The Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara
(CAMFT CE Provider #128307)
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Clinicians
A Psychedelic-Informed, Evidence-Based Framework
Taught by Scott Shannon, MD, FAACAP
Date: 12:00-1:30 PM, Friday, March 27, 2026
Format: Live 90-minute Zoom Webinar (1.5 hours)
Cost & Credits: $30 | 1.5 CE Credits
Presenter
Scott Shannon, MD, FAACAP
Dr. Scott Shannon is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 30 years of clinical experience and is a nationally recognized leader in integrative, systems-based, and psychedelic-informed mental health care. He is the founder and medical director of The Wholeness Center, an interdisciplinary psychiatric clinic integrating conventional psychiatry, psychotherapy, functional and naturopathic medicine, neurofeedback, nutritional therapy, as well as psilocybin and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
Dr. Shannon has served as a Principal Investigator and study therapist on multiple psychedelic clinical trials, including MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, LSD-assisted therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, and ongoing research involving 5-MeO-DMT. He is a published author in peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to the evolving clinical and ethical frameworks guiding psychedelic-assisted treatments.
His work emphasizes transformational interventions and the role of altered states of consciousness as catalysts for psychological healing. Dr. Shannon lectures internationally and is actively involved in clinician education and training in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).
For Scott Shannon’s resume click here.
Topic Overview
Rates of depression, trauma-related disorders, and treatment-resistant mental illness have reached historically high levels, exposing significant limitations in prevailing psychiatric models centered on chronic pharmacologic management and symptom control. Ketamine has emerged as a rapid-acting antidepressant with robust neurobiological effects, but its clinical impact cannot be fully understood—or ethically optimized—when framed solely as a pharmacologic intervention.
This webinar introduces Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) within a broader psychedelic-informed paradigm. Drawing on neuroscience, clinical trials, and real-world practice, Dr. Shannon will explore ketamine as a catalyst that temporarily alters consciousness, increases neuroplasticity, reduces default mode network dominance, and facilitates psychological openness. When embedded within appropriate relational, therapeutic, and ethical containers, ketamine can meaningfully enhance psychotherapeutic processes and clinical outcomes.
The course will review current evidence comparing ketamine with standard antidepressants, examine the additive value of psychotherapy, and address emerging questions about dosing, routes of administration, durability of effects, risks, and training standards. Emphasis will be placed on practical clinical decision-making and how clinicians can responsibly integrate ketamine into a coherent, patient-centered model of care.
Registration: Email info@ftisb.org, call (805) 882-2424 x111, or make a payment to register for this course.
Payment Options:
With Debit/Credit/e-Check
Enter KAP Presentation as the invoice number.
Venmo:
User ID @FTISB
Enter KAP Presentation as the payment comment.
Mail a check payable to FTI
Write KAP Presentation on the memo line
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Describe the limitations of reductionistic and chemical-imbalance models in contemporary psychiatric practice.
- Explain the psychedelic framework of container, catalyst, and carrier as applied to ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
- Identify key neurobiological mechanisms underlying ketamine’s therapeutic effects, including neuroplasticity and default mode network modulation.
- Evaluate current clinical evidence comparing ketamine alone versus ketamine combined with psychotherapy.
- Apply core principles of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to clinical practice, including ethical considerations, patient selection, and treatment design.
Course Outline and Schedule
Timeline:
12:00 – 12:10 pm
Introduction, disclosures, and framing the current mental health crisis
12:10 – 1:15 pm
Didactic presentation, including:
- Psychiatry at a moment of paradigm transition
- Limitations of the chemical imbalance and symptom-suppression models
- The psychedelic framework: container, catalyst, and carrier
- Ketamine as a unique and transitional psychedelic agent
- Neuroplasticity, default mode network modulation, and belief updating
- Review of current clinical evidence for ketamine in depression, PTSD, and addiction
- Comparative outcomes: ketamine alone vs ketamine-assisted psychotherapy
- Individual vs group KAP models and real-world clinical data
- Ethical, clinical, and training considerations for clinicians
1:15 – 1:30 pm
Questions, discussion, and closing remarks
Target Audience
Psychiatrists, psychologists, LMFT’s, LCSW’s, LPCC’s, LEP’s, registered Associates, advanced practice providers, and other licensed mental health clinicians interested in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic-informed care, .
Continuing Education for Psychologists
The California Board of Psychology allows CE credits for workshops as described below:
| Self-Directed Learning
Independent educational activities focused on maintaining, developing, or increasing conceptual and applied competencies that are relevant to psychological practice, education, or science, such as reading peer-review journal articles or books, watching videos or webcasts, or listening to podcasts. Licensees shall maintain a record of this activity. This record shall include the following: date(s), medium (e.g. webinar), topic or title, and total number of hours. |
6 hours maximum |
Continuing Education for LMFT’s, LCSW’s, LPCCs, and LEPs
This course meets the qualifications for 1.5 hours of continuing education credit for LMFT’s, LCSW’s, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
The Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFT’s, LCSW’s, LPCCs, and LEPs. Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.
Course Completion Certificates
CE certificates will be awarded after the workshop, after the submission of a completed course evaluation form and test (passing with at least 70% correct). Partial credit CE certificates will not be awarded. If an attendee leaves before the end of the workshop or without submitting a completed a course evaluation form or test, they may ask for the recording of the workshop, submit a completed test and course evaluation to receive CE credits.
Cancellation Policy:
The registration fee, less $5 process charge, will refunded if written notice of the cancellation is faxed, emailed or postmarked two days prior to the workshop. Thereafter there will be no refunds. Refunds will be reimbursed via check within 5 business days of written notice.
Requesting Accommodations for Disability:
If you have a special need and plan to attend the webinar, please contact Nancy Villalobos, Administrator, or Debra Manchester, Executive Director at (805) 882-2400 or via email at info@FTISB.org. Please allow as much advance notice as is possible to ensure we have ample opportunity to meet your needs.
Instruction for Addressing Grievances:
Participants can lodge complaints directly to the Program Coordinator Debra Manchester at info@ftisb.org or any of the FTI staff. Complaints can also be written on the evaluation forms, sent via email (info@ftisb.org) to the Program Coordinator or administrative assistant. They will be followed up within ten business days. Grievances can include, but are not limited to the following:
- Refund requests
- Complaints about course content
- Complaints about facilities
- Complaints about non-receipt of certificates
- Complaints about miscellaneous