Mikayla Hellwich, LMSW

Hi! My name is Mikayla.I'm a therapist and drug educator based in Maryland. My services include integrative psychotherapy -- with and without ketamine -- for people struggling with trauma, suicidality, depression, anxiety, and substance use concerns.Therapy is like gardening. With the right soil, enough water, sunlight, and some protection, we grow into a vibrant organism. When we create the conditions for healing, our potential becomes realized. By focusing on our strengths and honing new skills, the fruit of our gifts can be shared. In this way, each of us becomes medicine for our families and communities. Every choice becomes an opportunity to create lasting positive change for ourselves and others.Do you know what you're looking for?I used to believe happiness was the ultimate goal. Joy and peace feel great. But after starting my own journey in therapy, I realizedI don't want to be happy: I want to be free.Free from the constraints of social norms, expectations, and gender roles. Free from bias and prejudice towards myself and others. Free to feel everything, from grief to ecstasy. Free to explore altered states of consciousness. Free from the destructive automatic reactions to triggers. Free from shame. Free from cycles of abuse. Free to have authentic relationships. Free to love and to be loved without fear.The yearning for liberation is a fundamental human desire.This might ring especially true if you:> use drugs or have ever had a drug problem;> if you're LGBTQIA+;> if you are non-monogamous or polyamorous;> have ADHD or Autism;> if you experience social or institutional oppression;> if you have ever been bullied;> or if you in any way challenge mainstream expectations.Are you tired of talking in circles with a therapist who doesn't understand you?We all deserve support from people who can meet us where we are because they have walked in our shoes. I've spent my entire adult life in "alternative" spaces held by artists, social dissidents, and delightful weirdos like myself - ravers, punks, harm reductionists, queer folks, non-monogamous people, the extended Burning Man community, and drug policy activists. In these spaces, a range of drug use, neurodivergence, and mental health conditions are normal.I enjoy finding common ground with people from all walks of life, though I match best with people who share at least some of my life experience and values.Systemic healing can begin with us!However you are feeling right now is a normal response to stress, whether overtly traumatic or not. The systems in our families, culture, government, and economy are making us sick. We need new systems that prevent harm, uplift our greatest attributes, and facilitate cooperation. Holistic therapy and psychedelics are part of that story.I’m here because a thriving sustainable future depends on transforming our relationships with ourselves, with other beings, and with the planet.Are you struggling to find hope for your mental health?If you’re still unsure about pursuing therapy, maybe you’ve lost the will to care for yourself? Maybe you feel like you don’t deserve it? Maybe everything feels hopeless and this won’t make a bit of difference?I hear you. If you won’t do it yourself, would you consider doing it for the people you love? For your pets? If not for your own benefit, do it for theirs.My ApproachMy approach to therapy is holistic and systems-based. No part of us is separate from another, and we are inseparable from our environments and each other. Exploring your well-being as an entire person within your environment, we identify and build on your strengths, manage and release the manifestations of toxic stress, and improve your quality of life.I see the world through a lens of radical compassion. Survivors and perpetrators are both trapped in a cycle of suffering that can only be transformed with deliberate intention. Those cycles are the "autopilot." We are more than capable of re-writing the reactivity within ourselves that keeps this cycle going.My approach weaves embodied mindfulness, liberation psychology, somatics, trauma-informed care, polyvagal theory, education, sound, and – for those who choose this route – ketamine.Your process with me is guided by your understanding of what you need. I believe you have the capacity to heal yourself. My role is to support a safe process, maintain an optimal environment, ask the right questions, and to provide guidance when asked.Your safety and wellbeing are my top priorities.If you have experienced harm and abuse in other therapeutic or psychedelic spaces, I believe you. I have, too. I am laser-focused on safety and ethics and continuously work to prevent harm, address conflict, and hold myself accountable. This also means I’ve made a lifelong commitment to personal healing. I am walking this path alongside you.CredentialsI am licensed in Maryland (#31779), Virginia (#0903004344), and Washington, DC (#LG200003147). My supervisor is Erin Jones, LCSW-C #14061 (Maryland).