Keyhole Counseling & Wellness

02/01/2026

Ketamine helps with anxiety in three powerful ways, all backed by research and aligned with the kind of deep inner work you guide people through.

1. It Interrupts the Anxiety Loop
Chronic anxiety is a loop in the brain — fear → tension → intrusive thoughts → more fear.
Ketamine increases a neurotransmitter called glutamate, which helps the brain temporarily disconnect from that loop.

This opens a window where clients can finally step out of survival mode and see their thoughts with more space and clarity.

2. It Creates New Neural Pathways
Ketamine increases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which helps the brain grow new connections.

In practical terms:
rigid thought patterns soften
black-and-white thinking loosens
“what-if” spirals quiet
the nervous system becomes more flexible instead of reactive
This is why clients often say things like,
“I feel like my brain finally took a breath.”

3. It Brings the Body Out of Fight-or-Flight
Anxiety lives in the body, not just the mind. Ketamine shifts the nervous system into a parasympathetic, almost meditative state.

Clients describe:
- shoulders unclenching
- jaw softening
- full breaths for the first time in years (this happens to me every single time I do ketamine - and I always say "This is what I came for....I can FINALLY breathe!!")
- a feeling of “I’m safe” returning
This somatic calm makes the mind feel safe enough to explore deeper emotional material.

4. It Helps Access Parts of the Mind That Are Normally Guarded
For people with trauma, perfectionism, or high-functioning anxiety, their protective parts stay on high alert.

Ketamine gently softens these defenses, allowing:
- deeper insight
- emotional release
- compassion for themselves
- clarity about what they actually want

This is why integration with a trusted therapist is so life-changing — the medicine opens the door, and the therapy walks them through it.

5. It Gives a “Rehearsal” of Life Without Anxiety
One of the most healing parts of ketamine work is that clients experience what it feels like to be calm and free.
Even if the calm lasts only hours or days at first, the brain learns:
“Oh… this state exists. I can come back here.”

That lived experience rewires everything.

Dr Mindy Thomas offers Ketamine Infusions right inside Keyhole Counseling and Wellness Center. To find out if ketamine is right for you - call 913-444-1431

01/31/2026

Sometimes the hardest part of healing isn’t what happened to you… it’s realizing how much of your life you’ve spent pretending it didn’t hurt.

We grow up learning to smile through the ache.
To carry the weight quietly.
To hide the anger that was never safe to express.
To shrink our needs so no one could call us “too much.”
To stay busy so the grief never catches up.
To hold it together because falling apart wasn’t an option.

But here’s the truth:
Your body remembers everything you tried to outthink.

The tension.
The shutdown.
The people-pleasing.
The craving for escape.
The numbness you call “I’m fine.”

None of this means you’re broken.
It means you survived.

Therapy isn’t about fixing you — it’s about unburdening you.
Letting you breathe again.
Letting you take up space.
Letting you tell the truth of your story without apologizing for its impact.

If you’re tired… if you’re ready… if you can feel the pressure building behind the mask — I see you.

This is your permission to begin.
Slowly.
Gently.
Bravely.
Your soul is asking to be heard.
Let’s listen.

01/30/2026

Ketamine is a beautiful medicine and is helpful for improving mental health 🤍

If traditional medicine is not your preferred choice, check out how Ketamine may help

Dr Mindy Thomas offers Ketamine Infusions right inside Keyhole Counseling and Wellness Center

01/28/2026

The days I begin with a guided breathwork experience, are by far my most joyful days. I really enjoy Sandy's energy - this one is only 10 min!!

This 10 minute Yang Breathwork routine can be used anytime you need an energy boost. Want to deepen your practice? Come join us on Patreonhttps://www.patreon...

01/27/2026

Your posture is a message your nervous system reads.
Not metaphorically — literally.
When you shift your body, you shift:
Vagus nerve activation
Breath depth and pace
Hormone release
Muscle tension patterns
Emotional interpretation signals
Your brain constantly scans your body for cues about whether you’re safe or threatened.

This is called interoception and embodied cognition.
So when your posture changes, the story your brain tells about your reality changes, too.

1. Collapsed posture → Anxiety, sadness, freeze
Rounded shoulders
Guarded chest
Head down
Shallow breath
Your brain reads this as:
“Something is wrong. Protect. Hide. Slow everything down.”
This increases:
Cortisol
Negative rumination
Hypervigilance
This is why people feel more hopeless or overwhelmed when they’re slumped.

2. Upright, open posture → Confidence, calm, clarity
Shoulders back & down
Chest open
Head level
Belly soft enough to breathe
Your brain interprets this as:
“I’m safe. I can handle this.”
This increases:
Dopamine
Serotonin
Vagal tone
Emotional regulation

3. Grounded posture (feet planted, spine tall) → Stability
This is your rooted posture — exactly what you use before breathwork or ceremony.
Your brain reads:
“I’m connected. I’m anchored. I can move through this.”

4. Posture + Breath = Mood Alchemy
When you combine posture with breath, the shift is even deeper:
Open chest + slow exhale = calm
Broad shoulders + long spine = confidence
Soft belly + low diaphragm = emotional openness
Your body becomes the wand.

💥 Try This (takes 10 seconds):
Right now —
Plant your feet.
Roll your shoulders back and down.
Lift your sternum 1 inch.
Take a slow inhale for 4.
Exhale for 6.
Notice how quickly your energy changes.

💫Your system responds FAST when you shift your body.
Posture for you is not mechanical — it’s energetic signaling.

Dawn S Birdsong MA LCPC

01/26/2026

Sometimes talk therapy isn't enough.
We have other options - please stop struggling in silence, it doesn't have to feel like this...

