Unburdening

Episode 5: Unburdening Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

clare welsh — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 02:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Unburdening, host Clare speaks with Katie McAneny, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with over a decade of experience in psychiatry, about ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP). Together they explore the science, the experience, and the real-world application of this emerging treatment for conditions like treatment resistant depression, PTSD, and acute suicidality.

- What ketamine assisted psychotherapy is, and how it differs from recreational or anesthetic ketamine use

- The neuroscience behind KAP, including how glutamate, NMDA receptors, and the default mode network are involved

- How ketamine increases neuroplasticity and why that matters for lasting mental health recovery

- Who is most likely to benefit from KAP and what the research says about its effectiveness

- Contraindications and risk factors that may make someone a poor candidate for this treatment

- What a full course of KAP treatment looks like from evaluation through integration

- The critical role of set, setting, and the therapeutic relationship in determining outcomes

- Common misconceptions about ketamine, including the debate between viewing it as a miracle cure versus a dangerous substance

Resources and People Mentioned:

- Dr. Greg Thorkelson, Nexus Group, Pittsburgh

- Dr. Anna Lemke, psychiatrist and author

- Spravato (esketamine), FDA approved intranasal treatment for treatment resistant depression

- National Institute of Mental Health 2006 randomized controlled trial on IV ketamine

- Yale University 2000 study on ketamine and antidepressant effects

- Bob Samples, "The Metamorphic Mind"

- Albert Einstein, referenced in relation to intuitive versus rational consciousness

- Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy

- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and the concept of stuck points

Chapters

(00:00:03) - Introduction to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
(00:01:00) - History and Research Timeline of Ketamine Therapy
(00:02:16) - Understanding Treatment Resistant Depression
(00:05:38) - The Meaning of Psychedelic and Soul Manifesting
(00:08:16) - How Psychedelics Alter Perception and Thought
(00:09:22) - Quieting the Inner Critic and Ego
(00:11:39) - Experiential Therapies Beyond Ketamine
(00:12:37) - Positive Flashbacks and Hope
(00:14:23) - Introducing Katie and Her Background
(00:16:26) - What Drew Katie to Mental Health Work
(00:17:17) - Discovering Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
(00:18:28) - Defining Therapeutic vs Anesthetic vs Recreational Ketamine
(00:20:44) - Neuroscience: Glutamate and the Default Mode Network
(00:23:37) - Neuroplasticity Explained
(00:26:29) - Healthy Dissociation vs Trauma Dissociation
(00:27:28) - History of Ketamine From Vietnam to Psychiatry
(00:30:43) - Recreational Use, Risk, and the Need for Container
(00:33:16) - Integration and the Treatment Process Explained
(00:37:07) - Trust and the Therapeutic Relationship
(00:38:35) - Who Benefits Most From This Treatment
(00:40:47) - Protector Parts and Internal Family Systems View
(00:41:47) - Contraindications and Red Flags
(00:45:03) - Age Ranges and Off-Label Legality
(00:46:53) - Insurance Coverage and Spravato vs CAP
(00:48:27) - Benefits Seen in Research and Clinical Practice
(00:51:21) - Stuck Points and Getting Unstuck
(00:52:46) - Set, Setting, and Session Mechanics
(00:56:35) - Dosing, Guidance, and the Journey Itself
(00:57:33) - Aftercare and Protecting the Experience
(00:59:17) - Public Misconceptions About Ketamine Therapy
(01:02:24) - Closing Thoughts and Individualized Treatment
(01:03:48) - Episode Wrap-Up

Episode 4: Unburdening Aging

clare welsh — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:56:00 +0000

In this episode of Unburdening, Clare and licensed professional counselor Emily Brick of Mountain North explore what it truly means to age well in a culture obsessed with youth and productivity. Together they trace the history of aging in America, map the psychological stages of later life, and offer honest, practical wisdom for older adults, their families, and anyone who hopes to grow old with dignity and purpose.

