OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sage Institute for Psychedelic Therapy, a 501(c) 3 non-profit which provides high-quality training and accessible psychedelic therapy to underserved communities, today announced it has changed its name. Effective immediately, the organization will be the Alchemy Community Therapy Center.
“Often associated with the magical process of converting base metals to gold, alchemy happens when elements are combined and transformed into new elements,” said Dr. Deidra Somerville, Ph.D., MSW, the organization’s executive director. Somerville was named executive director in April 2022 and has been focused on building and strengthening the community since her arrival. “The name ‘Alchemy’ was a perfect fit because we are creating something unique and precious.”
Somerville continued, “The renaming process was itself a living embodiment of our community-oriented mission with everyone participating and contributing.”
The newly renamed organization provides accessible psychedelic therapy to underserved populations. Most clients identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, queer, transgender or gender nonconforming, and are low income and underinsured. The mission is to provide high-quality training and programs, accessible psychedelic therapy, and innovative research, fostering effective and culturally responsive mental health treatment. Alchemy also trains the next generation of diverse clinicians and leaders in the field of psychedelic medicine.
“We recognize that our work to remove barriers to access and improve equity within the field of psychedelic assisted therapy and training is occurring before many of the systems to support our work, such as adequate insurance reimbursement for care, or financial support for practitioners from diverse backgrounds seeking training, are in place,” said Somerville. “Our donors, funders and volunteers are on this journey with us. We are grateful for their partnership and support as we embark on this journey together as Alchemy.”
Later this year, the organization’s new name and branding will be added to its building. Other launch plans include a community mixer to mark this new chapter, tours of the office space, clinical opportunities for licensed providers, and group therapy offerings to continue increasing accessibility of services.
As this new chapter begins, Alchemy would like to acknowledge the countless individuals and organizations that have supported their vision since opening in 2019. In particular, we want to give special thanks to Sage Integrative Health (sageintegrativehealth.org), a Bay Area clinic specializing in integrative health and psychedelic therapy. Sage Integrative Health was a key contributor in the development of Sage Institute’s original vision, mission, and brand, and played an integral role in developing the systems, protocols, curriculum, and training that Sage Institute has built on since its founding. The team at Alchemy looks forward to continuing to grow from that legacy as it moves forward under its new name.
About Alchemy
The Alchemy Community Therapy Center is a sliding scale clinic that offers psychotherapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy (as it becomes legal) to underserved communities in the Bay Area. The priority is to offer high quality, accessible and culturally sensitive services to individuals from a diversity of backgrounds, cultures and lived experiences. Alchemy is a training clinic, providing rigorous educational programming in depth-oriented psychedelic-assisted therapy through a community-focused, social justice and trauma-informed lens. The organization places an emphasis on training clinicians who reflect the diverse identities of the communities it serves. For more information, visit alchemytherapy.org
