and growth.

EMDR

I use EMDR with all of my clients as it is effective, evidenced-based and works in a much more profound, quicker way than talk therapy alone. EMDR allows you to unburden yourself from all of the history, distorted beliefs and baggage weighing you down. You can be the best version of yourself. If you would like to learn more about EMDR and make an investment in yourself and your future, please click here.

Adjunctive EMDR

I offer adjunctive EMDR sessions in half day and full day options for clients who are already seeing a therapist, but would like to work on a specific trauma. Clients must be stable with no suicidal ideation, able to regulate emotion and there must be a relationship established between myself and your current therapist. Please have your therapist call me directly to inquire if this option is a good fit for you.

EMDR Intensives

I offer EMDR intensives in half day and full day options for those who would like to address specific problems, memories or traumas in an intensive format. Intensives typically run in 3 hour blocks with short breaks and a full hour break for lunch. A 20% deposit is required to book an intensive. Intensive EMDR is not appropriate for everyone. Please call to see if this option is a good fit for you.

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR)

Using the latest neuroscience research, DBR aims to access and process traumatic experience by tracking the original sequence of physiological responses that occurred when the deep brain had been alerted to a threat or an attachment disruption. As humans, we have developed many creative cognitive, “thinking” ways to cope with aftermath of stressful situations, but these often get in the way of our nervous systems’ innate ability to release and process that stress. DBR enables us to go deep into our brain and allow that process to complete thus decreasing physical and emotional symptoms (eg. headache, jaw pain, stomach aches, anxiety, overwhelm, depression, intrusive thinking).

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

I offer both individual and group KAP at Arise Wellness in Newburyport, MA.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative treatment method that blends the prescription drug ketamine with psychotherapy. This combination serves as a catalyst, propeling and enhancing the healing process to create permanent change over time.

Ketamine temporarily increases the neurotransmitter glutamate and quiets the default mode network (DMN) in the brain, which helps your mind become more open and flexible, making it easier to explore new perspectives, insights, and solutions to long-standing challenges and break free of habitual thoughts and beliefs that limit you.

Group Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

For centuries, psychedelic medicines have been used in communal healing ceremonies. Even so, you might initially feel scared or too vulnerable to be in an altered state in a group setting. Yet group work holds immense healing potential. Compassion and support from peers can create a unique sense of connection and understanding. It’s a chance to address past relational wounds within a supportive community. We are dedicated to creating a safe, nurturing environment so that you might begin to explore new, more helpful relational patterns together.

I work in partnership with Ashley Mahoney from Arise Wellness to offer multiple types of group ketamine-assisted therapy experiences at her office in Newburyport, MA. Each of our groups consists of 4-6 participants with both Ashley and I in attendance. You must live in either New Hampshire or Massachusetts to participate.

Elevated Motherhood: Empowered Healing with Ketamine

Motherhood is a journey in growth. Through its trials and triumphs, we hope to emerge stronger and wiser, embracing our wholeness. In this group, we strive to affirm our identities as capable mothers, breaking free from limiting beliefs and oppressive cycles, rewriting our stories. Self-care takes precedence in this group, healing and nurturing ourselves so that we may mother our children from a place of balance and presence. This group is dedicated to you, your narratives, and your evolution as mothers.

This group meets regularly, depending on interest. The schedule is as follows:

Zoom Preparation Session: Held one week before the medicine session, lasting one hour

Medicine Session: 12 pm to 5 pm on Thursdays

Integration Session: 9 am to 11 am on Fridays

Cost: $650*

*does not include Medical Partner costs

Elevated Healers: Empowered Healing with Ketamine

This group is designed specifically for individuals in the healing professions who often grapple with burnout and compassion fatigue due to the consistent prioritization of others’ needs over their own. We recognize the importance of addressing burnout and offer this group as a sanctuary for healers to prioritize self-care and personal growth.

Our aim is to create a safe and supportive environment where you might explore the benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy, cultivate flexibility in thinking and foster meaningful connection within a community of peers. Through this journey, you may even rediscover your passion for healing work.

This group meets two weeks in a row and is scheduled multiple times a year, depending on interest. Our next Elevated Healers group is scheduled for April 4/5 and 11/12. [I need to be able to change this but I would like it highlighted somehow]

The schedule is as follows:

Zoom Preparation Session: Held one week before the medicine session, lasting one hour

First Week

Medicine Session: 12 pm to 5 pm on Thursdays

Integration Session: 9 am to 11 am on Fridays

Second Week

Medicine Session: 12 pm to 5 pm on Thursdays

Integration Session: 9 am to 11 am on Fridays

Cost: $1300*

*does not include Medical Partner costs

Private Group Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

For those that would like to explore the psychedelic and healing experience of ketamine with friends, a partner or family, we provide private group KAP experiences. Private groups are designed and scheduled upon inquiry.

Individual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

I provide one-on-one ketamine-assisted therapy sessions upon request for both current clients and individuals already working with a therapist but seeking to expedite their healing process. Typically, an individual medicine session lasts 3 hours. For my existing clients, preparation and integration are seamlessly incorporated into their regular sessions. For those under the care of other therapists, there would be at least one preparation session and one integration session, tailored to their specific needs.

Cost: $200/hour*

*does not include Medical Partner costs

Medical Partners

For those of you who reside in Massachusetts, I work with an organization called Journey Clinical, which has a specialized medical team that determines eligibility for KAP, prescribes ketamine lozenges and supports us in monitoring outcomes. Journey Clinical charges $250 for their medical assessment and $85 for enough ketamine to do 2 KAP sessions, including shipping.

For those of you who reside in New Hampshire, I am honored to partner with Shauna Sedler, PMHNP from Birdseye Wellness in Biddeford, Maine to determine eligibility for KAP, prescribe ketamine lozenges and support us in monitoring outcomes. Shauna charges $250 for a medical assessment and then sends your ketamine prescription to a compounding pharmacy in Kittery, ME. The cost of enough ketamine for 2 KAP sessions will be approximately $80, including shipping.

Find more information about Ketamine and KAP here. To begin the ketamine-assisted therapy with me, please complete this form.

EMDR & Perinatal Mental Health Case Consultation (for therapists only)

For clinicians trained in EMDR, I offer individual and group EMDR consultation. I am a Consultant-in-Training working with Mara Tesler Stein, completed my basic training with Deany Laliotis and EMDR certification consultation with Sheryl Aaron. I have completed trainings on dissociation, R-Tep/G-TEP, relational/attachment focused EMDR, EMDR/ERP/ego states, somatic therapy and OCD.

For clinicians working with perinatal women, I also offer individual perinatal case consultation.

I work only with perinatal clients in my private practice in NH/MA and use EMDR as my primary treatment modality. I charge $125 for an hour of consultation and use Simple Practice telehealth as a platform.

If you are interested in learning more future EMDR Group Consultation, please sign up for my email list here.