Hippie flip experience for complex trauma

First, I have to say that I appreciate the attentive, unique and transformative treatment options offered by the team at Triptherapie. They take their... dare I say mission, very seriously and do their best to assist clients whose suffering has not been sufficiently addressed within the conventional health care system.

Now, to review what I've experienced in more detail. I will start chronologically. The intake process is managed by Janneke, who does a great job guiding you through the intake, then periodically sending emails containing all the information (and then some) that you might need. And if you have a question and decide to email her, she replies in no time; occasionally in the evening or on days of the weekend, which is actually quite humbling to me.

The therapy sessions that I have had were with Ronald. One involved MDMA, while the second, which is called a hippie flip, involved a personalized combination of MDMA and psilocybin. In each case, there was a preparation session and, as part of aftercare, an integration session which is provided at no extra cost.

Ronald is warm, non-judgmental and has a sophisticated understanding of the effects of psychological trauma, which is mostly what our talks focused on. He also does everything he can to make sure you get the most out of the psychedelic-assisted sessions -- before, during and after. Also, and I think this is very important for anyone in a therapeutic role, it's clear to me that he has a very good understanding of how the therapeutic agents/substances can help, and how their effects synergize with the psychotherapeutic work to lead to effects.

I'd also like to explain a couple of things about what I learned about the process, and from the process. While there are immediate effects, many of them, in my experience at least, will not "stick" without doing work integrating the new perspectives you've gained. This means the integration session is very important, and that there might be a couple of additional ones that you should consider scheduling, in order to make the most of the initial psychedelic-assisted session. You'll likely need additional psychedelic-assisted ones afterward, to bring more things to the surface that can then be safely processed. After all, clinical trials for treatment of this kind involve a certain (low) number of sessions. You can determine how many sessions you need as you go along, and I'm sure the team will be happy to help if you need assistance with establishing this.

I think what I wrote above, about the effects requiring work for them to be maximized, might be especially true if you're someone with a history of the kind of trauma whose impact you've only been able to limit by putting a lid on any memories or thoughts about the negative experiences or any of their implications, subsequently resulting in dissociative symptoms. Digging that stuff up enough to be able to process it (especially after a long time) can be a difficult process to even kick-start, let alone to maintain, which is why I decided for a hippie flip session the second time around. MDMA, by itself, had a more limited long-term effect for me. Still noticeable, but somewhat less than I was expecting.

The hippie flip session, however, was significantly more powerful. It helped with "digging deeper" and making peace with the past, with myself, and with (some) others in a more sustained way. And while I was kind of confused for the first few days after, things have only been getting better. I think the confusion stems from having had one's barriers come down and seeing a little bit of what goes on under the hood, then realizing how certain things I've been telling myself for a long time clash with the newer insights I've gained. But it's okay; with Ronald's help, I've been able to reconcile some of these inner conflicts that I didn't even know I had, and I will probably book another integration session or two. And of course, a few more hippie flip sessions.

Other than that, I'll say that before my sessions with him, I had significant trouble with remembering things (not just negative or traumatic ones), and it was directly related to my trauma condition, but now, that has improved noticeably. I also don't have the same trouble in finding the right words for things that I want to say and I don't as easily become mentally exhausted.

I very much look forward to my next sessions and to the progress I think I will be able to further make. And would like to thank Ronald and the team at Triptherapie for their work and dedication.