Kile Ortigo, PhD - Clinical Psychologist

08/09/2021

Join me for the 3rd Annual Psilocybin Summit September 16th-20th. It'll be a fun and engaging virtual conference with a wide range of speakers. Sign up here to save 10%:

PsilocybinSummit.com/Kile

07/07/2021

My new book, Beyond the Narrow Life, is now officially out and 'in the wild.' If you're looking for an adventure complete with deeper personal reflections, be sure to check it out:

Beyond the Narrow Life: A Guide for Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration

06/24/2021

For local folks interested in learning about my forthcoming book to be released next week, see details below. Looking forward to this first in-person book launch event on Thursday, July 8th, in collaboration with Psychedelic Sangha.

Psychedelic Sangha presents,

“Beyond the Narrow Life: A Guide for Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration” (Synergetic Press 2021).

BOOK LAUNCH DARSHAN!

Join us for a very special evening of lecture, meditation, live music, group discussion, and mingling at fez in beautiful downtown Mill Valley, California.

Meet the author and get a personalized copy of this brilliant new book published by Synergetic Press.

This event will feature...
༶ A BOOK TALK with author Dr. Kile Ortigo.

༶ GUIDED MEDITATION into LIVE MUSIC by Greg Loiacono.

༶ DISCUSSION + Q&A led by guest interlocutor Dr. Wendy Pots.

༶ MIXER with refreshments.

The event officially starts at 7pm, but there will be a special "meet-and-greet" starting at 6pm for those who purchase a signed book with their ticket.

Everyone who registers for the event will receive a free preview of the book, which includes the foreword by Dr. Bill Richards, the prologue, and the first chapter.

After signing up, you'll also receive instructions on how to respond to the book's first Travel Journal prompt. Everyone is invited to share their responses at the event by posting them on a display board for everyone to enjoy.

We respectfully ask all attendees to follow the CDC's guidelines on wearing masks based on your vaccination status and personal comfort level.

COME RECEIVE DARSHAN WITH PSYCHEDELIC SANGHA!

Proceeds from sales help support our free psychedelic integration and harm reduction program.

04/06/2021

Episode 172: Dr. Kile Ortigo: "Beyond the Narrow Life: A Guide for Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration" Dr. Kile Ortigo is a clinical psychologist and founder of the Center for Existential Exploration, which supports people exploring profound questions about identity, meaning, life transitions, and psychospiritual growth. Dr. Ortigo completed his PhD in clinical psychology at Emory University and formal clinical training and fellowships in the treatment of posttraumatic stress, substance use, and LGBTQ+ health care at Stanford and UCSF-affiliated VA hospitals. In 2019, Dr. Ortigo completed the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) Psychedelic-assisted Therapies and Research Certification Program.

Dr. Ortigo currently serves on advisory boards of Psychedelic Support, and online training and clinician directory for legal, psychedelic-informed care, and Project New Day, a non-profit organization that provides harm reduction resources for people who have used psychedelics in their addiction recovery processes. For several years, Dr. Ortigo worked at the National Center for PTSD (NC-PTSD) where he collaborated on technology development and implementation projects, ranging from apps like Mindfulness Coach and STAIR Emotion Coach to online programs like webSTAIR. With colleagues at NC-PTSD, NYU, and Harvard, Dr. Ortigo's first book Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse & Interpersonal Trauma: STAIR Narrative Therapy (2nd Edition) was release in June 2020. His second book, Beyond the Narrow Life: A Guide for Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration, is being published in June 2021 by Synergetic Press, with a forward by Dr. Bill Richards of John Hopkins University.

To connect with Dr. Ortigo at the Center for Existential Exploration, please see: https://www.existentialexploration.org/

To pre-order his awesome new book, please see: https://www.synergeticpress.com/catalog/beyond-the-narrow-life/

This podcast is available on your favorite podcast feed, or here: https://endoftheroad.libsyn.com/episode-172-dr-kile-ortigo-beyond-the-narrow-life-a-guide-for-psychedelic-integration-and-existential-exploration

12/16/2020

In June this year, the 2nd Edition of Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Interpersonal Trauma: STAIR Narrative Therapy was published by Guilford Press. It was an honor to work with my colleagues, Marylene Cloitre (National Center for PTSD, NYU, Stanford), Lisa Cohen (NYU), Christie Jackson (National Center for PTSD), and Karestan Koenen (Harvard).

This new edition was a substantial revision and update to the original book. I enjoyed incorporating additional emotional coping strategies, relationship and communication skills, and compassion meditations alongside introducing adaptations such as STAIR for Primary Care, STAIR Emotion Coach, and webSTAIR. In my clinical work, I integrate STAIR and its components frequently as it addresses several key treatment targets common to people with (and without) a history of trauma.

For more information, visit Guilford Press:

Now revised and expanded with 50% new content reflecting important clinical refinements, this manual presents a widely used evidence-based therapy approach for adult survivors of chronic trauma. Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) Narrative Therapy helps clients to buil...

03/14/2020

If you're looking for psychotherapy and/or psychedelic integration support, check out this article I wrote with my colleague Dr. Alli Feduccia. Finding the right fit is important with any kind of mental health service, and with a little bit of self-reflection and searching, you'll be sure to find a good match.

Finding the best fit in a psychedelic integration therapist can be a daunting task. Learn how to find the best fit for you.

11/26/2019

I'm pleased to announce the 2nd edition of the STAIR Narrative Therapy treatment guide is available for preorder. It was an honor to work with these colleagues in refining our model of care for people struggling with posttraumatic stress and/or depression.

If you or a loved one is struggling with reactions to recent and/or past trauma, know there's help that's available, and you're not alone.

Guilford Press (Guilford Publications) is a publisher of professional and self-help books, as well as journals, newsletters, and DVDs in psychology and psychiatry, mental health, education and literacy, research methods, geography, and other fields.

08/08/2019

Existential work is individualized, deep, and fundamentally about exploring the human experience. Although open and flexible, there's room for the pragmatic too. Each of us is more than any symptoms, diagnoses, or points of pain we experience. But if we work through these difficult aspects of life, seemingly endless possibilities emerge for exploration and growth.

It’s not meant to be comforting, but somehow it is.

03/14/2019

For people interested, Dr. Alli Feduccia and I have published a piece for other therapists who are curious about pursuing this meaningful work, including links to resources.

Psychedelic therapy training programs are enrolling mental health providers to teach them about psychedelic-assisted therapy and research trials.

03/02/2019

I'm happy to announce that my profile at Psychedelic Support is live. This web resource offers information related to this exciting new area of specialty. I also act as the Lead Editor and a consultant for the site.

Note that neither I nor Psychedelic Support encourage the use of illicit substances outside of IRB-approved research protocol. We also do not connect people to sources for acquiring these substances illegally.

We do offer integration services for individuals who have had experiences in altered states, including legally experienced ones through ketamine, holotropic breath work, intense meditation, etc.

For more information:

https://psychedelic.support/network/kile-ortigo-phd/

11/17/2015

Our local CBS news asked to interview me for a piece they do about San Francisco Bay Area workers. It was a nice opportunity to reflect on the meaning of my job.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/11/02/sf-area-licensed-psychologist-enjoys-the-variety-in-his-career/

Reflect on what you really want to do in the end. Is it clinical care, research, other applied work or some combo? Then work backwards from there to see what degree and experiences you need to get to that point.