ATMA CENA Practitioners

05/29/2026

What if healing depression or PTSD wasn't just about changing your thoughts — but actually changing the structure of your brain?

Emerging research in neuroscience is shedding light on one of the most compelling mechanisms behind psychedelic-assisted therapy: neuroplasticity. A 2025 review published in *Frontiers in Psychiatry* found that certain compounds appear to promote rapid, significant changes in dendritic structure — the branching connections between neurons — within hours of administration, with some structural changes persisting for weeks. Researchers describe a state of heightened brain openness that may make the mind especially responsive to new ways of thinking, processing, and healing. What the evidence suggests is that guided therapeutic work during this window isn't incidental — it's central.

In our clinics, every session is medically supervised and paired with preparation and integration support — because the science is clear that context matters as much as biology.

The research is here. The care is here. Learn more at atmacena.com

ATMA CENA | Psychedelic Therapy | Neuroscience

05/27/2026

The question used to be "will patients ever ask about psychedelic-assisted therapy?"

Now it's "what do I say when they do?"

Canada's regulatory framework for psychedelic-assisted therapy has been evolving, and the conversations prescribers are having with patients have evolved with it.
For physicians, psychiatrists, and nurse practitioners, the challenge isn't just staying current — it's knowing when this type of care is appropriate, what the referral pathway looks like, and how to support patients confidently and ethically as they navigate their options.

ATMA CENA's Prescriber Pathway is built for exactly this gap: a CME-eligible training covering advanced pharmacology, medical screening, regulatory access frameworks, interdisciplinary collaboration, and clinical decision-making.

When clients ask — be ready. Speak with a student advisor or learn more at atmacena.com/psychedelic-therapy-training/prescriber

ATMA CENA | Psychedelic Therapy | Prescriber Training

05/25/2026

May gives us a collective moment to talk about mental health more openly. But one month was never going to be enough — and for us, every day is the right time to begin the conversation.

This month, conversations that used to happen in hushed tones have taken place in meeting rooms, group chats, and living rooms across the country.

That matters... But the reality for millions of Canadians is that the gap between awareness and access is still significant — and closing it takes more than a month of visibility.

It requires sustained investment in evidence-based treatment, better pathways for those who haven't found relief, and practitioners who are prepared to meet people where they are.

At ATMA CENA, that's the work we're doing every day — one patient, one trained practitioner, one clinic at a time.

The research is here. The care is here. Reach out at atmacena.com

ATMA CENA | Mental Health | Psychedelic Therapy

05/22/2026

We're a little late... but we wanted to celebrate one of the most important parts of the team at ATMA CENA — our nurses (to be honest, we might just go ahead and celebrate them all year).

In psychedelic-assisted therapy, nurses are everywhere that matters: intake, session set-up, clinical oversight during medicine sessions, and perhaps most importantly, holding space for clients throughout every step of their journey.

Meet Josie — a Registered Nurse at our Edmonton clinic who recently supported therapists and providers at our KAT Immersive Experience, where she stood out in her ability to create a safe container for each participant doing the work. She understands the importance of set and setting at a level that can't be taught in a classroom. That depth of clinical experience means clients in her care feel it — the kind of safety that lets people go deep.

And then there's this: Josie represented Canada at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a member of the Canadian Speed Skating Team.

An Olympian. An ICU nurse. And now, a quiet force in psychedelic-assisted therapy. We are so grateful to have her on this team!

To Josie and every nurse who shows up for their patients with skill, presence, and heart — thank you. This week and every week.

05/22/2026

This Paramedic Week, we're thinking about the people who show up — every shift, every call, every time.

PTSD is one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions — and one of the most under-treated. It isn't just about difficult memories. It's a whole-body, whole-brain condition that reshapes how a person perceives safety, threat, and connection — often without warning and without a clear trigger.
For many, traditional treatments address the symptoms but don't fully reach the underlying neurobiology, leaving hypervigilance, emotional numbing, and intrusive experiences largely intact.

