Queer- and Woman-owned Psychedelic Medicine Clinic Opens in Sonoma County
The emerging field of psychedelic medicine has deep roots in the North Bay,
and one of the most promising new treatments, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), is now
available in Sebastopol. Liminal Medicine offers treatment with Ketamine, the only psychedelic
medicine currently legal for clinical use, in a queer- and woman-owned space that is open and
welcoming to people of all identities.
Ketamine is one of the first truly new treatments for depression to come along in decades, and
has been called “a paradigm shift, that now we can achieve rapid antidepressant effects…
[ketamine is] something radically different,” by Dr. Carlos Zarate, chief of the experimental
therapeutics and pathophysiology branch at the National Institute of Mental Health.
Liminal Medicine is at the forefront of making this treatment available locally. The team at
Liminal has been working together in this field for years, and their Sebastopol clinic was recently
reorganized and re-opened under the ownership of Dr. Suegee Tamar-Mattis, a local leader in
transgender medicine and intersex human rights, and Celeste Monnette, LCSW, a strong LGBTQI
ally. “After founding the TranSonoma clinic in 2008, and working for years in the intersex and
LGBTQ communities, I was inspired to learn about the potential of psychedelic medicine to heal
the trauma that so many in our communities feel,” says Dr. Suegee. “With KAP, we see many of
our clients experiencing rapid change and deep healing of these wounds. I am especially excited
about our group offerings, which build community and connection while lowering costs.”
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) pairs ketamine treatment with psychotherapy under the
care of specially-trained physicians and licensed therapists to treat chronic depression, trauma,
PTSD, suicidal ideation, anxiety (including anxiety related to life-threatening illness), panic
disorders, and other conditions. Celeste Monnette, LCSW, who has been offering KAP since 2018
and now serves as Liminal’s Clinical Director, says: “When people are in pain and seeking help,
it is especially important to have providers you can trust to hear your story and see the real you.
We have clients from across the spectrum – all genders, sexualities, races, religious and cultural
and class backgrounds. Our youngest client was 13 and our oldest so far was 84. Our goal is to
support each of them with compassion while giving new hope for healing.”
About Liminal Medicine: Liminal Medicine is a psychedelic medicine clinic located in
Sebastopol, CA. Our approach is informed by the best in scientific and medical knowledge, a
deep reverence for the spiritual, transcendent, or mystical experiences psychedelic medicines
can bring, and a profound respect for the inner healer that resides in all of us.