Trauma Therapy & Ketamine-Assisted EMDR in Illinois
Depth-focused trauma work for adults across Illinois — Chicago, the North Shore, and beyond.
There is a particular kind of person who arrives at this work.
They have already done years of therapy. They understand their patterns, their attachment style, the shape of what they survived. They have read the books. They have done the work — and something underneath has not moved.
The Sacred Becoming is a private-pay trauma practice in Illinois for that person. The work here is not generalist therapy. It is focused, depth-oriented trauma resolution — built on attachment-focused EMDR, Internal Family Systems, somatic integration, and the careful clinical use of ketamine as a medicine that softens what insight alone cannot reach.
Who I Work With in Illinois
Clients across Illinois who come to this work are typically:
- Adults with complex PTSD or developmental trauma that has not fully resolved in years of weekly therapy
- Living with treatment-resistant depression or anxiety rooted in early attachment wounds
- High-functioning professionals who carry trauma quietly — perfectionism, hypervigilance,
chronic over-functioning, the inability to receive care - Therapists, clinicians, and other helping professionals doing their own deep work
- Adults who have plateaued in talk therapy and want a depth modality that can reach what
words cannot
Sessions are offered virtually across Illinois, with in-person work available for ketamine-assisted EMDR - Intensives in the Chicago area.
The Work Available in Illinois
Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Intensives
A three-day depth protocol combining attachment-focused EMDR, IFS, somatic integration, and the
clinical use of ketamine. Designed for adults who have plateaued in weekly therapy and want focused,
contained trauma resolution.
The three-day intensive includes two preparation sessions, three 90-minute ketamine-assisted EMDR
sessions, three 60-minute somatic integration sessions, and post-intensive integration support.
Investment: $4,500
Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy (Ongoing)
The same clinical approach used in the Intensive, delivered across months in a sustained therapeutic
relationship. Sessions are 90 minutes, scheduled every two to four weeks. For clients who want
medicine-supported depth work in a longer arc, or who have completed an Intensive and want to
continue.
Investment: $375 per 90-minute session
Individual Therapy
Ongoing weekly EMDR, IFS, and somatic-integrated trauma therapy without the medicine component.
For clients ready for depth-oriented work in a sustained therapeutic relationship.
About Ashley Hartman, LCSW
Ashley Hartman, LCSW, PMH-C, RYT-200, is a trauma therapist with fifteen years of clinical experience, specializing in complex PTSD, developmental trauma, and the integration of medicine-supported approaches with relational and somatic work.
She is licensed in Illinois and Colorado, credentialed in ketamine-assisted therapy through Fluence, trained in Attachment-Focused EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and trauma-informed yoga. The Sacred Becoming is her private-pay practice. The work is intentionally focused — built for adults ready to invest in depth-oriented trauma resolution rather than ongoing supportive care.
How to Begin
The first step is a 20-minute fit consultation. There is no cost. We will talk through what you are working with, what you have already done, and whether the work here is the right next step — or whether something else would serve you better right now.
Frequently Asked Questions — Illinois Clients
Where in Illinois do you see clients?
Sessions are available virtually to anyone in Illinois. In-person ketamine-assisted EMDR Intensives are
offered in the Chicago area. Many clients come from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs — the North
Shore, the western suburbs, and the city itself — though the work is open to clients statewide.
Do you take insurance?
The Sacred Becoming is a private-pay practice. Services are not in-network with insurance. A superbill
can be provided for potential out-of-network reimbursement, though reimbursement is not guaranteed
and varies by plan.
Why private pay?
Insurance-based care places limits on session length, treatment format, and clinical autonomy that are
incompatible with the depth and intensity of this work. Private-pay practice allows for the structure
trauma resolution actually requires — longer sessions, intensive formats, and the clinical flexibility to
pace work to the nervous system rather than to a billing code.
Is ketamine therapy legal in Illinois?
Yes. Ketamine is a legally prescribed medication used off-label for therapeutic purposes. The medicine is
prescribed and medically supervised by a separate licensed prescribing provider, who completes a
psychiatric evaluation prior to any medicine work. Ashley provides the therapeutic and integrative work;
the prescriber holds the medical responsibility.
Can I do this work if I live outside the Chicago area?
Yes. Ongoing Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy and Individual Therapy are offered virtually to clients
throughout Illinois. Three-day Intensives currently take place in the Chicago area, though that may shift
as the practice grows.