FOUNDER, PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Before venturing into the ketamine space, Ted Riskin already had deep experience in all of the elements of this program. Certified in Holotropic Breathwork by Grof Transpersonal Training, he has offered regular breathwork workshops in many locations since 1997, even adopting the model to offer it online throughout the pandemic. He is certified in Internal Family Systems, having completed all three levels of the training, as well as being a program assistant in both levels one and two. He co-developed a course called Essentials of Internal Family Systems, which has been offered to therapists continuously since 2017. He has seriously explored non-ordinary states of consciousness, accessed by a variety of methods, for over 25 years. In addition, he has led therapeutic process groups continuously since 1994, integrating through the years a focus on relationships, communication, Core Energetics, and IFS. He is a facilitator of ecstatic dance and a board member of the Asheville Movement Collective. Learn more here.

FACILITATOR

Amy Borskey Duffer is a Board-Certified Dance/movement Therapist, Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor, and a Psychedelic Integration and Transformational Recovery Coach, certified by Being True to You. She has been exploring the use of psychedelics and non-ordinary states of consciousness for healing and expansion since 2019. While all aspects of the psychedelic journey are important, she has particular interest in the integration phase — exploring how to take what is learned during an experience into our lives to achieve growth and wholeness. Amy has extensive experience in holding loving space for seekers of peace and healing with a background in both group and individual therapy work. Amy lives just outside of Asheville with her husband, son, dog, and a bunch of chickens. You can find out more about her and her work here.

CO-FOUNDER, PSYCHEDELIC FACILITATOR

Sarah Levine is a psychedelic facilitator whose passion is in helping others intentionally prepare for, navigate, and integrate psychedelic and non ordinary experiences. She is a Certified Psychedelic Integration and Transformational Recovery Coach with Being True To You, and she has worked with over 300 clients as a Psychedelic Guide with Mindbloom, a telemedicine ketamine clinic. Sarah is Tripsitters trained, trauma-informed, and is a certified herbalist who studies and practices Western Herbalism, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is a founding member of the Asheville Psychedelic Society. Having concentrated in Ecopsychology at Prescott College, her work supports others in reclaiming a connection to the natural world and considers psychedelic states to be a catalyst for enhancing our sense of relatedness and belonging to our wild, resilient planet. You can learn more about her work here.

MEDICAL SUPERVISOR

Zachary Foy, M.D., is currently practicing as a Board Certified Emergency Physician and spends many days and nights in the local emergency departments. He is interested in exploring beyond the scope of the revolving door of the ED, however, particularly investigating approaches that have evidence-based benefits to patients seeking support outside of the traditional medical model. Zak has over a decade of experience working with ketamine as an anesthetic medication in clinical settings, and is excited to branch out into Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy as an effective modality for addressing common mental health conditions in our society. Having grown up in Asheville, Dr. Foy has a deep commitment to serving the community here. He graduated from UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 2008 and trained as an Emergency Physician in Salt Lake City, UT. He has been practicing locally since that time.

INTEGRATIVE PSYCHIATRIST

Ron Parks, M.D., is a consultant, teacher and writer in the area of integrative psychiatry, medicine and holistic therapies. He is respected for his talents in providing helpful consultations to improve treatment and recovery from physical and emotional problems that have not responded to simple or conventional approaches. Dr. Parks received his M.D. from the University of Maryland, a Master’s Degree in Public Health & Health Service Research from UCLA, and Specialty training in Psychiatry, Internal, Family & Preventive Medicine, with a background in nutrition, and other natural healing arts. His healing interests, supported by residing in the Asheville area, include: mental, physical, spiritual health, holistic medicine, psychology, psychotherapy, yoga, nutrition, environmental medicine and more. Dr. Parks’ mental health focus includes depression, anxiety, mood swings, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, addictions, ADHD, relationship and family dysfunction and solutions. He is an advocate for an integrative approach to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and emotional problems. A skilled lecturer, workshop leader, and consultant who has taught in local, national and international venues, Dr. Parks bridges conventional Western medicine and the innovative approaches of Integrative Medicine and Psychiatry into a comprehensive and holistic approach to consultative and treatment service. Dr. Parks provides education and guidance to psychotherapists and programs but does not provide any oversight or clinical supervision for any participants in the Group KAP program or to the program itself.