The Village Within
A Three-Month KAP Program for Mothers
Three ketamine sessions. Three Months. One circle of women who witness together
What The Village Within Is
We were never meant to do this alone. We were meant to grieve in community, to mother in community, to crumble and be caught and find our way back — together. Somewhere along the way that got lost. What we got instead was isolation dressed up as independence — as doing it all, as holding it together, as being grateful. Most of us have been doing that performance for so long we've forgotten it's a performance. We can't bring the village back. But we can give you a room, three months, and a small circle of people holding space together.
The Village Within is a three-month group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program for those navigating the motherhood transition — postpartum, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, and the profound identity shifts that come with becoming and being a parent. A small, carefully held cohort — six to eight — move through preparation, medicine sessions, and integration together over time, in real relationship with each other.
This is not a support group. It is a therapeutic program. But the group container — being genuinely known by others, over months, without explanation or performance — becomes one of the most powerful parts of the healing.
The Village Within is offered through Catalyst Insight Collective in St. Anthony, MN, with full medical supervision. Insurance and out-of-pocket options are available. The founding cohort is forming now — reach out to learn more about dates, cost, and whether this program is right for you.
Who The Village Within Is For
The Village Within is for mothers. All of them.
You do not need to be in the postpartum period, have a specific diagnosis, or have exhausted every other option to participate. If you consider yourself a mother — whether your child is a newborn or a teenager, whether your path to motherhood was straightforward or complicated, whether you are struggling in one area or many — you are welcome here.
Depression, anxiety, grief, overwhelm, burnout, relational stress, identity disruption, the slow erosion of knowing who you are outside of what you give to others — all of it belongs here.
You may be a good fit if you:
Consider yourself a mother, in any season of motherhood
Are experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, burnout, overwhelm, or general emotional difficulty
Are ready for something that works at a deeper level than what you've tried before
Are willing to commit to a three-month arc — the depth of this program comes from the sustained work over time
Are medically stable and able to participate in group and full-day sessions
Feel ready to be genuinely known by a small group of women — not just to show up, but to be present
A medical evaluation with our supervising physician is required before participation. The ketamine portion does require a qualifying diagnosis — this does not need to be anything complicated or specifically maternal. Standard depression, anxiety, and adjustment diagnoses are appropriate. If you're not sure whether you qualify, reach out. The answer is often yes.
Most women who come to The Village Within have spent years being strong for everyone else. The experience of being in a room where that is not required — where you can be uncertain, undone, in process, and still belong — is something many of them have never had.
The group is not incidental to the healing. It is the healing. Being witnessed by other mothers who are doing the same hard work, over months, without anyone performing or pretending — that is what builds the village that was missing.
Why the Group Matters?
How the Program Unfolds
THREE MONTHS OF REAL WORK
TThe Village Within moves through three phases, repeated once a month over the course of three months. Each month follows the same arc — preparation, medicine, integration — so that every cycle builds on the last and the work deepens over time.
1) GROUP PREPARATION SESSION
The cohort meets together before each medicine session to prepare — building on the trust and connection already established, revisiting or refining intentions, and making sure everyone feels grounded and ready going in. These sessions deepen as the program progresses. By the third month, you will know these women well.
2) THE MEDICINE SESSION
A medically supervised ketamine session with Dr. Shawn Olson. Olivia is present throughout — providing grounding, therapeutic support, and attuned presence. Each session builds on the integration work from the month before.
3) GROUP INTEGRATION
After each medicine session, the cohort comes back together to process what arose — with the same women who were in the room. This is where insights land, where meaning gets made, and where a lot of the lasting change actually happens.
Over three months, that means:
3 group preparation sessions
3 medically supervised ketamine sessions
3 group integration sessions
** Optional individual check-ins with Olivia woven throughout *
Nine touchpoints in total, held within a container that gets stronger every month.
For Referring Providers
For Referring Providers
The Village Within was designed with referral partnerships in mind. If you are working with a mother — at any stage of motherhood, not limited to the perinatal period — who has not achieved sufficient relief through therapy or medication alone, The Village Within may be an appropriate next step or adjunct to your existing care.
Appropriate referrals include clients who:
Are a mother at any stage — not limited to the perinatal period — experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, burnout, adjustment disorder, relational stress, or general mood disruption
Carry a qualifying diagnosis — this does not need to be perinatal-specific; standard mood and anxiety diagnoses are appropriate
Are medically stable with no active psychosis, mania, or uncontrolled substance use
Have engaged in some prior therapeutic or psychiatric treatment
Are ready for a sustained commitment — three months of group work requires genuine readiness
Express interest in or openness to an experiential or medicine-assisted approach
A note on diagnosis: The Village Within is intentionally accessible. Clients do not need a formal PMAD diagnosis to participate. Depression, generalized anxiety, adjustment disorder, burnout, and related presentations are all appropriate. If you are unsure whether a client qualifies, please reach out directly — Olivia is happy to consult before a formal referral.
Clinical team:
Therapist: Olivia Mackley, MA, LMFT, PMH-C
A second clinically licensed Mental Health Therapist present throughout
Supervising Physician: Dr. Shawn Olson, MD, MPH, DipABLM, FAIHM
Setting: Catalyst Insight Collective, Saint Anthony, MN
To refer a client or request more information:
✉️ olivia@catalystinsightcollective.com
For a professional referral one-pager and informational flier click below
The best first step is a free discovery call — for you, or on behalf of a client you're referring. No commitment, no pressure. Just a real conversation about whether The Village Within is the right fit.
Ready to Learn More?