- The history of aging in America, from the poorhouse era to Medicare, and why social policy has always struggled to keep pace with a growing elder population

- The $55 billion anti-aging market, and the quiet cost of chasing youth instead of embracing maturity

- Erik Erikson's developmental stages and why unresolved conflicts from earlier in life follow us into old age

- Integrity vs Despair: the psychological task most central to aging well

- The unique challenges older adults face, including compounded grief and loss, retirement identity shifts, caregiving roles, and financial strain

- The overlooked strengths elders bring to their families and communities, including wisdom, mentorship, volunteerism, and the preservation of history

- How to navigate the healthcare system as an older adult, including self-advocacy strategies and the importance of knowing what quality of life means to you personally

- Practical advice for family members and caregivers on listening first, preserving dignity, and managing their own anxiety around a loved one's aging

Resources and People Mentioned:

- Erik Erikson, developmental psychologist and originator of the eight stages of psychosocial development

- Alan Sharp, author of "A Green Tree in Gedde" (1965)

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

- "The Substance" (2024 film), starring Demi Moore

- Dolly Parton and her Imagination Library literacy program

- Medicare and the Social Security Amendments of 1965

-U.S. Census Data

-Grandview Research on the Anti-Aging Market

- Mountain North therapy practice

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction to the episode on aging
(00:02:12) - History of life expectancy and penicillin's impact
(00:03:54) - Elders as keepers of memory and the ripple effect
(00:06:37) - 1950s poverty, healthcare gaps, and the birth of Medicare
(00:10:37) - Poorhouses, criminalization, and Medicare's limits today
(00:12:17) - Modern life expectancy and the anti-aging market boom
(00:15:56) - Personal reflections on Botox and fear of change
(00:17:19) - Aging in American folklore and film
(00:19:57) - Erikson's stages of development and personal story of trust
(00:24:23) - Resolving developmental stages and recognizing stuck patterns
(00:26:05) - Generativity vs stagnation and integrity vs despair
(00:27:34) - Dolly Parton as a model of aging with integrity
(00:30:10) - Introducing guest Emily Brick
(00:33:24) - Emily's path into gerontology counseling
(00:35:01) - Defining old age and brain changes with aging
(00:37:01) - Challenges older adults face: loss, caregiving, retirement
(00:40:11) - Strengths and contributions of older adults
(00:42:01) - Personal stories of learning from elder family members
(00:44:06) - Advocating for yourself in the healthcare system
(00:47:34) - Advice for family members and caregivers
(00:51:03) - Balancing safety with a meaningful life for elders
(00:52:18) - What matters most to older adults
(00:55:01) - Changing attitudes toward death and openness in this generation
(00:56:43) - Sitting with loved ones as they face mortality
(00:58:06) - How to set ourselves up to age well
(01:01:08) - Closing thoughts and gratitude

Episode 3: Unburdening the Benzo Epidemic

clare welsh — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 06:01:00 +0000

In this episode of Unburdening, Clare sits down with Morgan Ward, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Mount North who specializes in postpartum care. Together, we trace the history of benzodiazepine overprescription, explore its devastating real-world consequences, and offer an honest, compassionate look at what responsible psychiatric care should actually look like.

- The cultural history of benzodiazepines and why they were aggressively marketed to women and mothers

- Personal stories from the host's community illustrating the human cost of benzo overprescription

- The cases of Chris Cornell and Lindsay Clancy as public examples of how benzos can intersect with tragedy

- How benzodiazepines work in the brain and why their addiction potential is so high

- Why the postpartum period creates a perfect storm of anxiety, insomnia, and identity upheaval

- The role of support systems in protecting against postpartum depression

- What responsible psychiatric prescribing looks like, including how to evaluate risk versus benefit

- Red flags that benzo use may have crossed into dangerous or dependent territory

Resources and people mentioned:

- Blood Orange Night by Melissa Bond

- The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate

- Morgan Ward, PMHNP at Mount North

- Mother to Baby (evidence-based medication safety resource for pregnant and breastfeeding individuals)

- Chris Cornell and the Soundgarden song Black Hole Sun

- Lindsay Clancy trial

Episode 2: Unburdening Autism

clare welsh — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This podcast episode features host Clare interviewing Shannon Beaver (licensed therapist and practice owner) and her 21-year-old son Evan (Yale student studying electrical engineering) about their personal journey with Autism. The conversation explores historical context around Autism diagnosis, current cultural misconceptions, and their family's experience navigating Autism from early childhood through college.

