We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr Cat Meyer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr Cat below.
Hi Dr Cat , thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)
When I’m working with clients whether it’s in the ketamine-assisted therapy space or simply talk therapy, the core of our work surrounds the belief that there are a variety of parts that exist inside of us + that there are no bad parts. In various times throughout our lives, we formed aspects of ourselves in response to distress, as a complex aspect of our internal survival systems. These parts of us all have their own perspectives of the world, their own vulnerable needs, + solutions for protection.
When we take the time to turn towards these parts (by way of noticing our thoughts, emotions, reactions, sensations, + images) with curiosity, compassion, + patience, we can discover that there really is a valid reason for everything we do, both favorably + unfavorably.
This is how we work towards healing, by coming into whole integration of the inner workings of ourselves. Not by way of shaming or blaming (although those parts have a valid reason they operate, too), but through compassion + understanding
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Dr Cat Meyer and I am a licensed psychotherapist specializing in sex, relationships, trauma, + ketamine-assisted therapy. I am also the founder of SexLoveYoga.com, an online platform integrating various schools of thought including science, tantra, yoga, psychedelic therapy, and psychology designed to help people create a deeply fulfilling, prosperous relational and sexual life.
I was 18 when I first discovered yoga + soon became a devoted student + teacher of the tradition. I was 21 when I was reading an article that quoted a sex therapist + decided that that’s what I wanted to be. I hadn’t even had sex yet, but I was determined to no longer feel the fear + pain + fatigue that took residence in my body.
As I went to grad school pursuing my doctorate in Marriage + Family Therapy, I immersed myself into schools + trainings related to Neo-tantra, BDSM, sex therapy, reiki energetic therapy.
I worked with plant medicines in the shamanic ceremonial cultures. I studied the psychotherapeutic applications of ketamine + continue to teach + lecture on the clinical applications of psychedelics for sex therapy.
Because of my personal devotion to healing + immersion into a myriad of cross-discipline education, alternative sexual communities + teachings, I come from a deeply compassionate + educated perspective on the infinite variety of relationship formations + avenues of which healing can occur. I have extensive experience in the psychedelic space from both the shamanic ceremonial perspective, as well as, the academic perspective, allowing me to bridge the two worlds together to best hold a client in their experiences.
Presently I see clients in my private practice in Los Angeles where I work with couples + individuals surrounding issues related to sex, alternative styles of relationships including polyamory, open, + non-traditional, and ketamine-assisted therapy. I also lead workshops, lectures, + retreats internationally around the topics of sex, embodiment, + psychedelics. I am the host of the podcasts Sex Love Psychedelics and Erotically Wasted, author of the book sexloveyoga, + co-founder of Un.done women’s sensual yoga experience.
I am most proud of the work that I do on the intersection of sexuality + psychedelics. Psychedelics is an emerging field and there are so many considerations that need to be made as we progress into two topics that can have both profound + damaging consequences if not taken with reverence + care.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In my 20’s up until a few years ago, I struggled with low energy, foggy brain, difficulty concentrating, digestive issues, + no libido. As someone studying sex therapy, I felt a lot of shame that I wasn’t able to keep up with myself, what I wanted to build, or even maintain relationships for longer than a few months. It wasn’t until I started to deepen my self-work both through ceremonial plan medicine work, as well as, somatic therapy work with my individual therapist, that I started to see those symptoms clear up.
There were many times I wanted to give up this path of work, because the exhaustion was so debilitating. Similarly, therapy + self-development work was financially expensive, which also put more stress on my already failing mind + body.
What I learned in this process was how much the symptoms were a result of the unprocessed trauma still being held in my body, and that the only way towards vibrancy again was by working through the pain + trauma that had originally left it in this state.
It reminds me of all the clients who come to work with me, or the voices that I hear on Instagram about how having satisfying sex + relational life + sexual desire feels like it’s at such a distance from where they are at. Doing self work to heal is work + is not easy. It requires a lot of devotion to the consistency of the practices, the willingness to feel discomfort + pain, face our unhelpful patterns, + the patience for lasting change to occur. It requires us to change our perspective + understanding around “healing” to open up into the variety of healing modalities that exist, as well as, the realization that “healing” is a lifestyle change rather than a one time event or destination to arrive at.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
It’s so important to have a community of individuals that you can reach out to for support. As an entrepreneur, we cannot be the master of all the roles that we need to get done. Having a support of community for resources + networking helps us to build the assistance, the opportunities, the knowledge of what is going on in the world.
Having community for emotional support helps to maintain mental + physical health, reduces stress + inflammation levels. We have trusted individuals to brainstorm + expand our own perspectives around a potential issue we run up against.
As individualistic cultures, we can find ourselves isolating from others, competing against others, feeling like we have to do it all alone. This contributes to the high level of burnout that we experience in this culture, as well as, the increasing health struggles + mental health crisis.
Contact Info:
- Website: sexloveyoga.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sexloveyoga
- Facebook: Facebook.com/sexloveyogawithdrcat
- Youtube: sexloveyoga
Image Credits
Photographer Kabir Cardenas