Recent clinical evidence is pointing toward psychedelic therapy as an intervention option with real potential, with some studies reporting lasting symptom relief in a majority of participants at 12-month follow-up — including those who haven't responded to other approaches.

PTSD is one of the conditions our clinical team has the most experience supporting — in a medically supervised, trauma-informed setting.

You don't have to figure this out alone. Learn more or book an info call at atmacena.com

ATMA CENA | Psychedelic Therapy | PTSD | Paramedic Week

05/20/2026

Happy Paramedic Services Week, May 17–23!

We want to take a moment to acknowledge all the paramedics in the field — including our very own "retired" paramedic turned Clinic Coordinator here in our Calgary clinic – Sheila.

This Portage la Prairie native spent 25 years as an Advanced Care Paramedic, plus 10 years with the Royal Canadian Air Force in Emergency Response. She brings the kindest approach to getting our clients organized and scheduled for PAT, and has a special soft spot for our first responder clients and the unique challenges and trauma that come with that career path.

With an impressive volunteer portfolio and a long-held dream of moving to Alberta, ATMA CENA was lucky to welcome her in 2024 when she finally made the leap! And her quiet claim to fame? In the late '90s, she landed a film role in the TV series North of 60, playing a first aid tech — a fitting nod to her lifelong dedication to emergency care.

Thank you for everything you do! 💙

05/18/2026

You respond to everyone else's emergencies.

This Paramedic Week, we want to recognize what that actually costs — and remind you that support exists for the weight you carry long after the call ends.

ATMA offers psychedelic-assisted therapy for first responders and healthcare professionals living with PTSD and occupational trauma.
When you've tried everything and you still feel stuck - reach out to learn more about these emerging, evidence-based mental health therapies. Healing is still possible.

paramedic week | first responders | PTSD | mental health | ketamine-assisted therapy | occupational trauma | first responder wellness

05/15/2026

Access to evidence-based mental health care shouldn't depend on where you live.

ATMA CENA operates corporate clinics in Calgary and Edmonton, AND has a national network of member clinics spanning coast to coast — with locations in Hamilton, London, Mississauga, Montreal, North Bay, Oakville, Sarnia, Saskatoon, Vaughan, Kitchener, Windsor, Winnipeg, and more. For patients, that means the path to psychedelic-assisted therapy, general therapy, or rTMS is closer than most people realize. For practitioners in our training network, it means a growing clinical infrastructure built on shared standards of care and a real pathway into practice through the CoCare model.

We're building something — not someday, but now.

Learn more at atmacena.com/member-clinics

ATMA CENA | Psychedelic Therapy | Mental Health Care

05/13/2026

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your mental health this week wasn't a new habit or a morning routine — but simply reaching out to someone?

Canada's Mental Health Week runs May 4–10, and this year's theme is *Come Together* — a reminder that connection isn't a nice-to-have in mental health care. It's foundational. Research consistently shows that quality relationships and a sense of belonging are among the strongest predictors of mental health resilience. For those navigating harder paths — depression, PTSD, anxiety, or addiction — the sense of not being alone can be the very thing that opens the door.

We see this every day. Whether someone is exploring therapy for the first time or a practitioner deepening their clinical work — the thread running through all of it is human connection.

You don't have to figure this out alone. Reach out at atmacena.com

ATMA CENA | Psychedelic Therapy | Mental Health Week

05/13/2026

May is Mental Health Month — and we're opening the door.

Join us May 22 (12–1 PM MDT) for a free webinar: A Day in the Life: Experiencing Ketamine-Assisted Therapy. Dr. Ravi Bains and Lisa Kemp walk you through what our psychedelic-assisted therapy program actually looks like — from first steps to full treatment plan.

If you're exploring options for yourself or looking for new tools for treatment-resistant clients, this one's for you.

Free. Online. Seats are limited.

🔗

A Day in the Life: Experiencing Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAT) presented by ATMA CENA