Integrative Mental Health University

Dr. Asher was working as a team with Emma Bragdon, PhD to give Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in central Vermont. He passed away in May, 2024. May he RIP. Dr. Asher was a board-certified Otolaryngologist (Head and Neck Surgeon) renowned for his innovative, non-surgical approaches. In addition to being a highly-regarded conventional physician and exceptional diagnostician, he was at the forefront of applying alternative methods to ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) disorders since the beginning of his medical career over thirty years ago . Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Asher worked as a full-time meditation teacher. His four decades of meditation practice and spiritual inquiry informed his perspectives on health and wholeness. His quest to identify the root cause of symptoms led him into the field of chronic systemic illness, particularly in the area of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. Supporting patients with complex ailments was the impetus for investigating how health challenges can serve as a portal way to positive personal transformation. Dr. Asher’s conventional training includes Harvard Medical School. He served on the faculty of Harvard, Washington University, and Dartmouth medical schools. His study of complementary healing modalities included: cranial osteopathy, hypnosis, myofascial therapy, the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, and various energy medicine modalities. He served on the board of the American Holistic Medical Association. Dr. Asher was selected as One of America’s Top Physicians by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. Dr. Asher published numerous professional articles and book chapters. He was quoted as an expert in national consumer periodicals, featured on radio programs, and was frequently invited to lecture to healthcare practitioners and the public, nationally and internationally.

Emma Bragdon is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health University, IMHU.org. She earned her PhD in Transpersonal Psychology in 1987 and was licensed in California as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist in 1988. As a pioneer who has helped define the field of spiritual emergency, Emma has published 7 books and co-produced 2 documentary films. Within IMHU Emma has trained over 110 Spiritual Emergence Coaches• who are available to support individuals disoriented or in distress as they open spiritually. She also leads a small group of healthcare providers to Brazil once a year to learn about the Spiritist paradigm of mental healthcare from Spiritist practitioners. Emma maintains a private practice, consulting internationally via zoom. See imhu.org/store for more info. on books/films. See EmmaBragdon.com for personal consultations.

Sandra Fortson, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Northern Colorado. Ms. Fortson has a wide range of clinical experience to include performing mental health evaluations and assessments and participating in team-based collaborative care in a variety of settings. She currently works at the Wholeness Center in Fort Collins, CO, where she provides ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) services for individuals, couples, and groups. In addition to her work as a therapist, Ms. Fortson's job duties include the continued development of the KAP program at the Wholeness Center as well as the teaching/oversight of practicum students. Ms. Fortson is also a co-founding member of the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute (PRATI), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to conducting clinically relevant research as well as offering professional training programs which prepare psychiatrist and psychotherapists in the administration of investigational psychotherapy-assisting agents that are either in the current pharmacopeia or are within FDA approval guidelines. As of May, 2021 Ms. Fortson has completed two KAP trainings through PRATI, as well as an additional KAP training as part of her preparation to work as a therapist at the Fort Collins site for research study exploring the efficacy of KAP for patients with life-threatening illnesses in collaboration with the Ketamine Research Foundation. She is also in the process of facilitating a grant program which has recently received funding for providing a series of KAP group services to healthcare workers and first responders who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19.