Polaris Insight Center

About

Polaris Insight Center is a San Francisco-based ketamine-assisted psychotherapy practice founded by Harvey Schwartz, PhD, Veronika Gold, LMFT, and Eric Sienknecht, PsyD, clinicians who were among the first in the United States to receive training through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. The center integrates somatic, psychological, and transpersonal approaches within a relational psychodynamic framework, distinguishing it from infusion-only clinics that lack therapeutic depth. Polaris offers individualized KAP treatment using sublingual lozenges and intramuscular injections at various dose levels, carefully matched to each patient's clinical needs. The treatment protocol encompasses intake assessment, preparatory psychotherapy, guided ketamine sessions lasting two to three hours, and ongoing integration work focused on meaning-making and lasting behavioral change. Beyond its clinical practice, Polaris operates a nationally recognized training program in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, offering didactic instruction, experiential retreats, and consultation to licensed clinicians seeking to incorporate psychedelic-assisted modalities into their practice. Co-founder Veronika Gold has worked with Lykos Therapeutics on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy trials and holds training in 5-MeO-DMT and psilocybin facilitation, reflecting the center's broad engagement with the psychedelic therapy landscape.

Depth Orientation

Polaris was co-founded by psychologists trained through MAPS in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and brings a relational psychodynamic and existential lens to ketamine work. The center emphasizes the cultivation of the therapeutic relationship, meaning-making, and somatic-transpersonal integration rather than treating ketamine as a standalone pharmacological intervention. Co-founder Harvey Schwartz, PhD specializes in complex PTSD and dissociative disorders, grounding the practice in depth-oriented trauma work.

Treatment Modalities

Program Details

Best for

• Treatment-resistant depression
• Complex PTSD
• Dissociative disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Chronic pain
• Addiction
• OCD
• Life transitions

Notable Clinicians

• Harvey Schwartz, PhD — Co-Founder, Licensed Psychologist, specialist in complex PTSD and dissociative disorders
• Veronika Gold, LMFT — Co-Founder, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, MAPS-trained in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
• Eric Sienknecht, PsyD — Co-Founder, Licensed Psychologist, specialist in chronic pain and mood disorders

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