Cory Degnen, PsyD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
Spiritual Exploration and Development
Specialty Areas
- PTSD and Complex Trauma
- Existential Dread and Spiritual Exploration
- Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Disorders
- Men’s Mental Health
- Sexuality and Sexual Concerns
- Grief, shame, and Moral Injury
- Meditation, Mindfulness, and Dream work
- Depth Psychology
Trained in Ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) by Phil Wolfson, a pioneer of KAP, Dr. Cory Degnen feels passionately about the applicability of this medicine in the treatment of a wide spectrum of mental health disorders. Dr. Degnen believes well conducted KAP can help clients connect to their deeper and more foundational nature, what the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung referred to as the “collective unconscious”, the place within each of us thought to be the birthplace of spirituality, religion, and mythology. Dr. Degnen believes that when his clients can make contact with this profound inner space, a perspective change of a higher order can be achieved, helping clientele begin to view mental health struggles and life circumstance from a place of greater curiosity, calm, and creativity. In addition to utilizing Jungian psychological principles, Dr. Degnen draws heavily upon Buddhist philosophy to help make sense of what client’s may experience during their ketamine journeys, framing any experience, even challenging ones, as opportunities for self-discovery and liberation from distressing symptoms through acceptance of non-attachment.
Hear from Cory
I believe Ketamine is a powerful tool for discovering deeper connection to self, development of one’s spirituality, and the genesis of perspective change that helps reduce one’s attachment to and identification with distressing mental health symptoms. I believe ketamine helps us connect with that inner place responsible for the birth of religion, spirituality, and connection to nature that has been lost in the modern era.
As much of my personal relationship to the spiritual aligns with Jungian and Buddhist thought, I understand the ketamine experience from this perspective. However, I believe the ketamine experience is relevant to any and every religious, spiritual, or philosophical orientation and will work with my clientele to help them understand their experience from whatever frame of reference they find of value.
I believe Ketamine’s main mechanism of action in healing mental health symptoms is the perspective change it grants the user. Even at lower dosages, ketamine creates a soft internal space from which people can view themselves, their struggles, patterns, and emotional world without getting caught up in it. This internal space creates a sense of curiosity that can engender more creative and novel ways to view oneself and life. This internal space is what Buddhism describes as non-attachment and it is my goal to help clients understand that they are much more than a distressing mental health symptom or problematic behavior pattern, and that learning to remain in this higher non-attached perspective is possible and grants personal agency and choice in all aspects of one’s life.
~Dr. Cory Degnen
Education
- PsyD in Clinical Psychology, William James College, Newton, MA — APA Accredited Program, 2025
- MA in Professional Psychology, William James College, Newton, MA, 2023
- BS in Health Science, focus in Substance Abuse and Addictions, Keene State College, Keene, NH, 2012
Advanced Training
- EMDR Basic Training, Level 1, 2024
- Clinical hypnosis training at Boston Behavioral Medicine
- Seminars on Dreams, Cambridge Health Alliance with Deirdre Barrett, PhD (2022, 2024)
- Dream Groups for Clinicians, Writers, and First Responders, C.G. Jung Institute of New England (2021, 2023)
- Trauma and the Lost and Recovered Soul in Psychotherapy & Opening The Closed Heart (C.G. Jung Institute of New England, 2021)
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Conference, Boston, MA (2022)
- Meditation and Psychotherapy Conference, Harvard Medical School (2012)
- Additional continuing education on CBT for psychosis, motivational interviewing, nutrition for mental health, and other integrative approaches
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