Trout Lake Abbey is excited to host Dr. Steve Rosonke and his ketamine-assisted group therapy. In addition to a fall retreat, The Trout Lake Abbey is partnering with Dr. Rosonke to support a monthly ketamine-assisted therapy group. Ketamine is a legal, safe, effective psychedelic medicine that has a long and proven track record within medicine. It is a powerful adjunct to any healing and consciousness path and it is particularly helpful in a communal group healing setting. Dr. Rosonke is a pioneer in this field and has been teaching ketamine-assisted therapy and leading groups and retreats for many years. Dr. Rosonke lives in Hood River, OR with his wife and two daughters. It was a little over a month ago that I had an opportunity to join one of Dr. Rosonke’s retreats, Compassion, Contemplation and Ketamine. While I had several positive experiences years ago with psilocybin, I didn’t know what to expect from a ketamine experience. I’ve given much time this past year to explore many aspects of my life. While this has provided new insights and shifts in behavior and understanding, I still carried fear and anxiety that impacted most areas of my life. The first day of the retreat I had a burst of fear, my constant low-grade anxiety had risen out of the dark to shut down this personal exploration. Dr. Rosonke and his staff created an incredibly safe and supportive environment within a couple of hours on that first day, allowing me to settle in and open up to the experience. It was inspiring to be surrounded by a group of people with similar intentions and willingness to share so openly. While the ketamine experience was ineffable, the impact is very real. I was able to experience and integrate fear that had been present with me since I was a child. Accepting myself with all my perceived faults and imperfections is also much more accessible following the retreat. The most exciting part is how I feel in my own body, since I returned from the retreat. More centered, more relaxed, and more open to what will happen next. This experience was echoed from other retreat participants as well. I have no doubt Dr. Rosonke’s expertise, compassion, and insight played a significant role in these outcomes. I look forward to the opportunity to join future retreats and programs. Ketamine therapy is supportive to my healing journey, which has enhanced my spiritual practice. Dr. Rosonke has been doing ketamine-assisted therapy since 2017, however he has been administering ketamine in various clinical settings since 2001. He was a participant in the first-ever training cohort for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy through the Ketamine Training Center and has since become a leader and educator in the field instructing psychiatrists and psychotherapists in the safe and effective use of ketamine. In 2018, he founded Rainfall Medicine, a full-service ketamine healing center in Portland, OR and Hood River, OR to dedicate himself to providing effective treatment for mental illness, trauma, addiction as well as providing a path for psycho-spiritual development and consciousness expansion. At Rainfall, he works with a wonderful team of caring, nonjudgmental and spiritually-oriented psychotherapists. Rainfall provides one-to-one ketamine therapy but also many groups and retreats. In addition to the ketamine-assisted therapy trainings mentioned above, Dr. Rosonke has also led healing retreats on the following topics: men’s work, trauma recovery, couples work, communal healing, ketamine for spiritual leaders, compassion and contemplation, and consciousness including a retreat with Deepak Chopra and Bob Thurman. He has also spent the last 3 years studying with indigenous healers in various communal societies throughout the world. Dr. Rosonke first became interested in psychedelic healing through his work in the ER where he encountered the unfortunate and often deadly consequences of untreated childhood trauma, mental illness and addiction. Dr. Rosonke realized that amidst the frenetic pace of an emergency department, there is insufficient time to get to know patients fully and understand what is truly the source of their suffering. During the past decade, Dr. Rosonke has also watched the social division, loneliness and need for distraction overwhelm our country. It is evident that we are in the midst of an epidemic of disconnection, untreated trauma and mental illness. Recognizing this suffering and the unmet societal needs, Dr. Rosonke felt compelled to start Rainfall Medicine. Dr. Rosonke embraces ketamine therapy to treat PTSD, childhood trauma, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and addiction. He also sees this work through a consciousness and spiritual lens. Ketamine is just one component of the whole-person approach Dr. Rosonke practices. Dr. Rosonke also incorporates mind-body medicine, psychology, neuroscience, meditation, spirituality, consciousness studies, personal transformation, and trauma recovery. He believes we cannot heal, change, or become more whole and conscious without supportive therapeutic relationships and community. There is robust published medical data on the safety and efficacy of ketamine for a wide array of mental health issues. Ketamine works on the glutamate system, a vital neurotransmitter for memory, stress regulation, and mood regulation. The antidepressants known as SSRIs work primarily on the serotonin system. However, glutamate is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, responsible for far more neurotransmission than the serotonin system. Ketamine also causes the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that is responsible for neuroplasticity or growth of the brain by establishing new connections between neurons. This can potentially provide long-term release from mental health conditions, expanded self awareness and, for some, a spiritual opening. If you would like to learn more about ketamine-assisted group therapy, retreats, or one-on-one therapy at Rainfall Medicine you can fill out the form on his website rainfallmedicine.com or email his admin assistant Regine at regine@rainfallmedicine.com. Upcoming offerings by Dr. Rosonke at the Trout Lake Abbey includes a men’s consciousness and ketamine retreat Oct 24-28, 2025. Additionally, he will be offering a monthly ketamine group called What The World Needs Now that will explore various themes such as healing past traumas, disconnection, community belonging, fear, sacred anger, repairing the relationship to self, barriers to compassion and love, self-realization, joy, and the inner path of consciousness. This group will provide much-needed community support and an opportunity for both healing and spiritual growth. If you would like more information about monthly ketamine-assisted group therapy at Trout Lake Abbey please contact Regine at regine@rainfallmedicine.com.