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9540337/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

01/26/2026

In this moment from my conversation with Dr. Lisa Miller, we explore a gentle spiritual truth: that beneath everything we face, there is a deeper remembering...

01/26/2026

There are certain kinds of pain you don’t talk about.
The kind you smile through because you don’t know how to explain it without falling apart.
The kind you carry alone because you’re afraid if you say it out loud, someone will look at you differently.
Or worse — confirm the fear you already have:
that something is wrong with you.
You know those thoughts you never admit?
Like…
“I’m so tired I don’t know how people keep doing this.”
“I feel like I’m disappearing.”
“No one would even notice if I stopped trying so hard.”
“I don’t want to die… I just don’t want to feel like this anymore.”
“I’m scared of my own mind.”
“I don’t recognize myself.”
You think you’re alone in that darkness.
But you’re not.
And you’re not broken.
You’re not dramatic.
You’re not failing at life.
You’re hurting.
And you’ve been carrying it by yourself for far too long.
There are people who understand this level of pain.
There are treatments created for exactly these moments in life —
when the mind feels stuck, heavy, fogged, numb, or unbearably loud.
You don’t have to keep surviving in silence.
You don’t have to keep pretending.
You don’t have to keep holding your breath hoping tomorrow feels different.
There is room in this world for your struggle
and for your healing.
You deserve to feel light again.
You deserve to feel like yourself again.
You deserve relief — real relief — not just “pushing through.”
If you’re reading this and your chest aches a little because it hits too close…
that’s your sign that you’re not numb.
You’re not gone.
Something in you still wants to live.
And that part of you?
It’s worth listening to.
You don’t have to walk this alone.
There is help that actually helps.
There is hope that isn’t cliché — it’s biological, emotional, spiritual.
You are seen.
You are not too much.
You are not too far gone.
And your story isn’t over.
🪽 Healing is possible. And you deserve it.
If you are ready to try something different - ready to find yourself - Ketamine may be the perfect fit for you!

Call Dr Thomas at 913-444-1431 to get scheduled!

01/05/2026

✨ The 2nd Kambo Circle | A Different Kind of New Year Reset ✨
Most New Year’s resolutions don’t fail because people lack willpower.
They fail because the body hasn’t been brought along for the change.
Kambo is not about “trying harder.”
It’s about clearing what’s in the way.
This second Kambo Circle is for those who feel ready to reset their nervous system, immune system, and inner compass — not just set another intention that lives in the mind.
Kambo is often sought by people who are: • Trying to restore health after burnout, illness, or inflammation
• Ready to break patterns of stagnation, fog, or emotional heaviness
• Wanting to feel clearer, stronger, and more embodied going into the new year
• Done with surface-level fixes and ready for a deeper recalibration
Think of this as a somatic New Year’s resolution — one that starts in the body and ripples outward.
This is a small, intentional circle, held with care, education, and respect for the medicine and your sovereignty. No pushing. No proving. Just presence, support, and a powerful opportunity to shed what no longer serves.
✨ Release the old.
✨ Strengthen the body.
✨ Begin the year from a place of clarity and resilience.
If your New Year’s intention is health, vitality, and alignment, this circle may be calling you.
📩 For prescreening and registration, contact Matt Brake directly.
Prescreening ensures safety, readiness, and alignment for the circle.

11/24/2025

Ahhh the holidays!
Acudetox can help you stay grounded and more peaceful during this busy season. Space is very limited so please let me know if you want in!

11/21/2025

✨2nd Kambo Circle at Keyhole Counseling & Wellness

Friday, January 16 • 6:00 PM
Saturday, January 17 • 10:00 AM
Lenexa KS

Facilitator: Medicine Dreamer — Matt Brake, Kambo International Master Practitioner
Prescreening required: text Matt at 417-416-4565
Learn more about Kambo: https://medicinedreamer.com/kambo-2

💚 What Kambo Can Support

Kambo is a powerful Amazonian medicine known for its ability to cleanse the body, reset the nervous system, and support deep emotional and energetic healing. People often experience:

🔥 Nervous System Reset

A release of stress hormones and a shift into parasympathetic calm, leaving you grounded, clear, and emotionally regulated.

💧 Detoxification & Inflammation Reduction

Kambo stimulates the liver, lymphatic, and immune systems to purge toxins and reduce inflammation. Many feel lighter, clearer, and mentally sharper as a result.

🌿 Mood & Mental Clarity Boost

Kambo’s natural peptides may elevate mood, reduce emotional heaviness, and enhance focus, motivation, and cognitive function.

⚡ Energy & Immunity Support

Participants frequently report feeling revitalized, less fatigued, and more resilient both physically and emotionally.

🌬️ Emotional Release

The purge isn’t just physical — it often helps release stagnant emotional weight, patterns of fear, or heaviness held in the body.

✨ Spiritual & Energetic Cleansing

Many describe a renewed sense of alignment, intuition, inner strength, and clarity of purpose.

11/17/2025

Book your quantum biofeedback scan similar to metabolic testing!!

Have you scheduled your Biofeeback Scan??

My Quantum Biofeedback Scan is one of the quickest ways to get a full snapshot of what’s going on in your body:

🔹 45+ body systems
🔹 Vitamin, mineral & electrolyte deficiencies
🔹 Gut health + inflammation
🔹 Heavy metals & environmental toxins
🔹 Hormone stressors
🔹 Energetic imbalances

Takes 2 minutes. Completely non-invasive.
Find out exactly where your body needs support—and walk away with a personalized plan.

DM me to claim a Friday appointment before they fill!