ATX Queer & Trans Ketamine Retreat
Austin, Texas | November 13-16, 2025
Immerse yourself in a transformative weekend of healing, connection, and self-discovery at our first annual ATX Queer & Trans Ketamine Retreat, intentionally curated for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Set within a supportive and affirming environment, this retreat is designed to honor your whole self — your story, your identity, and your healing journey. Over the course of the weekend, you’ll be guided through ketamine-assisted sessions held with care and intention, offering a unique opportunity to soften defenses, access deep emotional insight, and reconnect with your inner wisdom.
Beyond the medicine work, our time together will weave in restorative practices such as mindfulness, grounding somatic exercises, and group integration circles that help anchor and expand the shifts you experience. Community is at the heart of this retreat: you’ll be surrounded by peers and facilitators who understand the power of being seen and held in your authentic truth. Together, we’ll create a sanctuary where you can safely explore your inner world, release patterns or burdens that no longer serve you, and cultivate a renewed sense of clarity, self-compassion, and connection.
As you return home, our hope is that you carry with you not only the insights from your ketamine journey, but also the strength of community, the grounding of mindfulness, and the reminder that your healing path is never one you have to walk alone.
Meet Your Facilitators
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Ana Rodriguez, MS, LPC
Lead Facilitator
Ana is the founder and clinical supervisor of Selva Wellness Collective. She specializes in clients with PTSD, trauma & addiction by integrating EMDR, animal-assisted therapy, attachment theory, internal family systems, somatic experiencing and psychedelic-assisted therapy alongside traditional talk therapy. Ana's approach combines clinical mental health counseling and neuroscience with mindfulness, somatic experiencing, nervous system regulation, and energy healing. Ana's dedication extends beyond the clinical setting through leading workshops and international retreats, practicing reiki mastery, and speaking at events and conferences. Her mission is to inspire and empower individuals to transcend antiquated self-perceptions, connecting Western scientific principles with Eastern and indigenous philosophies and holistic health practices to facilitate comprehensive healing and growth.
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Emma Smith, MSN, PMHNP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Emma is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with an authentic curiosity and passion for mental healthcare. Emma came to work in mental health because she believes that everyone deserves hope for a better tomorrow. Through her professional and academic experiences she became acutely aware of the limitations of symptom management alone. She explored alternative options and harm reduction in novel treatments with the promise of more lasting change. She continues to offer medication management and specializes in ketamine assisted psychotherapy with the aim of addressing underlying factors of mental health disorders. Her client-centered approach makes care collaborative, educational, and non-judgmental.
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Jourdan Bartels, MA, LPC
Co-Facilitator
Jourdan is a queer Texan who believes deeply in the healing power of community, nature, and compassion. Her journey to becoming a therapist was weaved with self-discovery, personal mental health struggles, and identity transformations. She knows what it is like to feel overwhelmed with uncertainty, and to stay true to yourself in the face of the unknown. Jourdan’s priority is treating her clients as autonomous humans and helping them feel more empowered and connected to themselves.
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Emery Rodriguez, MS, LPC-Associate
Co-Facilitator
Emery is an openly queer, transmasc, and nonbinary therapist passionate in supporting Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) and the broader LGBTQ+ community. They work with adolescents and adults, specializing in areas such as the mind-body connection, neurodiversity, overcoming perfectionism, enhancing self-esteem, addressing sexuality and gender-related concerns, managing shame, navigating relationships and intimacy, and processing trauma. Their approach is rooted in anti-colonial principles, liberation, and relational therapy, aiming to empower clients within a safe, celebratory environment characterized by trust, mutuality, and open communication. In sessions, Emery is playful, warm, curious, and compassionate. They believe in the healing power of laughter and welcome witty banter, memes, and silly photos of your pets.
