Sheila Newsom

I am a 72-year-old female physician who has practiced medicine for over 30 years. I was board-certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology and took care of very sick people day after day for many years. I was fortunate to have had wonderful teachers, mentors, and patients who taught me not only about medical practice but also about living life. I am also a transgender woman who felt a profound calling to transition late in life. Before that I lived the life of an alpha-male: I graduated from West Point where I was captain of the Army baseball team, then was a paratrooper, father, and husband. I am also a recovering alcoholic and stay active in recovery endeavors.
My gender transition occurred after I experienced dysphoria, a mental condition where one’s sense of self differs from the one assigned at birth. I had read all that I could about this process but going through it and becoming suicidal was a completely novel phenomenon. It dissipated initially with the initiation of cross-sex hormones but returned with a vengeance in 2021. A wise physician suggested that I try intramuscular ketamine. I did and it removed the suicidal ideation with one dose. It was amazing.
After I finished a master’s degree in Depth Psychology, I felt called to offer this sort of therapy in a unique way. I know that the brain effects of ketamine are substantial and include anti-inflammatory properties and recasting of neural networks. I have seen those in my work; but, what has been most amazing is finding that this is a powerful psychoactive agent that benefits the psyche, the realm of the conscious and unconscious that enfolds us all. Metis works in and through the soul.