Choosing an Approach

There is more than one way to approach meaningful change.

You may know that you want support but feel less certain about what kind. Perhaps you're considering psychotherapy for the first time, wondering whether a different approach might help after previous care hasn't brought enough relief, or trying to understand what ketamine-assisted psychotherapy or neurofeedback actually involves.

At Mind Body Well Therapy, PLLC, I offer holistic integrative psychotherapy, the psychotherapy component of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), and NeuroEase EEG Brain Training & Neurofeedback. These approaches work differently and ask different things of you.

They are not better or worse versions of the same care. And you do not have to know which one you need before you reach out.

This page can help you understand the differences, consider what may matter when choosing an approach, and decide what you'd like to explore next.

Ready to explore support? Schedule a consultation to ask questions and consider what may be a good fit.

Three Approaches, Different Ways of Working

Psychotherapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and EEG brain training work with change in different ways. When choosing an approach, it helps to consider not only what each one is, but what participating in it is actually like.

◦  Holistic Integrative Psychotherapy

Holistic integrative psychotherapy begins with you rather than with a single technique. It's an ongoing therapeutic process in which we talk, reflect, notice patterns, understand experiences and relationships, and consider new ways of responding. My clinical work is grounded in evidence-based psychotherapy and guided by an evidence-informed, whole-person approach that considers mind, body, heart, spirit, and lived experience.

Sometimes the focus is practical and present-centered. At other times, it may involve deeper exploration of emotions, relationships, earlier experiences, or long-standing patterns.

The goal isn't to use as many techniques as possible. The goal is to provide care that fits you.

Explore Holistic Integrative Psychotherapy

◦  Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) brings psychotherapy into care involving medically prescribed ketamine. I provide the psychotherapy component of KAP — I do not prescribe ketamine. Medical evaluation, prescribing, medication instructions, and medication decisions remain the responsibility of an independent qualified medical provider.

Psychotherapy may include preparation before a prescribed ketamine experience, therapeutic support during a dosing session when arranged, integration afterward, or a combination of these.

For some people, the possible pace of symptom change is part of the interest in ketamine. Some people with depression may experience antidepressant effects relatively quickly. Response varies, though, and faster improvement is neither guaranteed nor necessarily lasting — it's one consideration among many when deciding whether ketamine-related care is worth exploring.

Explore Ketamine Therapy

◦  EEG Brain Training & Neurofeedback

EEG Brain Training & Neurofeedback is a training-oriented approach rather than psychotherapy. Small sensors measure electrical activity produced by your brain at the scalp, and the neurofeedback system uses that information to provide feedback while you train. The sensors measure activity; they do not send electricity into your brain.

With NeuroEase Brain Training, much of the training takes place at home, with professional assessment, monitoring, and adjustment over time.

Neurofeedback doesn't require you to talk through your experiences the way psychotherapy does. Your participation centers more on repeated training and your response to the process.

Sometimes you understand what is happening intellectually yet remain curious about an approach that works with patterns of regulation in another way.

Explore NeuroEase EEG Brain Training & Neurofeedback

What May Matter When Choosing an Approach

Choosing an approach involves more than matching a treatment name to a symptom. Your goals, history, preferences, current care, clinical circumstances, and practical life all contribute to the larger picture.

◦  What do you hope will change?

You may want help understanding long-standing patterns, feel steadier in daily life, or find another way forward when previous care has helped only partially. You may simply know that the way you've been managing is no longer working as well as it once did. These are starting points for a conversation, not a formula for choosing a treatment.

◦  How do you want to participate?

You may be drawn to an ongoing therapeutic relationship, curious about psychotherapy supported by a ketamine experience, or interested in an approach that relies less on verbal processing and more on repeated EEG-informed training. Preference doesn't determine clinical fit, but it's useful information.

◦  What have you already tried?

You may be starting therapy for the first time, continuing meaningful therapeutic work, or exploring another option because therapy, medication, or other care has helped only partially. That doesn't mean your previous treatment failed — it may mean you have more information now about what's been useful, what remains difficult, and what you'd like to approach differently.

◦  Does the possible pace of change matter to you?

Different forms of care don't necessarily unfold on the same timetable. Ketamine is distinctive because some people with depression may experience symptom improvement more rapidly than with conventional treatments, and that possibility can understandably matter when someone has been struggling for a long time. But it's only one part of the decision — not everyone responds to ketamine, the timing and durability of change vary, and faster symptom relief isn't the same as completing the broader therapeutic work.