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Diana Maxwell, MS, LPC-Associate
Co-Facilitator
Diana strives to create a space free from bias, criticism, judgment, where you feel comfortable, supported and allowed to be your true self, and where the humanity of BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergence communities is celebrated. She has experience in college and university settings as a Career Counselor and in a group private practice setting as a Clinician. She also is a Licensed Massage Therapist and instructed classes at a local massage school, although she is no longer practicing this modality of healing. This gives Diana great insight to how the body stores trauma and pain. Diana enjoys working with adult (18+) individuals of all ages and easily connects to folx no matter what stage of life they are currently working through. She is EMDR Trained, IFS informed, practices with a trauma-informed and mindful lens. Diana specializes in Trauma and vicarious trauma, grief, recovery. While she genuinely cares about all of her clients, Diana has a special place in her heart for medical professionals of all levels, musicians and bodyworkers/other healers.
Open Yourself To…
Connection to nature and a serene escape.
Community and the power of the group healing experience.
Sacred ceremonies ranging from sound, somatic healing, energy healing, shadow work, and ketamine assisted therapy.
Yin yoga, stretching, creative arts, sound baths, guided meditations, embodiment sessions, mindfulness walks, etc.
Reclaiming your natural qualities—joy, curiosity, pleasure-seeking, sensorial wonder, connection, emotional expression, clear communication and boundaries, quiet, playfulness, silliness, ability to enjoy being alone, and all of the qualities of the inner child we weren’t able to fully access.
Tentative Schedule
4pm - Arrival & Check In
Evening Session: Welcome & Introductions
Dinner
Night Session: Intention Setting
Opening Ceremony
Day 1: Thurs, Nov 13
Movement & Meditation
Breakfast
Morning Session: Ketamine Journeying Instructions
Mindfulness Walk & Journal for Intention Setting
Lunch
Afternoon Session: Ketamine Sit 1
Snack Break
Evening Session: Art & Movement Experiential Group
Dinner
Group Integration
Day 2: Friday, Nov 14
Gentle Movement
Breakfast
Masterclass with Ana
Morning Session: Ketamine Sit 2
Lunch
Group Integration
Dinner
Fire Ceremony
Day 3: Sat, Nov 15
Breakfast
Sound Bowl Meditation
Group Reflection
10am - Check Out
Day 4: Sun, Nov 16
Steps to Register
1.
Complete the application form at the end of this page with your contact information and answers.
2.
You will receive a personalized email to set up a call with our Lead Facilitator, Ana Rodriguez, to determine if you are appropriate for this retreat.
3.
If deemed appropriate, you will be requested to submit a 30% deposit to secure your spot.
4.
Once your spot is secured, you will meet with Selva's Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Emma Smith, for your ketamine assessment and final steps.
Investment
This retreat is intended to provide more affordable access to KAP for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Traditional individual sessions can range from $800-$1,500 out-of-pocket per session. With this retreat, you get full access to much more, with a potential for partial insurance reimbursement!
Total Cost: $750
Pricing includes the following:
Prep & Integration
Group Processing
Sound Bowl Healing
Movement & Meditation
Creative Arts
8 Meals
Lodging for 3 Nights
1-Hour Psychiatric Evaluation
2 Facilitated Ketamine Sits
2 Sublingual Ketamine Lozenges
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
Please note that you will receive a portion off of the total cost if you use United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, or BCBS for your Psychiatric Evaluation. You may also request Superbills for potential reimbursement from your insurance company for your two ketamine sits.
2025 Application
Thank you for your interest in joining our upcoming Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Retreat. This immersive experience is designed for deep transformation, shadow work, and nervous system restoration, held in a safe, sacred container facilitated by trauma-informed clinicians and healing practitioners.
To ensure your safety and readiness for this experience, we ask that you complete the following application and medical screening form. This information helps us curate a supportive group and uphold the highest standard of physical and emotional safety for all participants.
Please know that all responses are strictly confidential and will only be reviewed by our clinical and medical team. Completion of this form does not guarantee participation. One of our team members will contact you to discuss next steps if it feels like a good fit at this time. If selected, you will be invited to place a deposit and complete a one-on-one medical screening with our psychiatric nurse practitioner (NP) prior to final acceptance.