Topics discussed:

The changes in methodology explaining the apparent "rise" in Autism cases
The social history of the Autism throughout the 20th century : the pervasive blaming of "refridgerator mothers", the nazi science of Hans Asberger, and the cultutal phenomenon of "indigo children"
The story of the changling as a mythological understanding of Autism
The difference between the medical and social models of disability
Evan and Shannon's personal story of early signs, delayed diagnosis, and school challenges
Barriers with traditional ABA therapy approaches and lack of consent in treatment
The concept of Autistic masking and its impacts on mental health
Transition challenges from high school to college for Autistic students
The importance of neurodivergent-affirming diagnostic practices
Repair and growth in parent-child relationships after harmful interventions

Resources mentioned: Mount North therapy practice, Actually Autistic online communities, In A Different Key: The Story of Autism, Dr. Devon Price's book "Unmasking Autism," autism pride subreddits, Student Accessibility Services at Yale, the history of the Asberger's label,

Chapters

(00:00:02) - Unburdening Autism: The Stigma
(00:01:44) - RFK's fake Autism Causes
(00:05:58) - The Story of the Changeling
(00:11:01) - The Indigo Children: The cultural lore of ADHD and Autism
(00:15:09) - "Unmasking Autism" by Dr.Devin Price
(00:25:22) - Introducing Shannon and Evan
(00:26:13) - What's the Biggest Misunderstanding About Autism?
(00:31:47) - Autism in the social environment
(00:33:15) - some signs of Autism in early childhood
(00:53:28) - Evan's Autistic Transition
(00:59:49) - Masking anxiety
(01:00:59) - Autism and Masking
(01:02:40) - Social Masking
(01:05:46) - Autistic Students Transition From High School to College
(01:08:50) - Diagnosis for Autism in Pennsylvania
(01:14:40) - How the Internet Has Impacted Evan's Autistic Experience
(01:29:01) - What are you working on now?
(01:35:55) - The Autism Diagnosis process at Mount North
(01:39:32) - How to Support a Child with Autism

Introduction: Unburdening Loneliness

clare welsh — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In this inaugural episode of Unburdening, host Clare, a therapist at Mount North, explores the modern loneliness epidemic and how mainstream wellness content often exacerbates the very alienation it claims to solve. Drawing from psychology, pop culture, and personal experience, she examines why authenticity and genuine connection feel so elusive in our optimization-obsessed culture.

The behavioral psychology behind social media wellness content and how it uses fear triggers to create compulsive engagement
Why surface-level optimization content feels like a "tent revival for mental health" and leaves us feeling worse about ourselves
The distinction between loneliness as a feeling versus aloneness as a state of being
Harvard research findings showing 21% of Americans struggle with serious loneliness, with ages 30-44 being the loneliest demographic
Intergenerational patterns of loneliness from Silent Generation trauma, Baby Boomer emotional repression, to Millennial/Gen X insecurity
The balance between authenticity and attachment in relationships
Carl Jung's wisdom: "I'd rather be whole than good"
Richard Swartz's concept of "unburdening" and the eight Cs of wholeness

Resources mentioned: Internal Family Systems therapy, Dr. Gabor Mate's "The Myth of Normal," Townes Van Zandt's music, Orson Welles' "Someone to Love," Mad Men character analysis, Harvard loneliness study, Welsh language concept of "cwtch"

Chapters

(00:00:02) - Introducing Unburdening: A Mount North Podcast
(00:01:02) - The Lonely Planet: Unburdening
(00:04:24) - Why Social Media Wellness Content Is So Lonely
(00:14:28) - Wellness Content That's Aspirational as Well as Real
(00:17:03) - Loneliness Is Not a Personal Problem
(00:28:23) - Why Are Our Generations Loneliest?
(00:37:16) - The Intergenerational Loneliness
(00:38:31) - The Leading Causes of Loneliness
(00:39:43) - What Do Lonely People Do About It?
(00:45:27) - How to Come Home to Yourself
(00:48:49) - Coming Home: The Lonely Moment
(00:52:28) - A Taste of First Episode