◦  How do you feel about the process itself?

An ongoing therapeutic relationship, an altered-state experience with appropriate medical involvement, and a technology-supported training process are very different experiences. Interest, hesitation, and curiosity all belong in the conversation, even though they don't determine clinical fit on their own.

◦  What fits your actual life?

Scheduling, frequency, cost, location, existing treatment relationships, and the time and energy you can realistically devote to care may all influence what makes sense to explore. You can find additional practical information on Fees & Insurance, Getting Started, and Online Therapy & States Served.

Different Approaches Ask Different Things of You

Sometimes the clearest way to understand the differences is to think less about treatment labels and more about what you'd actually be doing.

◦  In Psychotherapy

You show up for your and the therapeutic relationship. We talk about what's happening, notice patterns, explore thoughts and emotions, make connections, and consider ways of responding differently. I often tell clients, you're the expert on you. My role is to listen carefully, bring clinical perspective, and help us find a direction that supports the work. It doesn't begin with a technique. It begins with you.

◦  In Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

You participate in both the psychotherapeutic and medically managed parts of care. The medical provider determines whether ketamine may be medically appropriate and manages the medication; my role is psychotherapy. That may mean preparing for the experience, offering therapeutic support during a prescribed dosing session when arranged, and making space afterward to reflect and integrate. Integration doesn't require turning every experience into a profound insight — sometimes the useful work is simply noticing what arose and considering what you want to carry forward.

◦  In Neurofeedback

You participate in repeated EEG brain-training sessions. Rather than talking through a problem during the training itself, your brain receives feedback based on measured EEG activity — you don't need to consciously figure out how to make your brain behave a certain way; the process relies on feedback and learning over time. Less talking doesn't mean less participation. Consistency, attention to your experience, and ongoing monitoring all matter.

Still uncertain? A consultation can help you think through what may be worth exploring.

One Approach Does Not Have to Do Everything

Choosing one form of care doesn't always mean rejecting the others. Different forms of support can have different jobs, and the right combination depends on the person.

Some people use one approach on its own. Others may participate in psychotherapy while adding neurofeedback, or remain with a trusted therapist while receiving focused KAP preparation or integration from another clinician. Different approaches may also become relevant at different points.

Neurofeedback is not a reason to stop psychotherapy, medication, or other healthcare on your own. KAP also involves distinct medical and psychotherapeutic responsibilities when several professionals are involved.

The purpose isn't to assemble as many treatments as possible. It's to understand what each form of support is doing, and whether it has a useful place in the larger picture.

You Do Not Have to Figure It Out Alone

You may reach the end of this page with a clear preference. Or you may simply understand your options better than you did before. Both are useful.

If one approach already stands out, you can explore it in more depth:

Explore Holistic Integrative Psychotherapy — Learn more about my relational, individualized approach to psychotherapy.

Explore Ketamine Therapy — Learn more about psychotherapy-supported ketamine care, preparation, integration, and medical coordination.

Explore NeuroEase EEG Brain Training & Neurofeedback — Learn more about personalized EEG brain training and how NeuroEase works.

If you're still not sure about choosing an approach, a consultation gives us a place to begin. It's not a commitment to start a particular service, and sometimes the most useful conclusion is that another approach, provider, or level of care would be a better fit.

Ready to explore support? Schedule a consultation to ask questions and consider what kind of care may feel right for you.

About the Author

Lucrezia Mangione is a licensed professional counselor and founder of Mind Body Well Therapy, Pllc. Her work is grounded in evidence-based psychotherapy and guided by an evidence-informed, whole-person approach that considers the interconnectedness of mind, body, heart, spirit, and lived experience.

She works with thoughtful, sensitive adults who may feel overwhelmed, anxious, emotionally exhausted, disconnected, or stuck, including caregivers, nurses, physicians, therapists, and other healthcare and helping professionals.

Mind Body Well Therapy, Pllc is a private psychotherapy practice offering holistic integrative psychotherapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and integration support, and NeuroEase EEG brain training and neurofeedback. Information on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes and is not intended for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for individualized medical, psychological, or mental health care. See the Privacy Policy and Disclaimer for more details.